Native Drums
Explore the powerful symbolism of drums in African American culture, once tools of communication and resistance during the darkest times of slavery. We confront the lingering shadows of economic exploitation and the pervasive influence of media and religion in controlling black narratives. Let’s reexamine the role of the black church and its mission to fight systemic injustices, urging a return to prophetic ministries that prioritize humanity and community over material wealth. This podcast episode is not just a reflection of the past but a call to action for the future, urging us to build a more just and liberated world.
Native Drums
How A Community Program Rebuilds Bonds At Home
Real change at home often starts with small, repeatable habits: a shared meal, a calm conversation, a clear boundary. We invited Elder Alexis Pipkins to walk us through the Strengthening Families Program and how 11 structured sessions help parents and kids trade conflict for connection. From the first dinner to the final booster, this skills-based approach (not therapy) leans on the five protective factors—parental resilience, social connections, concrete support, parenting knowledge, and social-emotional development—to make families stronger where it counts most: daily life.
We talk about who can join—any caregiver of a child aged six to seventeen—and what to expect each week: parents and children learn in separate groups, then reunite to practice family skills. You’ll hear practical tools that work in real homes, like reward charts that motivate, family meetings that give children a voice, and positive discipline that teaches instead of punishes. We dive into ACEs and risk factors with clear language, and we show how coaches deliver the model with fidelity while adapting to local needs across Lee, Florence, Darlington, Williamsburg, and Sumter Counties.
Barriers don’t get ignored here; they get removed. Site coordinators help with transportation, gas cards, childcare, and connections to utilities assistance, food banks, and partners who sponsor meals. We also spotlight male engagement, volunteer opportunities, and why the dinner table is more than furniture—it’s a ritual that anchors listening, choices, and bonding. Stay to the end for enrollment details, upcoming cycles hosted at Savannah Grove, and ways to refer a family through Children’s Trust.
If this conversation sparked an idea for your home or your community, share it with a friend, subscribe for more stories like this, and leave a quick review. Your support helps more families find a seat at the table.
Hello everyone. This is Joe Silia and welcome to Native Jumps. I'm sitting in for Reverend Dr. Ralph Telpha McCanti on this evening. And our guest today is Mr. Alexis Pipkins. Reverend Elder. Elder, thank you. Elder Alexis Pipkins. And he's the director of the Strengthening Families Program, which is a very much needed program for this day and age. So the first steps of Lee County. All right, yes. First steps of Lee County. I remember going to a banquet. Oh, there were a lot of amazing stories at that banquet. That was a great thing, but welcome. I'm on another street. Welcome, Alexis.
SPEAKER_01:Welcome, good. Good to be here. Welcome, welcome. Received.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, it's great to have you. Now, the Strengthening Families program, I saw, you gave me some history. Let's talk about some history and and um when it was founded and and how the the and when um it reached Lee County. Because you serve um Lee County, Florence County, uh, what was it, Darlington County, Willsburg County, Sumter. And Sumter. That was a lot of counties, a lot of work. Yeah, so give us a little background on first on um Strengthening Families, the Strength and Families program.
SPEAKER_01:Well for Lee County First Steps, uh, which is our our agency, our beginning with Strengthening the Family actually prior to the um Children's Trust grant, which we are actually implemented in the counties, which you mentioned, um which began in 2013.
SPEAKER_00:Okay.
SPEAKER_01:Um we actually were implementing it with our adult ed in Lee County at the time, and then director came to us in terms of trying to find a parenting program that we would be able to provide support and services, which is what we call parent and child time. And so the Strengthening Families program was the program that we selected, and we also had individuals throughout the region and the state who came and were also trained in the curriculum, and that provided our segue into the strengthening families program. And then a few years later, um the Children's Trust opened up a grant opportunity that we actually applied for, and um we were part of the second win of the first year of the Children's Trust implementing the program in 2012. So and this is 2025, and our expansion has grown from just little old Lee County, and then we went from Lee to Darlington, uh Florence, Sumter, Williamsburg, and back to Darlington again. So it's a powerful program in terms of providing support and services to parents and children.
