Thank You For "a Night in the Country" to Remember!
On Saturday, May 2nd, Family and Community Resources, Inc. hosted our 2026 Spring Gala, Horizons of Hope, at the Canoe Club in West Bridgewater - and what an incredible night it was. Our community showed up with energy, compassion, and enthusiasm, and we are so grateful to everyone who joined us.
Together, we celebrated inspiring community leaders, including Marilee Kenney Hunt, recipient of the Wayne McAllister Community Service Award, and The Rotary Club of Brockton, honored with the Corporate Partnership Award. We also had the privilege of hearing from a courageous survivor whose story reminded us why this mission matters so deeply.
Thanks to the generosity and spirit of our community of supporters, the Gala raised over $139,000 - funds that will immediately support survivors and their children on their path to safety, healing, and hope.
| From all of us at Family and Community Resources, Inc. — and on behalf of the clients we serve — thank you for your support. We’re grateful to have you riding alongside us, and we hope you’ll join us down the trail at future events as we continue this lifesaving work together. | |
The Easton Charitable Trust is a nonprofit based in Easton, dedicated to providing financial support to individuals, families, and organizations demonstrating outstanding values or charitable needs throughout Greater New England. Formed in 2016, the Trust partners with community members and organizations to host the three‑weekend Easton Festival of Trees each year - a beloved holiday tradition featuring creatively decorated artificial trees of all shapes, sizes, and themes, along with workshops, raffles, and family‑friendly activities.
"We were thrilled to donate the first time but when we went to the Gala and actually heard the stories from the survivors we were all so touched - we were so impressed by what is being done by FCR." - Cathy Estey, Board of Directors, Easton Charitable Trust
Proceeds from the Festival of Trees are distributed to local nonprofits working to strengthen and enrich the Southeastern Massachusetts community. Over the past decade, the Festival has raised more than $433,000 for important causes in our region. FCR is honored to be both a participating tree decorator and a beneficiary of the Trust’s incredible generosity and community spirit.
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Happy Pride!
Pride is about safety, dignity, and the freedom to live as your full self. Family and Community Resources stands with LGBTQ+ survivors and remain committed to providing support without judgment or barriers.

🩷🧡💛💚💙🩵💜🤎🖤🩶🤍
LGBTQ+ survivors often navigate additional challenges, including stigma, fear of not being believed, and systemic discrimination. To learn more and help educate our community, Click Here!
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Meet New Members of FCR's Team
Join us in giving a warm welcome to the latest additions to our FCR family!
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Randi Alarid
Mental Health Clinician
I am originally from the deserts of New Mexico and Nevada. I recently graduated with my MSW and am excited to hit the ground running! Before joining FCR, I worked within systems at the local, state, and federal levels. Now, I am beyond thrilled to enter the nonprofit sector and community mental health for the first time in my career. I look forward to getting to know each of you, collaborating as a team, and learning from your individual and collective wisdom in the journey ahead.
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Katelyn Whelan
FBS Supervised Visitation Monitor
I am a senior at Bridgewater State University working toward my Bachelors degree in Social Work. I completed a small internship here at FCR for one of my classes this past semester, and when I was offered to come back and work, it was a no brainer! I am very excited to continue my experience and gain a deeper understanding of my future as a social worker.
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Genevieve Chedid
FBS Supervised Visitation Case Manager
I just graduated from Stonehill College with a BA in Criminology and minors in Psychology and Political Science, and I’m excited to start my new role as a Case Manager. I’ve been with this organization for the past year, first as an intern and then as a visitation monitor while finishing school. I’ve learned a lot from the staff here already, and I’m really looking forward to growing in this role and continuing to be part of such a supportive team.
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Hazel Fahey
FBS Supervised Visitation Intern
I moved to Massachusetts to attend Stonehill College where I am completing my Bachelor's degree in Criminology and Psychology! Prior to working at FCR I began working with children on the Autism Spectrum. I will complete my undergraduate degree in September after spending the summer with FCR. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to work with FCR as I advance in the field of Child Psychology.
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Taylor Whipple
Domestic Violence Services Intern
I’m Taylor Whipple from Weymouth, and I'm a recent Simmons University graduate with a bachelor's in social work. This fall, I'm heading back to Simmons to earn my MSW! I am so excited to intern at FCR, where I look forward to learning more about community resources and trauma-informed care.
