Family Service & Children's Aid

The Breakout Drug Education Program began 20 years ago in Jackson with a group of concerned volunteers and a goal: reduce and eliminate escalating adolescent alcohol and drug use.

Over the years since then, 65,000 middle and high school students in six counties in lower Michigan have participated in the Breakout Program, thanks in large part to the generosity and commitment of the community.

Among its many unique qualities, Breakout has evolved and adapted to meet the ever-changing needs of the community. From Breakout’s beginnings in 1991 with school assemblies and two days of classroom programming, through evaluation and program curriculum enhancement, the Breakout Drug Education Program has grown to an eight day model showing significant and proven impact on adolescent alcohol and substance use and abuse.

It is rare for a grass roots program like Breakout to exist more than 10 years. In recognition of the significance of 20 years of service, we invite you to celebrate this amazing achievement with us.

If you will be able to join us, or would like to be a sponsor, please register online.

For more information email Shelly Milligan

We’d like to give a special thanks to the many people who have helped make Christmas a little brighter for the many children our agency works with. From kids in foster care to families needing a little extra help, even the small things make a difference.

Ron Ellison, president of the Country Club of Jackson, carries out some of the presents donated by club member.s

JD Stilman and his son flew into Jackson with a load of presents for area kids in foster care.

You can't fit this many people into a small plane, but it's amazing how many presents they can pack in.

Members of St. Paul's Episcopal Church made a generous donation of presents for kids in foster care.

On December 3, 2011, Family Service & Children’s Aid will help celebrate Operation Good Cheer’s 40^th year of granting holiday wishes for children throughout Michigan.

Operation Good Cheer is an annual, all volunteer, Christmas gift-giving program of Child and Family Services of Michigan, Inc. All of the recipients involved in the program currently live in foster care, group homes or residential treatment facilities after being removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect.

Each child in the program creates a “Wish List” with six items they want for Christmas; donors then purchase and wrap gifts from their list. Gifts are then taken to drop-off locations to await transportation to Oakland County Airport.The gifts will be collected from 38 pick-up locations via donated ground transportation on December 2, coordinated by Mike Pipia of Guardian Industries.  All distribution flights and local ground transport will originate from Oakland County International Airport, where more than 13,000 gifts will be gathered for sorting and loading at the host hanger, graciously provided by Pentastar Aviation.

Hundreds of volunteers will be on-hand at the airport throughout the two-day period to assist with the distribution effort. Through the “Spirit of Good Cheer” flight, participating local social service agencies will greet flights at 18 airports and various ground destinations where they will transfer the gifts for final distribution to children served by the agencies. Through the efforts of Jerry Drew, air traffic controller at Oakland County International Airport, and ground transportation by Mike Pipia, gifts will be distributed to agencies so the 4,589 children and youth sponsored by Operation Good Cheer this year will receive their gifts before Christmas.

“We are thrilled to be part of this special event which helps foster children believe that Santa can find them no matter where they are” says Judy Jove, Executive Director of FSCA. Family Service & Children’s Aid is dedicated to making Christmas a little brighter for the children and adults taking part in this year’s event. We believe in the spirit of the holiday and the generosity of the hundreds of people who donate their time and money to Operation Good Cheer.

Checkout Breakout’s 2nd Video in honor of their anniversary! To support Breakout’s work, go to our Donate button and be sure to click on the “add special instructions for your gift” when you go into Paypal and type in “Breakout”

Checkout the 1st of the Breakout Drug Education Program’s 20th Anniversary videos. To support Breakout’s work, click on the Donate button and be sure to click on the “add special instructions for your gift” when you go into Paypal and type in “Breakout”

Family Service & Children’s Aid is celebrating the Breakout Drug Education Program’s 20 years of service to Jackson County. Breakout has served 58,000 middle and high school students by providing drug and alcohol prevention education in the schools. Over the 2011-12 school year there will be a series of celebrations, fundraisers, and opportunities for students, teachers, and parents to express what Breakout has meant to them. There will be video clips coming to our website soon featuring youth who have been through the program. The celebration of Breakout’s twenty years of service will culminate in a Derby Day extravaganza. Be sure and hit the subscribe button on our home page to receive updates as they are posted.

Funders for the Breakout Drug Education Program are United Way of Jackson County, the John George Foundation, and Mid-South Substance Abuse Commission. Corporate partners are the Michigan International Speedway, Michigan Automotive Compressor Inc., Allegiance Heath System, and Gerdau MacSteel. If you are interested in supporting Breakout’s work, consider giving twenty quarters, twenty $1’s, twenty $5’s, or twenty $10’s to help celebrate their twenty years of service. You can make your donation online at our home page and be sure to click on the “add special instructions for your gift” when you go into Paypal and type in “Breakout” Continue reading →