By: Jean Houston, Lead Family Contact
Apprehension, excitement, and panic were felt by many of us as we spent months preparing for the Family and Youth Conference held on May 5, 2012! In the midst of all the excitement and clamor to make sure everything was in place to best support families and youth, the church provided us the full day prior to the conference for setup. Everything was put in place and the conference proceeded very smoothly the next day.
Many thanks go out to the people who made the day successful. Our Family Leaders and Parent Advisory members were taking registrations, preparing the packets, welcoming the participants, and preparing coffee for the morning and assisting with lunch. They were instrumental in collecting and preparing the baskets for the raffle. The Youth Minister at Mt. Carmel Christian Church, our Peer Support Partners, Project Director, Youth Engagement Coordinator and the Lead Family Contact all joined together with the Leadership Team to set up and provide support for the conference.
Speakers, Terre Garner of the Ohio Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health; Jenn Jordan, a parent and Q102 radio celebrity; and Cathy McClain with Clermont Recovery Center, shared information and laughter. The personal story of Charles and Mary Jo O’Brien brought a sense of togetherness and hope for the participants of the conference.
Family Leaders were recognized and presented with a certificate of completion at the beginning of the event.
We’re looking forward to doing it all again in May 2014!