The Family Center expands exponentially over the years, reaching more families than ever before

For Jennifer Bingaman, the most enjoyable aspect of being part of The Family Center is daily seeing some kind of difference made in the community.  

“It’s a very tangible effect that we are having,” she added.   

Bingaman is the executive director of The Family Center of Grosse Pointe and Harper Woods, a nonprofit community organization that calls The War Memorial home. 

The Family Center, established in 2000, offers free programs and resources from local experts on a wide range of topics aimed at building strong families and helping parents raise children who will become competent, caring, and responsible community members. It was founded by registered nurse and social worker Diane Strickler on the premise that knowledgeable and skilled parents foster capable, healthy, and responsible young people. 

Bingaman and Director of Programs and Administration MaryJo Harris have worked at the center for almost two years. Bingaman is the former executive director of the Grosse Pointe Library Foundation, with Harris formerly serving at businesses like the Grosse Pointe News and Grosse Pointe Chamber of Commerce. Harris most recently worked at Care of Southeastern Michigan. 

The Center, which operates from an office in the media wing of TWM, provides resources and preventative education to empower families to successfully navigate life’s social, emotional, and physical challenges. It offers a variety of free programs including family fun events, mindful meditation and movement, drug and alcohol abuse prevention, suicide prevention, and mental health and family dynamics.  

Bingaman said The Center’s services have expanded exponentially over the years to now including in-person and virtual programming.  

“We used to do all in-person programming, pivoted like everyone else during the pandemic to virtual and found we are getting so many more people looking at our virtual content than would ever show up to a program,” she noted. “We’re reaching many more people now.” 

Pointing to the spring yoga series at TWM, Harris told a story about a family who recently moved to the area. 

“At the end, everyone was talking and she started to get teary eyed,” she said. “She said she recently lost her sister to cancer and didn’t know anyone in this area. People were exchanging phone numbers with her, saying they lost recently lost somebody too and would love to have coffee. That kind of stuff is really gratifying. We could have a program with only a few people, but if you just touch one person, that’s what is so important. It’s more the quality of what we are providing.”  

Regarding The Family Center’s partnership with TWM, Harris said it’s been great having classes offered at The Alger House.  

“I love that it’s centrally located,” Bingaman said. “If we have a program at a school, it feels like it’s the school’s program. When it’s here, it feels like it’s for the whole community.” 

The Family Center is included bi-weekly in the Grosse Pointe News with the Ask the Expert column. It additionally partners with Grosse Pointe Public Schools and Harper Woods School District with mental health support and parenting guidance. 

In response to current needs in the community, Bingaman said the biggest one is mental health. 

“Most of the calls used to be for family counseling or counseling for late teens,” she said. “We’re seeing it younger and younger now, getting calls for kids in elementary school.”  

Earlier this year, The Center was the recipient of two grants totaling $75,000. The grants are for mental health support and substance abuse prevention in schools. 

The Center’s signature fundraising event, Hollyfest, is planned for Nov. 17 at The Fred M. Alger Center for Arts, Culture, and Humanities. 

Learn more about The Family Center by visiting its website at familycenterweb.org.