Ladies from Georgia, Florida and Alabama attended the second annual Encouraging Today’s Women retreat in March at Refuge Baptist Camp in Carnesville.

Attendees were asked to bring a non-perishable item to include in gift bags that were given to the recipients of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program at Barrow County DFCS. Thirty bags were filled with personal, cleaning and paper products for the Barrow County recipients.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is the monthly cash assistance program for poor families with children under age 18. There is a four-year lifetime limit on cash assistance. Work is a major component of TANF as adult recipients with a child over age 1 are required to participate in a work activity.

The purpose of the TANF program is to strengthen the economic and social stability of families in several different ways.

TANF provides assistance to needy families so that children can be cared for in their homes or in the homes of relatives. Ending the dependency of needy parents on government benefits is encouraged by promoting job preparation, work and marriage. TANF is committed to preventing and reducing the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and encouraging the formation and maintenance of two-parent families including the promotion of abstinence from sexual relations outside of marriage, personal responsibility and parental involvement, numerous community projects and youth entrepreneur programs.

Encouraging Today’s Women is committed to offering hope and encouragement to women in the local church and to reach out to women in the community who are less fortunate by helping with their physical needs. You can learn more about this organization by visiting www.encouragingtodayswomen.com or by calling (678) 863-8513.