Columbus organization helps Families Flourish

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Change your address, change your life.

That’s part of the mission of Families Flourish. One of the organization’s founders, Amy Klaben, was named NBC4’s Remarkable Woman earlier this year because of her vision of helping children by helping parents change their lives.

And it is working.

“It changed my life,” said Naomi Iannarino, who received assistance from Families Flourish. “I’m an addict in recovery, I just celebrated 15 months clean, a huge accomplishment, and having a safe place to live and the support of this program has been crucial. And maintaining my recovery and being reunited with my daughter is everything I could have ever hoped for.”

Like the nearly 50 other women in the three-year program, Iannarino and Jameka Humphries get rental assistance, financial counseling, career and education support. It takes some work to make it work.

“You have to really trust the process, but you do have action steps to do,” Humphries said. “This program is not a handout, it’s a hand up. So, when you come to this program, you do have more work to do, but you’re only pouring into yourself, your family, and the next generation because our kids will be here when we leave.”

The first 10 women enrolled in the program already graduated and, on average, their income increased by 58 percent.

Families Flourish caught the attention of Ohio first lady Fran DeWine, who organized a meeting with Gov. DeWine, who included a $1 million earmark for the organization in his most recent budget.

It’s possible the program could go statewide in the future.

The women enrolled right now are also looking down the road.

“I believe I will be working in a hospital as a surgical technologist,” Iannarino said when asked where she sees herself in five years. “I believe that I will continue to grow my relationship with my daughter and just be a Boss Baby, like, have some stability and some confidence.”

“I’m joining her on the bus today, for sure,” Humphries said. “So, in five years, I definitely see home ownership, I definitely see strong seeds planted in the community that I live in. Now, I definitely see me serving up some type of community service, like what this service is doing for me because I want to show more people out there that this is real, this is opportunity. This is unique. So, I see myself in five years, definitely a homeowner and a boss.”

NBC4’s Colleen Marshall will host a fundraiser for Families Flourish this Thursday, Dec. 7, talking to some of the women about how it has changed their lives. The keynote speaker for the event will be Cameron Mitchell, who will share details of the changes he has been through.

For more information on the event, click here.

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