In 1968, “Hey Jude” by the Beatles was the number one, hottest single; Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, allies in the fight for civil rights, were both assassinated; Apollo 8 was the first manned spacecraft to orbit the moon; and the average cost of buying a new house was $14,950.
Some of the key stories on the front page of The Republic on May 1, 1968 included:
- U.S. Sen. Eugene McCarthy visiting Cummins and speaking on the steps of the courthouse
- Nelson A. Rockefeller victorious in the Massachusetts presidential primary as a write-in vote
- Three new firemen and a new policeman were hired in Columbus
- Bartholomew County voter registration for the political primaries was reported at 33,015, 5,738 more than were registered for the 1966 Bartholomew County primary
And on Page 28, The Republic announced that Bartholomew County Family Service, now known as Family Service, Inc., opened its doors on 725 Washington St.
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David Spang, the organization’s first executive director, in an article published in The Republic newspaper on July 2, 1968 (Page 9), was quoted as saying:
“Persons with a problem and nowhere else to go are welcome at the Family Service office… If you are concerned about your marriage, frequent quarrels, unable to talk things over, drifting apart; if you are having problems with your child at home or at school or in the neighborhood; if you are an unwed parent; if you are having difficulty with friends or on the job, the door at Family Service is open…”
Mr. Spang’s characterization of Family Service in 1968 continues to describe the focus of Family Service today.
When Family Service received its first United Fund (now United Way) allocation in 1968, it had a staff of two: Spang and a full-time secretary. Today Family Service, with the mission “To strengthen and enhance the well-being of individuals and families in our community,” houses a total of 22 staff: seven clinical, four school-based, three program (e.g., child abuse prevention), five support and three administrative.
In the fall of 1968, the United Fund allocated $19,000 in support of the agency’s work. In 2018, the United Way allocated $157,000 in support of programs and services provided by Family Service. Family Service is one of only three agencies the United Fund supported that continue to exist and/or receive United Way support to provide services in our community. The other two agencies are Foundation for Youth and the American Red Cross.
So, how does a locally organized non-profit organization remain viable in a community for 50 years? I asked this question of Julie Miller, the executive director at Family Service since January 2012. Her response was as follows:
“Family Service has a great reputation within our community, and among our referral sources and other service providers. There continues to be a need in the community for mental health services, as well as the prevention of child abuse. When the need is there and you have an agency that is a community partner that focuses on strengthening families, you have the ability to thrive.”
Julie also acknowledged that there have been times when the needs of the community and government initiatives/priorities didn’t align, which made accessing government funding support a challenge. Julie said that during those times “we leaned on our community to help us sustain our work.” She said that Family Service has had wonderful community support through community collaborations, partnerships, staff, consumers and individual donors that have helped the agency sustain over the last 50 years.”
So, where does Family Service go from here, and how does the organization plan for the future? Later this year, the Family Service board of directors and staff will work together to develop a three- to five-year strategic plan. This planning will allow the organization to identify strategies that will best enable it to continue and enhance its mission, establishing a set of priorities, including a plan for fiscal sustainability, and commit to measurable goals that will be revisited regularly for the duration of the plan.
Fifty years of service is significant, and the Family Service staff and board members will share a celebration of the organizations history and ongoing commitment to those who live and work in Bartholomew County. We hope to see all of you at the 50th anniversary open house on Aug. 23 at Simmons Winery, where there will be hors d’oeuvres, non-alcoholic beverages, cake and a cash bar available to those in attendance. Please help us celebrate 50 years of service to our community!
Pam Clark is the president of the Family Service Inc. board of directors in Columbus. Send comments to [email protected].
