Columbia County Community Connections

OUR MISSION Columbia County Community Connections works to make children safe, healthy, educated, and part of a stable, self-sufficient family. OUR VISION CCCC envisions a Georgia where: • Children are healthy. • Children are primed for school. • Children are succeeding in school. • Families are stable, self-sufficient, & productive. • Communities are robust and thriving.

•Food4Kids: CCCC works with community partners to provide weekend backpacks of food to students who exhibit signs of hunger insecurities during the school day. These Saturday Sacks include 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and plenty of snacks for students to eat on the weekends. •Camp SWE4T (Summer Work Experience for Teens): This program connects teens with local businesses for summer jobs, helping them gain valuable work experience, build resumes, and develop professional and networking skills. •Child Car Seat Safety Program: A three-part program that provides free car seats to families in need, offers hands-on training from certified technicians on correct installation, and conducts free safety inspections to ensure children are safe. •Dream Academy: A free, two-month summer camp for elementary students, specifically serving ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families. The program aims to combat summer learning loss through academic enrichment and vital life skills development. •Resilient Teens: An interactive after-school virtual learning program for teens (13-19) that works to address Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma-informed care. Students can interact with medical students from Augusta University to develop skills to bounce back from challenges. •Co-Parenting Program: This program helps youth and their families communicate better and create a more productive environment for teens, using the nationally recognized Strengthening Families Program to reduce delinquency and improve academic success. •Suicide Awareness & Prevention Coalition: In partnership with Augusta University, this coalition provides QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training to the community, teaching individuals the skills to help someone in a life-threatening crisis. •Monthly Collaborative: A meeting of local leaders who use research and data to find solutions to community challenges, identify needs, and evaluate programs. Everyone is welcome to join the meeting, which takes place on the third Tuesday of each month at 11 a.m.