Summer Engagement Initiative Wraps Up With Successful Outreach Opportunities, Engaged FCCS Staff

Aligned with our Call to Action of Engaging our Community Authentically, Franklin County Children Services is wrapping up a Summer full of community engagement, having created nearly 100 engagement opportunities across all of Franklin County over a four-month period.

Key to the success of this effort, according to FCCS Communications and Community Outreach Director Scott Varner, was the recruitment of a Summer Engagement Team. "Nearly 60 staff members from across our agency - from caseworkers to office staff, with representatives of every division - took the time to attend events and festivals on behalf of FCCS."

The Summer Engagement Team provided an opportunity for a variety of employees to meet with and hear from our community directly, fostering valuable two-way communication.

A spotlight of this Summer Engagement initiative was the agency’s sponsorship of the Thursday Night Thriller violence prevention basketball league. Attracting hundreds of youth and their families each Thursday night to the basketball courts in Whitehall, the seven-week TNT summer program provided a safe and active outlet for middle- and high school-aged teens.

Hosted by Whitehall Parks and Recreation and Whitehall Police - with sponsorship by several organizations including the Franklin County Commissioners, Franklin County Job and Family Services, the Godman Guild, African American Male Wellness Agency, CareSource, the US Army, and FCCS - the Thursday Night Thriller events sent a powerful message about using authentic engagement to prevent youth violence. 

In addition to the organized basketball league and flag football games, children and families who attended the events were provided with a variety of free resources, such as shoes, clothing, diapers, household goods, furniture, backpacks, school supplies, and gift cards. The unique event was strategically scheduled during the times when youth violence is typically most prevalent.

Throughout the summer, FCCS partnered with the City of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department and Department of Neighborhoods on more than a dozen events, taking us to the East Side, South Side, West Side, Linden, Downtown, Near East, North East, Eastland, Valleyview, Wedgewood, and Hilltop.

Team FCCS also attended organized neighborhood block parties in Hilliard, Canal Winchester, Grove City, Gahanna, New Albany, Blacklick, Westerville, and Worthington… and participated in the summer-long Heritage Music Festival at Mayme Moore Park and the annual Somali Cultural Festival.

Two dozen members of Team FCCS also actively participated in the African American Male Wellness Day and 5K Walk/Run at Livingston Park. Over the past 20 years, this event has become the largest wellness initiative of its kind in Central Ohio, with free health screenings, hundreds of community partners, and thousands of participants. The event also served as an opportunity for FCCS to recruit mentors and share agency information.

Other Summer Engagement Team events in August included Franklinton’s National Night Out, the ESC of Central Ohio Mental Health Fair, the Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival, and the Franklin County Child Support Enforcement Agency’s Empowerment Day.

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