As MaChal Forbes of the Greene County United Way says, “You don’t know what you don’t know,” and for Greene County residents, there is an arsenal of services available that many have never been exposed to before. In a county of many rural households, nonprofit groups have recognized a need to bridge the information gap between locals and the myriad of services available to them. In order to meet this need, members of the Greene County Nonprofit Partnership are expanding an already created, but little known booklet, called the Greene County Family and Community Services Resource Guide.
Originally designed in 2020, and first published in the winter of 2023, the Resource Guide came to fruition after its initiation by Michael Holloway, Administrator of the Greene County Family Center, and is now being furthered through the partnership of local nonprofit executive directors MaChal Forbes of the Greene County United Way, and Aaron Houser of Growing Up Greene. Representing the 20+ organizations in the Greene County Nonprofit Partnership, Forbes and Houser have joined forces in order to reevaluate the Resource Guide and tailor it to better fit the needs of a more diverse readership. The goal of the Nonprofit Partnership is simply to help others, and the newly updated Resource Guide provides an outlet for doing just that.
Aaron shares that “the idea that people can’t find [the help] they need certainly eats at the directors.”
“We needed more awareness for accessing resources,” MaChal continues.
Now, in order to accommodate the various needs of residents, and the differing levels of internet access throughout the county, the guide will now be available in print and online as “a searchable database [where] people can easily find who they are needing to contact,” as described by MaChal.
In rural areas, many families face internet instability, or even a lack of connection altogether, which presents significant challenges in today’s modern and technologically bound society. Fortunately, the Resource Booklet is presented in both digital and physical formats to be used whenever and wherever people need information. “[It’s] a comprehensive guide in order to include everyone,” Aaron elaborates.
“We are excited to expand the reach of information offered,” adds MaChal.
One major challenge identified by all those involved in the project remains—funding. “Most non-profits are small, and looking for funding,” says MaChal.
Through sponsorships, donations, and grants, however, the goal has been able to garner “enough funding to reach every household…This is a very positive thing for our county,” she says.
Michael additionally shares that even in the beginning phases of the project, “Despite financial limitations, we successfully produced 700 copies, all of which were very well received.” Now, Greene County residents can “find out who’s there to help,” according to Aaron.
“Awareness and education is critical,” Michael says, of both the services provided by the Family Center, and of the upcoming booklet. “We want people to use it…families don’t know who to ask,” he states, and hopes that families and children of all ages can be connected with better help upon the release of this newly improved resource. “This project is driven by a mission to inform, empower, and support families throughout Greene County by connecting them with the resources they need to thrive.”
Be on the lookout for the Resource Guide to be released in an upcoming addition of the GreeneScene Community Magazine.