SPEAKER_00:That's awesome. And like I said, that you have um many counties, so that's a lot of work. You have a great staff, I'm sure, that handles that helps you.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, we've got a great team. Um, I have two program managers, um, Miss Mamie uh McKay and Miss Bessie Sanders Gordon. Um both of we split the counties up and then we work with uh site coordinators in each of the areas. And a part of our role and has been to ensure that we've developed capacity. And when I say capacity with the site coordinators, we are developing other leaders who can take on leadership roles in terms of managing the sites because the site coordinators play a pivotal role in terms of recruiting uh staff, also recruiting families, and also making connections with the local communities. So one of our tasks has been in the five counties that we're in, also trying to grow staff, and these individuals work serve as independent contractors or consultants with us, and they make a world of a difference in terms of making sure that the fidelity of the curriculum is followed at all times, and also ensuring that families, any barriers that they have, they provide those barriers to us so that we can eliminate barriers to ensure that families can actively engage in the program during the 11 nights that are 11 sessions at this time.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, okay, okay. So, how um do what's the process for families to be a part of this program?
SPEAKER_01:Uh the process really, any family can benefit from strengthening family. So that Miss Norma, we want to make certain we throw out that it's only for certain people, understanding that the the crux of the program was developed around terms of people say, Well, you know, maybe this group or that group, that's not the case because all families have some type of aces or some type of issues, or all families also come with strengths. And because of that, we engage anyone if they have a child that's age six to seventeen. So I like to make sure that we throw that out there. Okay. That is the prima donna or the the uh the requirement that you've got to have an age-eligible child, okay. Age six to seventeen, and it can be the parent, the grandparent, the aunt or uncle, the person that is involved in the child's life, it can be a cousin, and they come and they participate with the child during those 11 sessions. And um in several of the counties, um, some meet once a week, some meet twice a week. So depending on what the staff decide in the local community, they will meet over those periods, but they have to meet for 11 sessions. Okay. And after it's not where people can roll in after night four, after night three, that solidifies the group. That is that that group that will make up what we call a cycle.
SPEAKER_02:Okay.
SPEAKER_01:And they will attend and participate um throughout the course of the eleven cycles. And um all each cycle starts, number the first thing that starts out with is the meal. Then the parents go to a session, then the children go to a session, and then they come back to what's called the family skills. Okay. And that's the piece where they actually take to practice the skills that they have gained from the evening session that we want to ensure that they exit and that they will retain those types of skills to make this their family stronger and much more effective.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, that's wonderful. That's wonderful. Is it difficult to get families?
SPEAKER_01:Uh it is not all in some communities. There may, I don't like to say difficult, right? But there are challenges that may be presented. And for for example, sometimes when some a family may start a program, uh the parent work schedule may not may be one way, but then once they get started, it may change. So what we always try to do with when they have those types of difficult issues or if they have challenges, what we try to do is encourage families to have someone else to be a part of your family as well, so that the family can still complete the program. And one of the um challenges sometimes that's presented to us is getting men involved. So, what um we've put before us, because our funds are all we want to see more male involved, and men also bring a lot of richness to the conversations and discussions as they cover the curriculum, that we put additional incentives in place for men to participate. And um, in fact, tonight we had a graduation and down in um King Street, and as I was making my comments to them, I said I acknowledged the two men that were that had graduated with their families. So the piece in terms of the challenges or difficulties that may present it, we try to ensure that staff we come together and do some SWOT analysis to ensure that we eliminate those types of barriers. Transportation in some locations may become an issue. Um, one of my earliest um remembrances when we started um strengthening families, we went to down to Lynchburg and um church, we were actually at a church in the community, and when we planned, we planned in mind that we're in rural Lynchburg and we were planning that we need to ensure that we had transportation, and one of the churches had a van, and the church had provided the utilization of their van and the uniqueness of what the family said, we're glad to have this program, and you know what? We were carpooled, so that ended up becoming a value add. So what we initially thought was a barrier ended up not being a barrier. So every community has its own unique opportunities, and so that's why when the uh site coordinators and the family coaches is what we call the individuals who provide the instruction and support for the sessions, they engage them and they provide during their week during their evening wrap up the information so that we can ensure that whatever they need to eliminate barriers, that we'll provide those things. And so sometimes we have to provide cabs in Lee County. Um we also collaborate even with our local transit. So we we find unique ways and try to find partners, or even churches that provide support as well. And you just there are people out here that are willing to provide those types of support and services to make things happen for the community.
