Tony (age 8) and Tanya (age 6) are so glad their mom moved them out of the home they were living in with her abusive boyfriend, but the problems didn’t stop when the relationship ended. Mom has another baby on the way and the kids know that they need a place to stay, a job for mom, transportation help, support at school, and overall encouragement as they each work to heal from the abuse and rise out of poverty and oppression.

Many Memphis families face an array of challenges to well-being including generational poverty, domestic violence, trauma exposure, housing instability, unemployment/underemployment, food insecurity, unreliable transportation, and a slew of additional situational and environmental obstacles.

Memphis’ poverty rate of 24.6% (with child poverty at 39%) is higher than that of the state of Tennessee (15%) or the USA (13.4%). Although poverty is generally measured in economic terms, a more holistic definition involves the idea of Household Livelihood Security (HLS). HLS refers to a household’s ability to meet basic needs — adequate food, health, shelter, income, education, and community participation.

Sustaining HLS depends on enabling conditions that must be in place. Agape Child & Family Services, a Christ-centered social service agency in Memphis, fosters this environment using a comprehensive, two-generational approach to help people in under-resourced communities flourish.

In partnership with the Tennessee Department of Human Services, Agape and its community partners serve families in Frayser, Hickory Hill and Whitehaven with the goal of improving food and housing security, safety, social support, and educational and employment opportunities.

Two-generational (2Gen) services are whole-family approaches within the family’s community. Key components are:

• Early childhood education and development through 12th-grade graduation
• Post-secondary education and employment pathways
• Economic assets
• Health and well-being
• Social capital

Services are intentionally and simultaneously delivered to parents and children, and may include case management, counseling, tutoring, mentoring, life skills development, relational skills training, workforce readiness and spiritual support.

2Gen approaches show promise in enhancing resilience and mitigating negative effects of environmental stress and trauma on families who routinely encounter Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), toxic stress, and deprivation of basic resources that accompany generational poverty. A total of 35% of those served by Agape reported four or more ACEs — three times the number experienced by the average person in Shelby County.

Agape targets families fighting cycle of poverty

A community’s prosperity is critically linked to the well-being of the families who live there. One key to empowering vulnerable children and families to overcome the challenges of less-than-adequate environments is resilience.

Resilience is the ability to overcome adversity and continue normal development. One critical element of building resilience is the presence of at least one stable, supportive, caring adult who can lend support and inspire new possibilities.

Using a 2Gen model, Agape seeks to engage community stakeholders in building resilient individuals, families, and communities by collaborating with families where they live, identifying and leveraging their community assets, and responding to their voice and choice in surmounting ACEs, trauma, and poverty.

Because of its faith foundation, Agape believes all people should have access to hope, opportunity, resources and joy in life.