Report: Center for Family Resources served 1,400 plus families in 2023

The Marietta-based Center for Family Resources received an average of 1,160 phone calls per month from people seeking services, a 42% increase from 2022. Of those calls, 19% came from people seeking shelter and 51% came from families seeking rental assistance.

Those are some of the numbers found in its recently released 2023 annual report.

The increase in calls can be attributed to an increase in staffing, programs and capacity at the center, according to Melanie Kagan, the center's CEO.

"Increases to rental rates, food costs, and the prices of household costs can put significant strain on budgets," Kagan said. "Most people who reach out to us are living paycheck to paycheck — with just one unexpected and unbudgeted expense making it nearly impossible for them to maintain their basic cost of living."

The center offers multiple homeless prevention and housing programs, a food pantry and an employee financial assistance program to help those in need of housing and family stability.

The center is funded through donations, partnerships, fundraisers and government contracts.

According to the organization's annual report, the center served more than 1,400 families across all of their programs last year.

“In 2023, our focus was to position the Center for Family Resources to better meet the needs of our community,” Kagan said in the report. “Too many children in our Cobb community face housing insecurity - living in motels, cars, friends’ or relatives’ houses - anywhere but a stable place to call home.”

Kagan said housing insecurity continues to be the greatest challenge for those reaching out to the center.

Housing assistance from the center comes in three different forms: their short-term housing program, their rapid rehousing program and their tenant-based rental assistance program.

In 2023, the center served 113 families, including 227 children, across its three housing programs, according to the report.

Kagan said food insecurity continues to be an issue throughout Cobb County. To combat the issue, the center converted its food pantry into a “choice pantry.”

“(The pantry) is set up like a grocery store and allows families to have the dignity of choosing from a variety of healthy food options,” a spokesperson said.

According to the report, the center distributed more than 50,000 pounds of food and served more than 1,000 children through its food pantry last year.

Thanks for Giving, the organization’s largest community food drive, is being prepped for this fall.

The Center for Family Resources’ annual report is available at thecfr.org/annual-report.

The center said corporate donations, volunteers and food donations are always needed. To learn more, contact Development Director Christal McNair at ChristalMcNair@thecfr.org.