SPEAKER_00:That's great. That's great. I'll tell you what, it sounds like it's a really great program. There should be a waiting list. Well, there should be a waiting list.
SPEAKER_01:In in some communities, we have longer we always the philosophy is when our program ends, we're supposed to have a waiting list. Okay. So that also um establishes with our funder that we have people that are ready.
SPEAKER_00:Right.
SPEAKER_01:And now of course, sometimes what happens is the point that you said that once the um we get ready to start that night one, and then when the site coordinator makes contact, say, well, my work schedule has changed, my family's changed, or we may have moved out of one area, and that may not fit that time. Um as I'm reflecting, we we're coming down to some graduations. Um last week, um, one of the groups that finished, um, one of the young ladies had started with one group, but she didn't graduate. And so um one of the family coaches said the young lady called and said she wanted to come back through the program. So their team's discussion was well, this person had gotten so close, right, and we had a lot of services that we actually had provided transportation for this person. And she said she didn't want to finish. And um even in terms of I actually sent a staff person to the home to knock on the door, but she did they're not so so from from the the administrative end, someone would say, Well, why would you want to still come back after that person? Well, guess what? We the staff said, Well, everybody deserves a second chance.
SPEAKER_00:Yes.
SPEAKER_01:And that mother and her child completed the program. And not not only did the ch they complete the program, but for their graduation, she actually was the person at MC'd. So it's about families. You know, we we sometimes people write families off, uh, write individuals in their family off, but that's not what we should be about. It's about strengthening the family. There you go. So by ensuring that for the sake of her coming back through when she didn't complete, this is something now she and her family they completed together. So you just you we never know what things happen in people's lives.
SPEAKER_00:That's right, that's right, that's right. That's a great story for her to come back and to make sure that, to have that passion to come back, you know. So the foundation of the strengthening families program is based upon five protective factors. So let's talk about those factors of the enhancing of parental resilience, providing an array of social connections, providing parents concrete support in times of need, and facilitating knowledge of parenting and child development, as well as supporting healthy social and emotional development in young children. So that parental resilience, let's start there. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Um, with parental resilience, you know, in life, all of us have issues and challenges.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And sometimes with some families, when they go through issues, they feel like there's no hope. And so the resilience piece, and I some people like to describe it as like a basketball. You know, when life happens, it goes up, comes down, goes up, and it comes back down. But with resilience, you develop the skills that when you go through experiences in life, this is not the end. Yes, yes, yes. This is not the end. And the the up, the array of the other protective facts, because the curriculum is rooted and grounded in the five protective factors, it gives the family members, from the parent to the child, the ability to understand that it's about protecting your family. You guard your family, but you've got to have some skills in terms of the pro-social components that makes your family stronger. And one good thing about this curriculum, and when I say it as a curriculum, because the families, when they come together, they come and they share and they pour into each other. And when they pour into each other, guess what? I don't care whether or not you are on a hundred thousand dollars or whether you make twenty thousand dollars. We all are parents and we're all on the same playing field. And you know what? You might have thought that you were the only one going through this, and then guess what? She going, he's going through the same thing that I'm going through. So sometimes parents need to be able to listen to others to know that you know what, this is not the end of the world. And you know, sometimes what you thought if a child breaks something that, hey, that's no, that's not the end of the world. That's just something that happened. You know what? I can buy something else to replace it. And also being able to have strategies as it relates to discipline. You know, lots of families sometimes they discipline, like their parents or their grandparents, discipline. A lot of parents did a lot of hollering or screaming, uh, a lot of corporal or physical punishment. And because parents did not always have other skills and tools. One good thing about this program in terms of with families, the parent and the child, they come together during that family, during that family time. And you're working on skills. Uh, for example, one of my favorite ones is the spinner game in terms of being able to understand that discipline is not just negative, discipline also has a positive approach. But if you have never had the opportunity to have some level of instruction and then also to engage your child in the process, then old people used to say like this, whatever I see is it. Children are to be what? Seen and not heard. And if that is a philosophy that has been transferred to one generation to another generation, and we call that a two-gen approach, when you don't understand that you've got to be know how to engage. And you from the faith-based components is train up a child in the way he should go. Training is teaching, but you can't teach that which you don't know to teach. So because we are parents, that don't mean we have that we get it right all the time. So those understanding those five protective factors as a parent and also ensuring that your child also understands it brings a commonality together where you're able to interact and to relate with your child. And SFP is a is an effective way to put these practical skills into practice. And when they do have that family time, they practice. And then they have home practice where they're able to practice again. And then they come back and then they share it. And then that next week when they come back over that meal time, then what the family coaches do, they circulate throughout. Hey, how did things go? Did you do your home practice? How was it? And they talk about it. So it lays a foundation of practicing not just theory, but this is practicing what you get. And one beautiful thing about this is that later we do what's called the booster session. I call it the family reunion. Nine days after the program is over, they come back.
