FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 26th, 2012 – Colorado Springs, CO.
Press Release:
A Legacy Times Two: Merging Non-Profits Partner Together for Stronger Impact
With a 70-year history of restoring dignity and hope to hurting families in Colorado Springs, Family Life Services now joins forces with like-minded ministry, Women of Courage. Poised to make a greater impact by merging, the two organizations will combine their resources and broaden their reach to help a growing number of single-mother families.
Effective January 1, 2012, Women of Courage (WOC) officially partnered with Family Life Services (FLS). Their 20 years of service to the community tell a story not unlike that of Family Life Services. Designed to offer life skills, biblical counseling and guidance toward financial independence, WOC will operate as the outreach ministry for FLS, incorporating its’ programs—designed to equip 30-40 single moms and their children—into the two year onsite residential program run by FLS.
Darlene Harris, formerly titled as WOC’s Executive Director, is now Director of Outreach. Understanding that WOC was not in the position to expand, Harris began to seek direction and spiritual guidance. Women of Courage met a tremendous need in the community, but the demands weighed on its’ small staff.
In February 2011, FLS Executive Director Julie Abel and the Board of Directors began to seek their own direction for the future of Family Life Services. It was decided that, instead of expanding their already maximized residential program, the best use of resources would be to focus on outreach programs. Already having built a solid, but informal relationship with WOC, the move to formalize the relationship and incorporate WOC under the FLS umbrella, exemplified a shared vision and commitment to combining resources for the sake of a continued legacy of healing challenged single-mother families in Colorado Springs.
For Women of Courage, the merge means a return to its core focus on the larger objective of helping single moms, along with access to the Family Life Services professional counseling team and its large network of churches, volunteers and local businesses. Though currently under the 5013c designation of Family Life Services, donations made in 2011 will still be used exclusively for WOC needs. Friends and supporters can also choose to indicate special donations to WOC as they begin their search for a new location. No staff or program changes will be made due to the merger.
For Family Life Services, the merge means a better use of resources and an opportunity to share best practices with organizations that have similar ministry goals, exploring the chance to work together instead of independently creating something new. Says Abel,
“I cannot express to you how thrilled I am to have Darlene and her team as part of our family. She has faithfully served God through Women of Courage for a long time, and it is a privilege to have the organization she founded and nurtured all of these years under the Family Life Services umbrella.”
Officially announced to the public-at-large in the new Family Life Services website (www.flscs.org), Women of Courage and Family Life Services will together continue their legacy of healing single parent families for generations to come.
CONTACT:
Julie Abel, @julieabel
Executive Director
cell: (719) 322-1637
