Out of the Pages and Into Real Life

Cover of the latest Family Center Annual Report. Click on the link embedded in Merryl’s blog and read this piece, which beautifully depicts our work, for yourself.

Walking through The Family Center, you are immediately
enveloped in a haven of helpfulness; a gathering of
goodness. As the editor of the latest TFC annual report, I learned a great deal about the organization’s remarkable services, dedicated staff, and plans for the new space. I learned much about the extraordinary changes TFC continues to make in the lives of so many people.

And yet…

Seeing the new TFC space in person was astonishing. It was the difference between reading the manuscript of a symphony and actually hearing one.

The new home of TFC, so carefully thought out, is at once warm and professional. An abundance of natural light plays off calming, cheerful colors and furnishings. A genuine hub of activity, the space has room after room designed for consultation, planning, therapy, and legal assistance for children, adults, and entire families. These rooms, so recently opened, are already seeing good and constant use.

Hopefulness and energy radiate from every staff member you meet at TFC, and that positive attitude is infectious. Everyone offers smiling, full attention and interest. Clients are accorded the utmost respect, and their privacy is sacred.

The Family Center’s new home in the heart of Central Brooklyn. Come by and visit us!

The work of TFC is 100% serious, but the staff can laugh at themselves. They joke that TFC also stands for “The Food Center,” because there is always a snack or two (or three) available, and a hot cuppa. The large, modern kitchen was created to teach healthy cooking skills, and it also provides a cozy spot for both clients and staff to relax a bit. So, it isn’t TFC unless everyone who walks through the door is greeted with something like, “Hello and welcome! Would you like some coffee? tea? We have some cookies. Or would you like a hot chocolate and some fruit?”

Having The Family Center in Brooklyn helps to make life better for all of us. A glorious dream is TFC in many New York City communities. With snacks, of course.

-Merryl Rosenthal
Rosenthal Word Works & Taproot pro-bono consultant

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