Community-Based Connections, Inc. (CBCI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to delivering youth development, family strengthening, and community empowerment services to underserved populations, together with the City of Riviera Beach, recently celebrated the grand opening of its new office located in Riviera Beach. This marks the organization’s expansion into Palm County following 16 years of measurable success in Broward County. The special event was attended by local dignitaries, business and civic leaders and community supporters including City of Riviera Beach Mayor Douglas Lawson and Palm Beach County Commissioner Gregg Weiss.
The expansion of CBCI into Palm Beach County is made possible through a first-time $6.25 million, five-year federal grant which will allow it to continue its mission of providing services that preserve and sustain families. CBCI was one of 38 agencies nationwide selected to receive this prestigious grant.
“Community-Based Connect-ions is proud to expand our footprint into Palm Beach County with the mission to preserve and sustain families,” said Mikelange Olbel, CEO of Community Based Connections, Inc. “For more than 16 years, we have developed proven models of care to strengthen families which we will now offer in both counties. This will have a lasting impact on every member of the family and help to build a stronger community.”
A key initiative of the Riviera Beach expansion will be The H.E.A.R.T. (Helping Every Area of Relationships Thrive) Family Strengthening Program, a five-year program designed to help adults and couples strengthen relationships, improve parenting, and build family stability through workshops, personalized support, and services like childcare, transportation, and counseling. H.E.A.R.T is part of CBCI’s Awesome Dads Awesome Men (A.D.A.M.), a free fatherhood mentoring program, which takes an evidence-based approach, recognizing the needs of fathers and the significant impact they have on their children and families. The goal is to educate men about relationships, children, parenting, and more in a non-threatening environment to prevent mistreatment of children in the home and to improve and eliminate the number and severity of family crisis events. This is in addition to supporting men in workforce training and development.
CBCI was founded upon the belief that service providers who have natural ties to the community are in the best position to help improve the odds of youth and family success. The CBCI mission is to expand the options available to children – from cradle to college – that promote their social and academic growth, equipping them with the skills they need to overcome challenges and thrive in adulthood. CBCI programs services that engage, encourage and motivate include the Young Believers Program, Family Strengthening Program, S.M.A.R.T. Team, New Day Diversion, and the Early Achievers Program.