> Families Encouraged to Spend Time Together During National Family Week

November 16, 2007

Woodland Hills, a private agency serving children and families, asks Northland families to spend time together during National Family Week Nov. 18-24. National Family Week: Connections Count is organized by the Alliance for Children and Families with generous support from The Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Groups across the country will host National Family Week celebrations in honor of children and families in their community. Neighborhood Youth Services, a Woodland Hills’ program, will host a Family Fun Night On Tuesday and a Family Feast on Wednesday Night. Neighborhood Youth Services is located in the Washington Center, 310 N. First Ave. W., Duluth. The events are free and open to families of youth that are members of Neighborhood Youth Services. Parents can enroll children ages 6 to 17 in Neighborhood Youth Services by calling Kelly Looby at 723-3523.

National Family Week: Connections Count embraces the premise that children live better lives when their families are strong, and families are strong when they live in communities that connect them to economic opportunities, social networks and services. These “connections” include access to reliable transportation, employment opportunities, education, child care, housing, health care and support from community networks and institutions.

"Ordinary families are extraordinarily important to our communities and our country," says Kelly Looby, coordinator of Neighborhood Youth Services, a program provided free to more than 500 youth in Duluth. "When diverse families and children are healthy, so are our communities. That’s why we hope everyone will take time during National Family Week to honor the connections that support and strengthen families year-round."

Looby suggests ways Northlanders can celebrate National Family Week:

• Celebrate the connections you have with your family and community.
• Encourage employers to consider family-friendly work options such as flexible hours and time off to attend school functions.
• Select an issue that can improve your community. Work with local officials to effect change.
• Meet and get to know your neighbors.
• Volunteer with a non-profit organization on projects that benefit your community.

National Family Week was founded in 1968 by Sam Wiley, a teacher and administrator in Indianapolis. The Alliance for Children and Families, a non-profit membership association representing child- and family-serving organizations in the United States and Canada, has directed National Family Week efforts for more than 30 years.

Woodland Hills is a private non-profit agency that operates five highly successful delinquency prevention, intervention and rehabilitation programs in Duluth. The agency works to build on the strengths and cultivate assets in the 1,100 youth and families it serves from Duluth and throughout Minnesota.