Strengthening Indiana Families opens newest family resource center in La Porte
Amanda Haverstick, La Porte County Herald Dispatch September 3, 2023
La PORTE — Families in La Porte in need of help and guidance will now have a place to find the resources and services they’re looking for.
On Monday, the Strengthening Indiana Families initiative, in partnership with Geminus Corp., marked the opening of a new family resource center at 1232 W. State Road 2 in La Porte.
“We want you guys to please continue to spread the word to the community that we’re here,” said Kristin Chamberlain, director of Family Services for Geminus.
“We’re here, we’re ready to strengthen, connect and support families in a safe and fun environment.”
Geminus is a member of Regional Care Group, which also includes Regional Health Systems and Lake Park Residential. It supports early childhood education, family services and prevention programs across northern Indiana.
“This is a great way to start the week off – opening a resource center,” said Nicholas Neal, Geminus vice president of community services. “It’s a big deal for us to be able to do something like this for the community.”
Strengthening Indiana Families is a five-year project primarily funded by the federal FIREFLY Children and Family Alliance, Administration for Children and Families, through its Community Collaborations initiative. It aims to provide connections and support for families across the state.
“We started this process with the Indiana Department of Child Services … a couple years ago. The resource center became a focus for us to try to get something in each community … our motto for kids was, ‘Kids don’t come with instructions’,” Neal said.