From Surviving to Thriving
How One Nonprof it Works to Strengthen Families. BY SUSAN BROWNING SCHULZ
A student from Ser Familia’s summer camp last year. 22
TOWNELAKER | August 2021
No matter who you are or what your circumstances, everyone needs boundless, restorative love. This is the goal at Ser Familia (translates to Being Family), a nonprofit that has remained focused on investing in families since 2001. “We exist to love on people in crisis,” said Myriam Hysa, development officer for Ser Familia. “We serve the Latino community, getting them through tough times until they are thriving, whether they are documented or not. At Ser Familia, we believe strong families make our communities stronger, better and safer.” Ser Familia’s founder and executive director, Belissa Urbina, was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. There, she experienced a rough spot in her marriage. She reached out and got help from an organization in her hometown. After she moved to Georgia, she couldn’t find an equivalent organization offered to the Latino community. This inspired her to launch Ser Familia. During the last 20 years, the nonprofit’s life-changing programs spread to 36 Georgia counties. Last year, the organization provided services to more than 7,549 Latinos in Georgia. Headquartered in Kennesaw, the staff and volunteers are dedicated to strengthening Latino families through programs that empower them to thrive and enjoy a healthy family environment. They achieve this through educational programs that increase family members’ communication skills, while decreasing high-risk behaviors. They assist families in crisis, serve as advocates and support other organizations that wish to serve Latinos in a culturally competent manner. To better serve those in need, staffing increased, and the Acworth and Buford locations have moved into larger facilities in Kennesaw and Suwanee. The footprint in our community also includes two offices in Norcross and Smyrna. Ser Familia also received national accreditation for its mental health program. “As outreach coordinator for Ser Familia, I feel it’s not enough to just go around telling people about our wonderful organization,” said Migdalia Rivera, “but how we can bring our first responders and law enforcement agencies to work with us as one — sharing what they have to offer and how we can work together to benefit families. Our focus is not solely on supplies
