Family Action Network of Winchester

Description

The Family Action Network is a volunteer outlet for business professionals, lawyers, teachers, bankers, health care workers, entrepreneurs, technology gurus and scientists who make up our board and volunteer base and their vast knowledge and experience is channeled into our programs in order to help make a difference in our community.

Throughout FAN's programming we strive to bring together families of young children and to be a gateway where they can be connected to their community and to each other. We aim to create memory making experiences for our children in a way that connects them with the wonderful programs that are available in town. By organizing wonderful town wide events, we have the opportunity to connect families-especially those who are new to town, to the wonderful programs and services that exist within our community.

In addition to the social networking opportunities we provide and the fun children's events we produce, we take our commitment to teaching our children the importance of giving back to our community very seriously. We fulfill this mission through our Community Connection Committee which ties in an outreach activity to each of our events. FAN held a food drive in November, and a toy and clothing drive at Christmas. One of our major events this year was the Eco Festival, which was organized by FAN and Sustainable Winchester. This event really showcased our commitment to providing fun and educational experiences for families as well as our interest in community outreach. This Festival attracted over 3,000 attendees and provided a forum for over 80 town agencies, non-profits, and businesses to showcase the message of sustainability. Please visit http://winchesterecofest.org/ for more information about this event!

FAN is doing its best to help to support our town's economy in order to ensure that our community remains a thriving haven for our families.This year, we propose to enhance, beautify and revitalize Winchester's Borggaard Beach recreational area to make it into a year round, barrier free facility in order for it to become a community gathering place for all Winchester residents. Our primary goal is to install an inclusive automated, interactive splash park area for children. We also aim to update the current playground amenities to include accessible play features to promote inclusivity as well as add additional interest for all ages. During this time of economic uncertainty, a multi-use facility would provide a low cost accessible recreational activity for families, defray the substantial loss the Town of Winchester incurs in the beach's operational costs, and help support our local economy by retaining residents' presence, and shopping dollars, within our community. Please visit www.fansplash.org for detailed information about our project.

This project highlights what FAN's major strength's are. We have built a strong organizational foundation that draws upon the dedication and inspiration of our volunteers. We have generated support from businesses and have sought out collaborations with other non profits and businesses. We actively seek ways in which we can bring these elements together to help make Winchester the type of community that we are thrilled to raise our families in, and we would appreciate your support!