The Bryan County Family Connection has provided assistance to families and children in need for more than 20 years. Throughout the year, working with 35 community partners, the nonprofit county agency offers a number of initiatives, ranging from a weekly food bank to its annual Christmas Angel program.

Then there’s the help it provided during an unplanned event—an EF-4 tornado that tore through the northern part of the county in April 2022. With estimated 185 mph winds, it was the strongest tornado in the country in 2022 and killed one person, injured a dozen others, and destroyed 18 homes while heavily damaging 10 others.

In the aftermath of the deadly tornado, donations poured in to help the displaced families. Family Connection coordinated dispersal of the funds and, as it’s done for most of the century, helped those in need.

𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Bryan County Family Connection is part of Georgia Family Connection Partnership, a statewide collection of 157 collaborative partnerships. It is the only statewide network of its kind in the country. The Bryan County collaborative identifies needs and resources, sets goals and priorities, evaluates programs and practices, and measures and reports results to the county.

A department under the Bryan County Board of Commissioners, Family Connection was formed in 2001 and is financed through state funds, donations and grants. It meets the second Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. at various locations around the county. Community partners include churches, nonprofit agencies and schools.

“We work with community partners and fill in the gaps,” said Wendy Futch, executive director of Family Connection. “Our goal is to help families and children in Bryan County. I have two full time staff members, one at our Richmond Hill office and the other at the Pembroke office. We do a lot with a little.”

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐬

An example is the weekly North Bryan Community Food Bank. Over the past two years, Futch said the demand has tripled; in 2023, it served almost 5,000 individuals. She attributes the increase to growth in the county and the state of the economy. The food pantry operates through donations and one fundraiser, the Father-Daughter Dance, held February 24 at Bryan County Elementary School.

Similarly, more children benefit from the Christmas Angel program. According to Futch, 632 youngsters received presents last Christmas. She added 100% of the items and funds were donated.

A number of groups and agencies got into the holiday spirit. The Bryan County Fire & Emergency Services, Pembroke Fire Department, and Richmond Hill Fire Department collected toys on Santa runs, and the Bryan County Fire Department and PAC Fiber Family Connection provided space for the bagging and distribution of presents. The Fort McAllister Fishing Club held a Bikes for Tykes Tournament and used the proceeds to purchase 54 bicycles that were donated to the cause.

Another fundraising event is the Savannah Scramble Golf Tournament. Family Connection also serves children through its summer lunch program and providing donated school supplies. The Jacob Grant Community & Teen Center, a free educational and recreational nonprofit facility in Richmond Hill, holds a free, monthly children’s clothing exchange.

Emma Strickland has worked as an administrative assistant at the Pembroke office for eight months. She said she enjoys helping people with different backgrounds and providing them with food and other things they can’t get on their own. Making her job even more satisfying is working for Futch.

“She’s a great boss,” Strickland said. “She’s very kind and a great leader. If I don’t know about something, she’ll teach me how to do it in a kind way.”

Early in the year, Futch worked with the victims of six fires taking place over a three-week period. Family Connection and its partners helped with clothing, housing, food and gas.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 𝐓𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐨

Then there was the 2022 tornado. Futch said they collected all the donations and used the money to help the affected families meet a number of needs. That included helping families with no insurance, putting up a new roof or fixing a door.

“That was one of the most rewarding points of my career,” Futch said. “I was trying to help families at their lowest point, when they don’t have a home.”

One of those families was the Cunninghams, who lived in a single wide mobile home in north Bryan County.

Samantha Cunningham said there weren’t any sirens alerting them to a tornado and they found out about it from one of their daughters who called from a friend’s house. The mother of five spotted the tornado at the crest of a nearby hill and took shelter in a bathroom with her husband, son and daughter. The family heard the roof being ripped off, but they remained safe due to three large elm trees that had fallen on the roof over the bathroom and provided a buffer of sorts.

The Cunninghams lost their home and most of their possessions. They lived in a hotel for several months before buying a RV they parked on their property. Some six months later, a double wide trailer was delivered to the family.

From the time the tornado hit to when the Cunninghams moved into their new home, Family Connection provided invaluable assistance with food, clothing and furniture, not to speak of helping the family financially, as it was uninsured.

“Every time we needed something we’d call Wendy,” said Cunningham, who met Futch through the Christmas Angel program. “We just walked in their place and they handed us buckets to fill. She also arranged for a furniture company to donate furniture to us and brought us food, a gas card and a bag of dog food. She has a heart of gold and gives more than she receives. She’s all about helping people and giving them what they need. We just love her in this community.”

Cunningham said they also received assistance from Red Cross, United Way and several churches. When it came to support from the local community, Family Connection stood out.

“A lot of the support came from Family Connection,” she said. “Without them, life would have been a lot harder.”

𝐖𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐡: 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲

Futch has been invested in Bryan County her entire life, continuing a family tradition.

She was born and raised in the Black Creek area of Bryan County, where her family has lived for four generations. After graduating from Bryan County High School, she attended Georgia Southern University and earned an undergraduate degree in justice studies.

In 2003, following graduation from college, Futch began working with Family Connection as a case manager. Five years later, she became executive director and remains committed to helping Bryan County families and children.

“I love my job,” Futch said. “I truly believe in what I’m doing. It doesn’t feel like a job.”

Lauren Francis is chair of Bryan County Family Connection. She’s worked with Futch on a number of projects. These include the Summer lunch program, CURE, Santa Scramble, and Children’s Christmas fund.

“I have enjoyed working with Wendy for several years,” Francis said. “She is extremely devoted to helping families in need. As a longtime local of Bryan County, she has a passion for supporting her community.”

Dr. Denise Scott is the assistant superintendent of Student Services for the Bryan County School System. She described Futch as an amazing servant leader who offers a massive amount of support to the Bryan County School System.

“Whenever schools call for food, clothing, shelter or any other resources, Wendy and her team are always ready to lend a helping hand,” Scott said. “Family Connection will provide school supplies for students. She also runs a summer lunch program that feeds hundreds of students in the county every year.”

Scott added that Futch’s knowledge of the Bryan County community is excellent and she’s always willing to offer a helping hand.

“If she can’t help a family, she will reach out to other community partners for assistance,” Scott noted. “That’s just the kind of person she is. She is not a delegator. She will work as hard as her team. We are very fortunate to have Wendy as the director of Family Connection for Bryan County because she cares with her whole heart.”

That care is based on her strong connection to Bryan County, which she refers to as her home and wants to make better. Since she’s known a lot of local people her entire life, Futch said whatever help she can provide is very fulfilling, especially with children who can grow up and help out in the community.

“My parents instilled in me at a young age a sense of community and volunteering,” Futch said. “I volunteered for the summer lunch program some 20 years ago. I’ve come full circle, now serving as the director of Family Connection.”