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Welcome to Family Resources!
Our mission is to
prevent and treat child abuse
by strengthening families and neighborhoods. 
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Drawings from the 2nd Grade. 
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| Family Retreat Center: A Therapeutic Tool of Family Resources |
| Sylvia* sat quietly at her kitchen table, watching snowflakes fall softly on the sidewalk behind her home in Pittsburgh's Hill District. "On cold days like this I remember how much fun my kids and I had at the Family Retreat Center this summer," she mused in February. "A group at the Bedford Family Support Center talked about organizing a trip so we can go back and sled ride." That group did organize a winter outing at the Family Retreat Center, located on 230 wooded acres in the bustling Cranberry area. Parents and their children spent two days sledding, building a snow fort, and playfully lobbing snowballs. Without the distractions of everyday life, they had time to listen to each other, eat home-cooked meals together, and enjoy each other's companionship. When they returned home, everyone talked about their adventure for weeks. Now they have memories of the wonderful, carefree time they spent together. The Family Retreat Center is an important tool in Family Resources therapeutic work with families and communities. It brings children, their parents and neighborhood groups together and offers special opportunities to work on family issues in a natural setting. Community groups come to the Family Retreat Center to rebuild networks of support in their neighborhoods and reconnect family members to one another. "I work full time, and my kids are in school. When we get home, we rush through dinner, do homework and household chores. By then, it's time to get ready for the next day," said Sylvia. "We don't have time to talk. i want to know what my kids are thinking and feeling. I want them to know I love them and want to be with them. At the Family Retreat Center, we communicate and share our thoughts." A Proud Heritage Before Family Resources began operating the Family Retreat Center, the facility was known as the Fresh Air Camp and was owned by Family Resources predecessor, the Pittsburgh Association for the Improvement of the Poor (PAIP). The camp had its origins in the late nineteenth century when a crowded and grimy urban existence spawned the "fresh air movement." In 1879, the board of the PAIP inaugurated a series of free excursions for children. That summer, railroads furnished free transportation, physicians volunteered their services, and 4,000 children of the poor were taken to the countryside for a day. These excursions were so successful that, in 1882, PAIP opened a fresh air camp in Shousetown (Crescent Township) on the Ohio River. In 1886, PAIP purchased a house and 2.5 acres at Tenth Street and Delaware Avenue in Oakmont and converted this to the Fresh Air Farm. By the early 1930s, the camp had outgrown its limited facilities in Oakmont, and a new location was sought. A tract of 55 acres in Marshall Township was purchased in 1934, and construction of a new Fresh Air Camp was begun. July 1, 1937 marked the opening of the new camp. There were eight cabins, a pool, bathhouses, a dining hall, and a recreational hall. At the end of the first season, more than 1,000 children experiences a two-week summer vacation, and over 35,000 meals were served. Families are the Focus When PAIP and the Child Abuse Prevention Center merged in 1986 to form Family Resources, the function of the camp was changed to align with the mission to prevent and treat child abuse by strengthening families and neighborhoods. Family Resources saw the camp as an opportunity to help families -- many of them at risk for child abuse -- engage in positive interaction in a warm and nurturing atmosphere. While the Fresh Air Camp operated only during the summer months, the Family Retreat Center is open year around and provides a safe and relaxing recreational and educational facility for families. It's a place where family members under great stress can rekindle an enjoyment for life and remember how to have fun with each other. Last summer, Family Resources sponsored a Nurturing Camp for eight mothers from McKeesport and the East End and their children. This camp is an offshoot of the Nurturing Course, a program that teaches parents and children how to develop healthy and non-violent family relationships. The mothers and children spent their first weekend in the country where they stayed in cabins, enjoyed the fresh air, and left behind the daily grind of cooking and cleaning. "My family had never been camping before," said Kathy*. "My son went fishing for the first time, and my daughter was so excited when she saw a deer and her fawns." One afternoon staff busied the children with craft projects while the mothers attended a casual seminar on how to nurture their children as well as themselves. The mothers were encouraged to speak openly about their concerns, feelings and dreams for the future. As a surprise, they were treated to relaxing massages and manicures. The Family Retreat Center also is a tranquil place for families from the Parent-Teen Conflict Program. This program provides in-home conflict resolution services for parents who are struggling with their teens and pre-teens and offers parent education, support groups, family counseling and mentoring. "It was so nice to be at the Family Retreat Center, remarked Roy*. "My grandson has done so well in the Parent-Teen Conflict Program, and this experience helped build his confidence. He loved being outdoors, interacting in a positive way with other people." In addition to serving families affiliated with the programs at Family Resources, the Family Retreat Center hosts a variety of human service agencies, companies and membership organizations. For more information on the Family Retreat Center , or to schedule a tour of this facility, contact Jack Stockman, 412-363-1702, ext. 1202. *Names have been changed.
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