National Family Week

To the Editor:

On Thanksgiving people will gather with their families and friends to celebrate and give thanks. This year, people can begin another tradition during National Family Week, November 19-25, and celebrate the diverse composition of families, their significance to everyday life, and their important role in society.

As an organization dedicated to strengthening Connecticut’s families, the Connecticut Council of Family Service Agencies will join with the National Family Week sponsor, the Alliance for Children and Families, and observe National Family Week 2000. This year’s theme is “Celebrate Family.”

During National Family Week, we are reminded that the strength of families is constantly challenged. While many families are benefiting from an economic boom in our state, others live in or on the margin of poverty without the resources to adequately sustain their families.

The Connecticut Council of Family Service Agencies believes that all members of our community – government, faith-based groups, businesses, hospitals, law enforcement, human service organizations, and others – must renew the commitment to work together to sustain strong families. These groups need to find strategies that can help build bridges and advance accessible services in all neighborhoods. Our community’s poor families need connections to better jobs and financial investments, strong social networks, safe environments, and access to health care and social services. In short, families need opportunities, tools, and relationships to succeed, rather than subsidies, welfare, or charity.

The Connecticut Council of Family Service Agencies is an association of 28 family service agencies throughout Connecticut. Our members are private, nonprofit, community agencies that are licensed by appropriate state departments and accredited nationally. They are governed by volunteer boards of directors who are drawn from their communities. Locally our members include [see below].

During this traditional time of family togetherness, let’s remember the worth of strong families to our community, our state, and our nation, and commit to strengthen this important institution.

Very truly yours,

Stephen Ristau

President and CEO

Connecticut Council of Family Service Agencies

1310 Silas Deane Highway

Suite 219, Wethersfield              November 20, 2000