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"Connections Matter ultimately strives to promote the building of more resilient, compassionate and trauma-informed communities," Brown said. "is allows all children and individuals to succeed." Resilient Middle Georgia also has created several projects to increase overall community awareness about resilience. "Our 'Neighbor Check-in Cards' are used by individuals to connect with others in their community, to wish them well and share what they appreciate about one another," said Stinson. "We packed and delivered 5,000 'Resilience Bags' to a variety of recipients, including school systems through their back-to- school drives, Middle Georgia libraries with curbside pick-up and summer activity bags, food drives, the School-Justice Partnership, the Crescent House and the Department of Families and Children Services." According to Brown, Resilient Middle Georgia wants to help people in the community understand adversity, trauma and adverse childhood experiences. "e coalition hopes to enhance peoples' understanding that the more connections and relationships we have, the more opportunity we have to lessen the impact of that trauma," Brown said. e organization wants neighbors talking to neighbors, friends reaching out to friends, co-workers checking in on each other, people making eye-contact with strangers and texting or calling people who you haven't talked to in a while. "I think of it as a pay-it-forward mentality," Brown said. "For me specifically, I want our foster and adoptive parents to know that the one-on-one relationships that they have with their children can help facilitate the healing process with that child. It's exciting, really, to know that every child is one caring adult away from being a success story. It's really true with adults, too. We all need that one person who cares." True to the mission of Resilient Middle Georgia, Vanderhoek is serious about the importance of resiliency: "We feel strongly that all children and families in Middle Georgia deserve the opportunity to be resilient." BUILDING COMMUNITY RESILIENCE MEANS WORKING TO TRANSFORM PROGRAM, PRACTICE AND POLICY ACROSS SYSTEMS TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND LIFE OUTCOMES OF CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES: Fewer children in foster care Fewer justice-involved youth Reduced crime Fewer youth in mental health crisis Families drawing on their strengths Steady employment OVER 1 IN 3 CHILDREN ARE LIVING IN POVERTY NEARLY 1 IN 7 CHILDREN HAVE MISSED AT LEAST 2 WEEKS OF SCHOOL NEARLY 10% OF 9TH GRADERS REPORT ALCOHOL USE IN THE LAST MONTH Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can negatively impact a child's mental health and impact their ability to form healthy relationships. In 2018, 247 children were victims of substantiated abuse and/or neglect – furthering the cycle of ACEs. 12.1% of parents in the county also did not have stable employment – fostering unstable family environments. Children can even be impacted by maternal ACEs before they are born. Maternal ACEs can increase a child's chance to develop depression and high blood pressure. We believe our strength is in our ability to adapt and overcome, together. Together we become resilient! Schedule a training resilientmiddlegeorgia@gmail.com You can help create change www.resilientmiddlegeorgia.org Community Adversity in Macon-Bibb County FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 | maconmagazine.com 75