Restore the Core: Strengthening Marriages and Families was the theme of this year's Family Awareness Week held November 22-28, 2015. The Family Awareness Week (FAW) is an initiative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is primarily aimed at increasing the levels of awareness on issues affecting families (children and adults) and join existing efforts to sensitize the wider community on how to combat these challenges.
This year marked the second year of the event and included several activities. The week began with a special sacrament meeting service focused on the family in all units of the church across the island. These services were held on Sunday November 22, 2015. The church islandwide saw over fifty visitors at this special service.
Additionally there was a week long social media campaign on the week's facebook page (wwww.facebook.com/familyawarenessweek). The content featured topics related to expressing love, to family members, monitoring children and making time for family meals. There were over 450 persons reached during the week and dozens of engagements on various topics.
The week culminated in the Family Awareness Week Recognition Dinner held on Saturday November 28,2015 at the Spanish Court Hotel in Kingston. At the dinner five renowned individuals in the society and their organizations who work extensively to support family values in Jamaica were honoured with an award from the church. The persons awarded included;Mrs. Betty-Ann Blaine co-founder Hear the Children's Cry, Mrs. Susan Simes-Graham from the Susan Show which airs on local television, Dr. Barrington Davidson (represented by Mr. Kevin Bailey) from Family Life Ministries, Commissioner Gerrit Marseille from the Salvation Army (represented by Mrs. Rosemarie Brown) and Dr. Patrece Charles-Freeman from the National Parent Support Commission (represented by Ms. Peta-Gaye Waugh).
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The evening was enchanting, it saw musical pieces performed by two members of the MICO University Choir. Key note speeches were presented by President Kevin Brown, Mission President of the Jamaica Kingston Mission and Mrs. Betty-Ann Blaine. President Brown spoke of the importance of the family and the church's view on the family as well as the different programs of the church that support the family.
Awards for the function were created by a local Bishop and were presented to the awardees which was a depiction of a mother, father and child with the inscription 'families are forever'.
The evening ended in friendly commotion and mutual appreciation for the family. Those present expressed gratitude for being a part of the event and feeling delighted by the work the church does to support the family and for being recognized in this dinner.