SPEAKER_02:Okay.
SPEAKER_01:And they talk about the skills that they continue to do. And so that is always refreshing to us. And we do a lot of different creative things in the different counties as well.
SPEAKER_00:Now, earlier we were talking about the table. Yep. The table. And that's something that doesn't happen like it used to. Um eating dinner together. And so let's talk about that, that connection at the table and making sure you have a table in your home, you said.
SPEAKER_01:Yep. And the first part of the Strengthening Families program, and I I guess you can tell I've got a few little pounds on me. So the meal time is very important because I believe that the the meal time is you you want to ensure that the menu is right. Right. You want to make sure that the ambience or the atmosphere is right. And when families sit down, and we try to with the program, we also get input from the families what to include on our menus. And that's their time for interaction, that's their time for sharing. But you've got to also ensure that families have a structure so that they know how to communicate. It's not we just come in, eat, and talk about anything. It is structured around the curriculum itself. And the meal time, as we were talking about the table, we've learned that a lot of families don't have a table.
SPEAKER_00:Don't have a table.
SPEAKER_01:Don't sit down at, you know, I my grandmama when she when I got out of school and got home by four by four o'clock, guess what we were doing? We were sitting in the kitchen at the table, eating dinner, sitting down talking, how was the day? What went on during the day. That's right. Anything happened, I need to know. And then on Sundays, we sat in the dining room table at the dining room table. That was a part, but that level of communication and skills that I that I've ascertained, I've learned that a lot of our young people, they don't have that. And so the parents don't. So when we've had families to go through the program, and when they graduate, and when a child says, well, because of us going through this program, my mama bought a table. My daddy, they we got a table that we sit down and we have meals. Because a lot of families, particularly who may drive, they they drive and eat on the go from the restaurants, and they don't sit down. But it is important that families sit down and have that bonding time. And then they also can do games with because one part of the program, they do child's game, parent game, and they're able to decide who's going to lead. And parents listening to their children. So this program provides so many wonderful pieces for enriching and strengthening the family itself.
SPEAKER_00:And that parents, parents listening to the children, because some parents don't listen.
SPEAKER_01:Do not listen. There's one of the activities, um, particularly the child would tell the parent, give the parent all the verbal instructions, and you'd be surprised what it looks like after the fact. And so that that part of listening, and you know what? When parents say that that's made them, that they don't jump uh to conclusions, right? The the the verbal pieces, that they're listening to what their child has to say, that's critical, and that's important because children are not just to be seen and not heard. They are to be a part of a family unit. And um, you know, for lack of a better way of saying this, you know, people parent the way they they were parented. And whether it was good or whether it was bad or whether it was indifferent, but they've got to be able to be placed in different situations with different and they say, you know what, uh, we might that we might have done that in the past, but that was not good. So we're gonna come out here doing some healthy things, reward charts. You know, it it's okay to give children rewards. That's not spoiling a child, you know.
