A house with food on the table, appropriate clothing for the variable weather we have in Tennessee, medical care, transportation … these are things we tend to take for granted.

For many students, the absence of the most basic needs can create insurmountable barriers, preventing successful lear

Whether it’s assistance with housing, medical insurance, or providing access to food or school supplies, FRC Diversity Coordinator Danielle Frazier says the organization is at the ready.

“Anything that is student related, we cover it,” she says. “If we don't have that particular service, we are able to recommend and refer individuals and families to those agencies that may have a particular service they may need.”

Serving the underserved in Robertson County requires a team effort. To that end, the FRC partnered several years ago with Connecting Robertson, an organization that specifically addresses housing and mental health needs.

“They provide services and host special events for families of students within Robertson County schools,” says Danielle. “They also assist individuals with finding employment by working with other agencies. They are a great partner, and they help get a lot of our families back on their feet."

This year, the FRC + Connecting Robertson came under the management of TN Voices, advocating for families throughout Tennessee with a coordinated system of care.

In addition to providing assistance for families of students who may need limited or temporary support, the FRC provides services to Robertson County’s homeless population.

“Last year, we had 341 students who were certified as homeless, which is kind of shocking for people who live here because it's not like Nashville in that it’s very well hidden,” says Jennifer Dusky, FRC Family Liaison and Social Worker. “We help those students and their families find housing, as well as clothing and school supplies. Everything we do for them is based on making sure they're successful in school.”

Although the FRC + Connecting Robertson receives some funding from the State of Tennessee, as well as the school system, additional funding is raised via donations.

“We do events like Stuff the Bus, which is a school supply drive, and our free food pantry is stocked purely with donations,” Jennifer adds. “We try to make sure we're connected to the community as much as possible, because a lot of the services we offer are very dependent upon their willingness to give.”

Donations to the Lisa Cobb Memorial Impact Fund, maintained by the Resource Center and established in honor of FRC retiree Lisa Cobb, go directly towards assisting families with needs that can’t be met in other ways.

Jennifer cites one such example of how this funding helped a student who needed thousands of dollars’ worth of dental work.

“It seemed daunting to get that covered because the parents didn’t have access to that kind of money, and we are limited as a school system as to how much we can give,” explains Jennifer. “So we turned to the community. Within 24 hours, we had the funding to pay for this child’s dental work. Because of that, the child was able to be in school and be successful and focused without pain. We were so happy to be able to help remove that family’s barrier and help meet their medical and dental need.”

Removing barriers to successful learning by meeting the needs of Robertson County students and their families is a mission that strengthens the community, one student at a time.

The Family Resource Center + Connecting Robertson is located inside Bransford Elementary School at 700 Bransford Drive in Springfield. They can be reached at 615-382-3609. For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/frcandcrc?mibextid=LQQJ4d.