The Family Effect works to reduce addiction as a leading cause of family collapse and harm to children.
Why is this mission important? Because addiction in the home is a bottleneck issue- nothing good can happen for the family or the children while addiction is present, no matter how much government or nonprofit intervention is aimed at the household.
But when the bottleneck of addiction is removed, all kinds of good things start to happen on their own. Parents work more, and take better care of their kids. There is more money in the household, and more food in the refrigerator. There are more books, more toys and more smiles. And far fewer community resources being spent.
Greenville is home to some extraordinary, proven programs that reduce addiction’s impact in the family home. It is the mission of The Family Effect to support these programs through community philanthropy and volunteerism. We invite you to learn more about how these efforts are saving children and families from collapse, and returning significant benefit to the community as a whole;
Mothers + Preschool Children at Serenity Place
Serenity Place is at the center of our mission to transform families at risk of collapse through addiction. This critical program provides comprehensive, residential treatment to about 120 pregnant women, young mothers and preschool-age children each year. A full 84% of our women and children achieve their treatment goals while in the program. Many go on to write some amazing success stories. Find out more about Serenity Place.
Kids + Teens
Children who grow up with addiction in the household are 4 times more likely to become addicted themselves. If help doesn’t come to the family early enough, the community inherits a child who is facing serious problems. The Phoenix Center headquarters located at 1400 Cleveland Street holds an outpatient treatment program for adolescent boys and girls through age 17, providing a holistic environment of healing and education.
Prevention – the highest rate of return
The best way to prevent family collapse through addiction is to prevent the addiction from taking hold in the first place. Certified Prevention Specialists from The Phoenix Center deliver prevention education to more than 20,000 students and adults each year. They also work closely with law enforcement to improve the community environment for teenagers, and have dramatically reduced the number of local retail stores selling alcohol and tobacco to minors. Find out more about the Prevention Services we help to support.
The statistic on the likelihood of childhood addiction is drawn from a report by the Prevention Research Institute, 2004.