From the Director’s Desk:

“The family is the corner stone of our society. More than any other force it shapes the attitude, the hopes, the ambitions, and the values of the child. And when the family collapses it is the children that are usually damaged. When it happens on a massive scale the community itself is crippled. So, unless we work to strengthen the family, to create conditions under which most parents will stay together, all the rest — schools, playgrounds, and public assistance, and private concern — will never be enough.” ~Lyndon B. Johnson

In a recent report released by the Center for Disease Control, the following startling statistics were
released:

Unmarried childbearing increased to historic levels in 2007 for women aged 15-44.
An estimated 1.7 million babies were born to unmarried women in 2007, accounting for 39.7 percent of all
births in the United States – an increase of 4 percent from 2006.
Unmarried childbearing has increased 26 percent since 2002 when the recent steep increases began.

These statistics reflect a societal trend towards the proliferation of childbearing outside of marriage.
Recent reports also have reflected that "In 2005, married couples became the minority of all
American households for the first time” ( New York Times, Sam Roberts, 1/16/07).

With the increase of childbearing outside of marriage and the decrease of the institution of marriage
itself, One Choice, One Voice: Abstinence Until Marriage Project is proud to be the sponsor of The
Parent-Child Connectedness Family Forum entitled, "We Are Family from AKA to Attica: Building
Communities, One Family At A Time" on Saturday, May 16th at 10:00am at The Greater Allen
Cathedral, Great Hall , 110-33 Merrick Boulevard, Jamaica, NY.

The day promises to be one of enlightenment and fun for the entire family as we explore, discuss
and participate in interactive activities geared to explore all the components of today's family.
The keynote speaker will be the Rev. Alfonso Wyatt, Associate Minister of the Greater Allen
Cathedral and Vice President of The Fund for the City of New York.

Family, whether it is mother and child, father and child or a combination thereof is the building
block of every great society. Let us, as a people, be devoted to ensure that our entire community
thrives because we are only as strong as our weakest link.

In Service,
Minister Denise M. Lawrence