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Available Positions Include:
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Stigma Reducing Language Swaps
Approximately 1 in 5 American adults and 1 in 6 young people experience a diagnosable mental health condition each year. Rates of anxiety, depression, and stress‑related concerns have risen sharply among young people in recent years. These numbers are striking on their own — yet they still don’t capture the full scope of the mental health crisis in the United States, because many people avoid seeking treatment altogether.
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People delay or avoid care for many reasons, but one of the most significant is the lingering stigma surrounding mental health. Many worry about being labeled, judged, or seen as weak. Others face cultural barriers that make reaching out for support feel unsafe or unacceptable. And whether we realize it or not, the everyday language we use often reinforces that stigma.
Let’s all take a moment to think before we speak. Can we make any of these simple, meaningful swaps in our daily conversations?
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Instead of “She’s having a panic attack over nothing,” try “She’s been feeling really stressed and could use some support.”
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Instead of “She’s so bipolar” to describe moodiness, try “Her mood has been shifting a lot lately”
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Instead of using “He’s depressed” as a label, try “He’s experiencing symptoms of depression.”
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Instead of saying “He’s just being picky,” try “He’s struggling with his relationship with food right now.”
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Instead of saying “She’s so OCD,” try “She really likes things neat and organized.”
Words have power. When people who are struggling hear mental health discussed in respectful, accurate language, it becomes easier for them to talk about what they’re experiencing — and to reach out for help.
Since our Mental Health Clinic first opened in 1978, Family and Community Resources’ dedicated team of counselors has worked to ensure that mental health support is accessible to anyone who needs it, from children to adults. This summer, FCR will expand those efforts by rolling out Healthy Horizons, a Problem Management Plus (PM+) program for clients and community members, funded by Blue Cross Blue Shields of Massachusetts. PM+ uses practical, skill‑building strategies to help participants manage everyday challenges as well as mild anxiety and depression. This program will help fill a significant treatment gap in the Brockton area and contribute to stronger mental health outcomes across the community.
Your efforts to reduce stigma — combined with our ongoing work to expand access — will help create a healthier, more resilient community for everyone.
Click Here to Learn More About FCR's Mental Health Program, and to Watch Out for More Information about Healthy Horizons!
| | Program Point Out: Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention | | |
The 2026 World Cup is coming to Foxboro in just a few weeks. While our communities are eager to welcome international visitors and celebrate this global event, it is equally important to acknowledge the increased risks that major international gatherings can bring. Human trafficking is a year‑round issue, but the massive influx of visitors, temporary workers, and heightened demand for accommodations, nightlife, and transportation can create conditions where exploitation becomes easier to hide and harder to detect. Large events offer traffickers anonymity in crowds and opportunities to operate in plain sight, making proactive awareness essential.
FCR’s Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention (TAP) Program has been working diligently to ensure that both the public and potential survivors have access to the information and support they need. FCR is featured as a community resource on the Boston page of It’s a Penalty, a comprehensive international public awareness campaign that brings awareness to human trafficking concerns at major sporting events, like the World Cup and the Superbowl. TAP also received a FIFA World Cup Human Trafficking Supplemental Resources Grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. This funding allows us to bring on additional staff and strengthen our capacity to respond to an anticipated rise in referrals from first responders, hotel employees, ride‑share drivers, and other community members who may encounter individuals at risk. In partnership with the City of Brockton and the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, the TAP Program has also expanded its outreach by placing informational posters on and inside BAT buses. These materials help ensure that trafficking‑related resources are visible, accessible, and available to anyone who may need them while using public transportation.
| | As excitement builds for the World Cup, our commitment to safety, awareness, and survivor support remains at the forefront. By equipping our community with knowledge, strengthening partnerships, and ensuring resources are easy to find, FCR and the TAP Program are helping create an environment where exploitation has fewer places to hide—and where survivors have more pathways to help and healing. Together, we can welcome the world while protecting the most vulnerable among us. | | |
Contact Us!
Call Us 24/7: (508) 583-6498
Safe Link Hotline: (877) 785-2020
Visit our Website: www.fcr-ma.org
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