SPEAKER_00:So yeah, um like you were saying, uh in our day, parents are saying a child is to be seen and not heard. And there's still some situations where children should be seen and not heard, but in this day and age, children have to be heard because things are so different now.
SPEAKER_01:So different. And like you said, even just even when we understand this program is a part of prevention of abuse and neglect as well.
SPEAKER_02:Right.
SPEAKER_01:And to have that at the perspective, you know, uh, you know, people say, what goes on in my house? Stays in my house. Stays in my house. And then we we understand even the aspects of abuse, it's it's not a stranger. Most of the abuse is is inflicted by someone that someone is known to the family. So you want to ensure that the levels of children know how to communicate. They feel safe to be able to communicate. And and home should be the place to create that level of effective communication.
SPEAKER_00:Definitely, definitely. So um these five protective factors, they are um they're awesome uh because it talks about providing parents concrete support in time of need. Yeah. Yeah, because um sometimes parents are lost for uh for you know, in some situations, they don't know what to do, you know. And so, so uh what type of support can we say that strengthening families offers?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. So even in terms of concrete support in times of need, specifically, if if your lights are getting ready to get out, or helping helping them to navigate through the system, who do you contact? Is it your local CAP agency? You know, for example, in Florence, um you even have like Lighthouse Ministries, the Salvation Army, those helping them because there are lots of parents that sometimes by circumstances, situational issues may happen and a person may fall and they don't know where to turn to for help. Whether it's a local church or or or individuals, where do you turn to? In fact, this past week we had a situation where we were trying to navigate to help a family. And and we know in terms of what's just happening in the country, a lot of people are were being impacted, even if turning for child care, those types of things, to be able to show people where they can go to for food banks and those types of things. That's in terms of the concrete support in time in time of need. Um if you need help with your light bill, I think I said that as well. Utilities being able to provide resources to families specific to help them if they need those types of support. And even specific during our program with families, if there's a need for gas, we provide some gas cars for them so that they can attend the sessions as well.
SPEAKER_00:Oh right, all right. That and um like you said, when um well, I guess the government is back up now, I guess. Uh I I sort of keep up with the news sometimes, sometimes I don't. I've had a crazy day, so I kept up too well. But um with the food stamp cards not being available, um, for some families that right there was a time that they that extra support was needed for families.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and so even trying to navigate families where we're in fact I got something today over in um uh uh someone sent something be at the gates uh at certain time, and I think it's on a campus, that folk would be able to come through and get food. Wonderful. And um, so we actually from an another program that we manage, um, we actually had um this entity provided us with a hundred dollars for one hundred people. That's ten thousand dollars.
SPEAKER_02:Wow.
SPEAKER_01:So we had to navigate and put everything together. So, and what we also do sometimes for things provide food boxes for the families that are in our program. Yes, yes. And um the during the holidays, you know, we try to ensure that the resources that we also have that we provide them with other things that they may need as well.
SPEAKER_00:Mm-hmm. Oh, they did that at the boys club this week. Um, they provided 400 food boxes for the community, which I thought was wonderful. And like you said, PDCAP, they do a lot of um different uh offer a lot of services, uh uh utilities, Duke Energy and folks of that nature. So that yes, families do need that, they need that support. Now, I was looking on here about the let's see, what was it? The risk factors. That's what I'm gonna talk about. Risk factors when it comes to family, family conflict and things of that nature. Let's talk about that. Risk risk risk factors that um that families may experience.
SPEAKER_01:And we c many times in terms of the adults, it's called adverse childhood um experiences, which are aces. Oh yeah. And so because fam sometimes people don't realize they have aces, you know, say, well, all of us have some aces. Some are higher and some are lower, but everybody has some level of risk factors. And the risk factors may, if they're higher, then that means some families may be prone or may need more support in different areas. But for example, if it's alcohol, drugs, uh, violence, those types of things, of you want to make certain that when we go through these programs, we acknowledge that these are issues. And with the new curriculum that we use, it does a level of discuss a little more in depth as it relates to drug and alcohol in contrast to the older curriculum that we were using. So making certain that we bring these things to the light, and because we want to ensure that children are in a safe place that's practical, but we want to also acknowledge that these are real risk factors in life. And um, that's why you know it's with the program itself, all of our family coaches, and that's what we refer to the staff that implements the curriculum again, they're trained in the curriculum so that they're in sure they're delivering the curriculum to the fidelity of the model. And staff will always tell you that I always talk about the fidelity of the model because we are about lifting them, and it's from a strengths-based approach. Um, because if you don't address some of these issues, what we do, we create a repetitive cycle and making certain that people are aware. And the point that you're talking about, even for example, if you take a leave a child, a child who gets off the bus and goes home and stays home. Back during my day, that was called a latch key kid. But that's really a child is being left with a lack of supervision. And that's a risk factor.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, it is.
