Timeline from 2018

FEBRUARY: Elizabeth led a mini-workshop for interested parents at Hyatt Park Elementary in Richland 1; a family successfully completed the program and celebrated with an afternoon of bowling!

MARCH: A family successfully completed the program and celebrated with a pizza party!

JUNE: A family successfully completed the program and celebrated by going bowling; Elizabeth joined the Story team during VBS. JULY: Elizabeth gave a program update during each worship service on Thornwell Sunday and led a workshop on Parenting in the Digital Age during the Sunday school hour

AUGUST: Elizabeth celebrated 4 years with the Building Families Program; a family successfully completed the program and celebrated at a Fireflies baseball game. SEPTEMBER: Elizabeth led an 8-week parenting class at SVPC; a family successfully completed the program and celebrated at the Botanical Gardens! OCTOBER: Elizabeth led a workshop for middle school students in the Richland 2 Kinship Care group; Elizabeth decorated her car for SVPC’s Trunk or Treat!

Spring Valley Presbyterian Church, Columbia, SC

Elizabeth Ogorek

Lead Family Specialist elizabeth.ogorek@thornwell.org

864-923-4842

• During 2018, Building Families served 185 children and family members through our partnership with Spring Valley Presbyterian Church!• A total of 11 families representing 53 individuals participated in the in-home intervention. Of those families, 8 successfully completed the intervention and are now receiving Aftercare support. 1 family is still open, but on track for a successful graduation. 2 families ended services prior to completing the full program.• 41 additional individuals graduated from the program in 2017 and continued to receive Aftercare support with Elizabeth in 2018.• Local families were also positively impacted by the Parenting Classes and Workshops that Elizabeth offered this year. 8 families representing 14 household members participated in the Building Families Parenting Class Series. Elizabeth also reached 45 additional families with 77 household members through the 3 community Workshops that she provided.• Elizabeth provided 196 home visits, 5 school visits, 22 Field/Community visits, and 134 supportive phone calls were made to families.• Elizabeth completed 15 visits to referral sources in the Columbia area and completed an additional 67 contacts via phone/email to educate community partners about the program and share how they could connect families to the program. •This effort to engage the community resulted in 37 families being referred for services during 2018. • Elizabeth also shared that she enjoyed participating in the daily life of the congregation and staff at Spring Valley. During 2018 she had the opportunity to attended 13 different church events and 37 church staff meetings!

Spring Valley Highlights

2018 Mutual Ministry ReportBuilding Families Program

Trunk or Treat: Finger lights were a big hit at SVPC’s trunk or treat!

This year Building Families staff drove over 54,000 miles as we provided services to our

families and communities. That’s enough to circle the Earth TWICE!

Timeline from 2018

NOVEMBER: Elizabeth hosted the 1st Annual Building Families Reunion during the Fall Bazaar; Families shared about their experiences since participating in the program and enjoyed attending the Bazaar; SVPC’s Bazaar raised $7000 for Thornwell and the Building Families Program! Elizabeth led 2 Workshops for parents in the Irmo area at Westminster Presbyterian Church

DECEMBER: Elizabeth led a mini-workshop for grandparents raising their grandchildren at Richland 2’s Kinship Care group breakfast and lunch events; SVPC members gave over $1200 of items and gift cards in support of Elizabeth’s families through the Angel Tree

Family members completed an art therapy activity in which they decorated their Real Home and Ideal Home and then responded to questions such as “how I feel

living here” and “what I wish about this house” to identify and process

their feelings about each place.

Throughout the year, SVPC members have donated clothing, furniture, gift cards, and toys to

families in our community as well as the Thornwell campus. Thank you for your generosity!

In 2018, Elizabeth worked with a single mom as she entered the world of foster parenting after her daughter graduated from college. When Brenda opened her home to 2 sets of sisters, she realized

that she needed to establish clear rules and expectations while providing support and encouragement for these girls as they adjusted to their time away from unpredictable, violent home lives. Throughout their participation in the program, the girls developed a trusting relationship with their foster parent. Brenda has maintained the rules and routines established in her home as many

additional children have entered into care with her over the past year and has really found her groove as a loving, successful foster parent!

School Supplies Drive: SVPC members generously filled the needs of all of the backpack tags!

M A K I N G A D I F F E R E N C E

Parents and Grandparents attending the parenting class at SVPC identified

(and fulfilled!) the following ‘hopes’ for their time in the class:

• Become a better father/mother/husband/wife

• Get pointers & tips from others

• Become a more nurturing father

• Take what I learn and put it into action

• Learn to manage situations better—including tantrums and “NO!”

VBS Story Room: Elizabeth with the team of story tellers, reminding kids of God’s promise that “when you pass through the waters, I will

be with you.”

Family Clothesline: While parents attending the Building Families Reunion talked about

their experiences, kids drew pictures of their family to hang on the clothesline!

Elizabeth created a timeline to demonstrate the reach of the program in Northeast

Columbia for the Building Families Reunion.

“ I think the best part of the program is having Elizabeth in our home seeing how our family interacts on a typical day, and she has been wonderful at helping us to improve our rewards and consequences system.

“

Elizabeth and the Building Families program have been a huge blessing in our lives and came at a time when I was feeling very low about my children’s behavior and the stress levels their behavior was creating in our home. I thank God for Elizabeth – I’m so thankful that this program exists and I think Elizabeth is excellent at her job. We are so grateful to have her in our lives!

“ “

- Parent in Columbia

- Parent in Columbia