Fannin Family Connection Passes Halfway Mark on $350,000 Center Expansion

Fannin County Family Connection has raised more than half of the $350,000 it needs to expand its Opportunity Center in Blue Ridge, a project that will give the nonprofit its first dedicated visitation space for families involved in Georgia's child welfare system. Right now, no such space exists anywhere in the county.

That matters for any local family that has leaned on the organization, whether for the food pantry, homeless day services, employment help, or its Family Care Program. The Opportunity Center sits at 501 Fannin Industrial Park in Blue Ridge, and the agency also serves Polk County residents.

Executive Director Jacqueline McKee thanked everyone who has given to the project so far, saying the support is what has made the vision a reality.

What the expansion adds

The project is in its second phase. It includes a dedicated visitation center for families working with the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services, a conference room for partner agencies, and a private consultation space for clients. The organization's office and administration area is also being reconfigured to work better for the people who use it.

Right now, families in DFCS cases who need supervised visits have nowhere designated in Fannin County to meet. That gap is what the new space is built to close.

The need behind the numbers

The push to expand comes as local child welfare and poverty figures run ahead of the state average. According to the latest Georgia KIDS COUNT data, Fannin County's rate of substantiated child abuse or neglect cases, and its child poverty rate, both exceed Georgia's statewide numbers.

Measure	Fannin County	Georgia
Substantiated abuse/neglect (per 1,000 children)	6.3	5.2
Children living in poverty	21.4%	16.9%

Fannin County Family Connection has already added a Resource Coordinator to oversee community case management and its Financial Assistance Program, a hire the agency says came directly out of feedback gathered at its Civic Luncheon and from the families it serves.

How the campaign got here

The fundraising effort picked up speed after the agency was awarded a $100,000 grant through Impact100 Fannin last October. Earlier this month, Fannin County Family Connection partnered with the Knights of Columbus on a golf tournament fundraiser at Old Toccoa Farm, with teams of four paying $800 and individual players paying $200, plus a silent auction.

The agency has not announced a completion date for phase two or said how much of the remaining balance it hopes to raise before construction wraps. Beyond the building itself, Fannin County Family Connection says it plans to keep running its Civic Luncheon, coat drive, literacy outreach, and health services alongside the expanded Family Resource Center once the new space is finished.

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