SPEAKER_01:Um you want to we want to ensure that even some of our customs and some of our traditions, they may prevent present some level of risk factors as well. But sometimes people don't talk about those things. So this it provides a safe space for families to be able to come. The parents go into a session and they are able to share. And then one good thing about this new curriculum as well is that they're able to see um prepared or custom-built PowerPoints, but it's not to the point where the families are not bringing something as a part of the curriculum's discussion. And then the children are also being presented with the same topic as their parents, but at their developmental age. Particularly, we do a session for the teens, and we also do one for 6 to 11. And this curriculum also has a preschool three to five. So you you've got all aspects of the family being able to be presented. With Children's Trust, who is our funder for this program here, specifically 6 to 17, is who we actually provide the direct curriculum for, then we bring them back together for the family skills session, the children 6 to 17. So that brings a larger scope of the family together doing the family skills so they're able to look at those issues and they'll talk about those things to enhance and to strengthen their family.
SPEAKER_00:So they'll be able to work through maybe some issues and situations that they have.
SPEAKER_01:Exactly. And then when they come back and the mom said, You know, what I used to fuss about, I don't do that anymore now. We got a rewards chart. Okay. Okay. Okay, if you don't do this, all right, then that's what that means. You don't get to do that. And then family meetings, which are a very, very important part. And I go back to that children being seen and not heard.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Okay. Well, you have a family meeting, you discuss, and you know, some children are incorrigible and some children can be a challenge. Yes. But but you've got to lay the foundation. Now, and I'm not saying that this starts out on night one. No, it takes some work and it takes some practice. So if you meet them for 11 weeks and then, or if you meet them for five weeks, five and a half weeks, but if they're meeting twice a week, that means you've got to you've got to be persistent. With your practice, with using the skills. And that's what this is a skills-based program. It is not a therapeutic program. It is not therapy. It is a skills-based program. Now, it may have some aspect, but it is not meant to be therapy. It is not therapy. It is not counseling. It is a parenting skills-based program. So I want to make certain that that's you know that's really clear and then following that fidelity.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah, that's hands-on. A hands-on situation. And that's what, you know, that's what's needed. I know therapeutic is good and it has its way, you know, but um that had nothing beats that hands-on skills. And then in doing that and bringing that family together, then that bonding factor comes in.
SPEAKER_01:Spending that time with spending that time, because I tell you when you see families, and sometimes um, you know, now I realize I'm I'm working so hard to try to put food on the table, pay the light bill, pay the water bill or the gas bill, take care of the utilities, all the other things that go along with parenting.
SPEAKER_00:Right.
SPEAKER_01:But I don't want to miss the bonding time. And I like to always say this, you got one time to nurture. And if you don't do the nurturing, it costs down the road. Oh, yeah. So, but guess what? But as long as they're still under your roof, you got time to for that bonding and that nurturing. So, and then when parents talk about when they've gone through this program, you know, I realize I was doing all the screaming and hollering because guess what? I hadn't bonded with my child. So, and that's self-revelation. That nobody has to tell you that. Right. And um, so coming in, pulling that, and then also parents understanding the importance that we've got to monitor our children.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, yes.
SPEAKER_01:You know, some people let kids go in and just watch TV or what listen to all kinds of crazy music. Exactly. And then we say, well, you know, some so being able to incorporate that into your family, those are skills that families need. You know, a lot of times people say, Well, you know, the world's this, well, the world's only made up of and it's only a reflection of the other people in our community. And so strengthening families, in my opinion, is good for any community, any grandmama, you look, you can come through with your grandbabies. Anybody, all of us, you look, even my wife and my oldest child, they went through, not my oldest child, but my youngest child at that time, the 6'11, and it made, and that was my introvert child. And I mean, in terms of, but she can tell you those rewards and those types of things made a difference. So, you know, and it's bonding, and that's what I I believe, I believe in this program. You know, I in terms of the family time for meal time, sitting down, Sunday dinner during the week, that's that should be a practice. And you know, and we know that some families, uh some parents, they work during the day. So a lot, but you need to intent, be intentional about setting some time for that.
SPEAKER_00:I was about to talk, I was about to ask you about time management, because, like, for instance, I left home this morning at 8 o'clock, and I haven't been back home yet. And it's 12 hours, it's already gone by.
SPEAKER_01:Long time. So guess what? When you get ready to do that breakfast in the morning, even if you don't sit down and just eat the grits. But you know, I'm just we but we find some level of being intentional to make certain that we plant. And even letting the kids help set the menu. Giving them, you know, when I came up, whatever grandmama cooked, that was it. That was it. But you know what difference does it make? Okay, and then that also let them be a part of preparation of the meal. When we came, oh you're gonna play in their kitchen, but that but those are also skills that the children are developing. And we're going back again. Kids are not just to be seen and not heard. Yeah, yeah. Just so you're seen and not heard, not seen, uh, we we want to develop some skills with with our children.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, like we said earlier, it's it's a different day and age now. Different day and age. I tell you, um, so about how many graduations um with all do you have within the counties each year? Okay. In each county.
SPEAKER_01:Typically we are funded about 11 to 12 cycles, and that's basically two. Um, but we've been fortunate that our philosophy is we try to be good stewards with the funds that we've gotten. This year we will have implemented 17 cycles.
SPEAKER_02:Okay.
SPEAKER_01:Um, so that roughly means, and we've our staff has done an excellent job. Two things are that's important recruitment and retention. And the retention is where you shoot to ensure that you graduate at least 10 to 12 families. And for example, um there's out of the groups that are graduating now, um, we are running seven cycles. And there's only one group at this junction now, and they the staff has tried everything to retain, but there was a change in the the young ladies' work schedule, and the the man of the house is not coming to the next level to help. So they will be the only group out of these this group that will graduate 11.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_01:Everybody else is on target for their 12. And it's hard work to try to make certain that you you stay in contact and communication with people. Right. If there are barriers or something changes, or if you need to try to get somebody else to make certain that the family still graduates. And grandmama can participate with them. Uh, aunt or uncle can participate to ensure that the family um graduates on time.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, all right. Well, um our viewers would need to know that the strengthening families program is offered here at Savannah Grove Baptist Church. Um, Elder Pipkins um directs that here at the church. And so um you said we'll start one up possibly in this frame?
SPEAKER_01:I think we're supposed to be back here in in February, and um we just because we were here in we were here in the spring of the year. Okay. Spring 25, so we're supposed to be back. Um we uh finished up, we were over at New Ebenezer.
SPEAKER_00:Okay.
SPEAKER_01:And um, so they hosted two there, and well, we got one that's finished up. So we're supposed to be back here, and um, Reverend, in fact, I will say this as well before the pandemic, um, Pastor Canton also was instrumental with helping us to get into the Savannah Grove community. And I don't know if you remember or not, when we we had one over at the Savannah Grove Elementary School. I remember. And uh, in fact, several of um Savannah Grove parishioners actually volunteered and um helped us in terms of recruitment. And um, I is I can't think of the young lady's name, but um, she was very, very um instrumental with with coming in and providing support with us from the community as well.
SPEAKER_00:Great, great. I remember Dr. Singletary was there for the graduation, I believe. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Wonderful. So um if they want to participate in the engagement program on in February, how do they do that? Okay.
SPEAKER_01:Well, I know we've had some flyers to be here at the church as well, but they can contact the Lee County First Steps office, 803-484-5110, 803-484-5110, and um talk to any of our staff members. Um they can also um go online um and look children's trust, and they can do a um referral form and complete that, and then that'll come directly to us as well. Um, but all the easiest way always is direct mount, they can call us and we'll make sure we take the intake and then get them ready, sign them, put them on the waiting list and move right on in. All right, all right.
SPEAKER_00:That's great, that's great. So this is wonderful.
SPEAKER_01:We just um is there anything else that we missed when it comes to that the that our um viewers need to know when it comes to I I think the piece that you just hit really in terms of for the Strengthening Families program, even though we have staff that help, it's always good to have volunteers, um, men groups um fact um can always be a part. And what we started doing in all the areas as well to show collaboration, community partnership. Um each of the um cycles for two of the meals, um, they get community partners to actually provide that level of support. Wonderful. And um, so some it's a simple meal, even hot dogs, or some, you know, they can make contact and then they can also come in and be volunteers because there's always opportunity and room for volunteers to provide support for other things that that we do. And um, we are big in terms of trying to provide support and services. And as I said, once the program is over, that's not the end because they have connected and they've made life-lasting relationships. Um, as I was saying to you, even um even reflecting upon with um individuals that I know, once it's over with, they maintain relationships with their family coaches. And those relationships become familieship. And that's really what the whole goal is, that you you've got some connection and the point that you and the protective factor, knowing where to gender for help and those concrete supports in times of need, knowledge of child development, the parenting, because it takes a village, and that's really what the strength and families program is really all about.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, it takes a village, it does. Well, thank you ever so much for joining us here today. This has been very enlightening. Um, I've heard a lot about the strength and families program, but this is the first time that I've really had the chance to sit down with you and to uh and you explain all the different entities and factors that come with this program. And there's one at Community Um Action Partnership. I think they serve Marion County in that way.
SPEAKER_01:Um, PD Cap, they serve Marion and they also serve uh Dillon County. Okay. And then Lighthouse Ministries here in Florence, they also provide the Strength and the Families program. And our relationship has been that because we're pretty much our area has been rural, so we serve the rural portion, but we don't have any conflict in terms of relate, we do referrals to them and they do referrals to us as well. Okay. Um, in fact, in the county, we've been in Timminsville, we've been in Lake City. In fact, we finished a couple of weeks ago down in Lake City. So what but we've kept our program pretty much mobile in different locations as well. Right. If someone says they want us, we've been in churches, boys and girls club. Um, so that there's just been a relationship.
SPEAKER_00:Good, good, good. Well, I'm glad that people are taking it um advantage of your services, and perfectly more of you will take advantage of the services of the strengthening families program. Um the first steps, Lee County. Yeah. Yes, and tell them though that age group eligibility again.
SPEAKER_01:The age group eligibility is six to seventeen, but the whole family has the opportunity to come because we provide child care, uh, these the children's group, and then the teens group. And um, we've just been fortunate that that we're also doing a collaboration that we are able to do preschool. We'll be specifically targeting preschool in um Lee and Sumter Counties.
SPEAKER_00:Wonderful, wonderful. So, yeah, that's the entire family.
SPEAKER_01:Entire family. And the good thing about it is that during those nights that the session meets, you don't have to cook. And they get incentives. Um then at graduation, we normally get a hundred dollar gift card for participating at graduation, and each night they get incentives as well.
SPEAKER_00:Wow. Well, that's wonderful, that's wonderful. Well, thank you so much for joining us on this evening. And uh we open our doors for you to come back again. Okay, well right, especially especially once that program begins here in February, you know, uh, so that we'll know um exactly what's going on and and how people can participate if you need volunteers, okay, things of that nature.
SPEAKER_01:All right, well, we'll be ready, and then our side coordinator was over here was um Danielle Boyden. She did an exceptional job connecting as well.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, yes. I think I did meet her on one occasion while she was here. All right, well, thanks again.
unknown:Okay.
SPEAKER_00:All right, everyone. Thank you ever so much for uh being with us on today. I'm Jocelia Williams sitting in for Reverend Dr. Ralph WCanty and Native Drums here at the Savannah Grove Baptist Church. Have a beautiful and blessed evening.