Submitted photo
From left are Sen. Randy Smith, R-Tucker, 14th District; Angie Davis, director of Allegheny Highlands PAT, the host of the breakfast; and Elkins Mayor Jerry Marco.

ELKINS — Several local leaders turned out for a special breakfast hosted by the Allegheny Highlands Parents as Teachers program recently.

Sen. Randy Smith, R-Tucker, 14th District, and Elkins Mayor Jerry Marco took part in the breakfast, held at the Phil Gainer Community Center.

Local agencies represented included the Tucker County Family Resource Network & Center, the Randolph County Family Resource Network, Community Services of Barbour County, the Randolph-Tucker Children’s Advocacy Center and Centers Against Violence. Each agency took a few minutes to inform the senator and mayor about their services.

The hosting agency, Allegheny Highlands Parents as Teachers, covers the three-county region of Randolph, Tucker and Barbour counties and is housed with the local Family Resource Networks.

“It is much like Right From the Start, Birth to Three, or Early Head Start home visitation programs except that we have no income requirements or other prerequisites except age of the children, which is under 5 or pregnancy” Angie Davis, Program Director of Allegheny Highlands Parents as Teachers, said.

Parents as Teachers representatives visit young families in their homes and do age appropriate activities with children 5 and under, as well as provide assessments and screenings to help support families and direct them to helpful resources.

Margot Evick, the director of the Randolph-Tucker Children’s Advocacy Center, spoke about promoting prevention of child abuse and supporting children who have been abused. The organization is in the midst of planning their most important fundraiser of the year, the Champions for Children dinner, which will be offered May 13 at the Elks Lodge in Elkins. The event will include a silent auction.

Centers Against Violence representative Meghan Phares spoke about the services provided by the agency. Those services include support for individuals experiencing intimate partner violence. Call their hotline if you are in need of support at 304-636-8433 or 1-800-339-1185.

Each of the Family Resource Network directors — Gillian Adams in Randolph County, April Miller in Tucker County and John Boskovic in Barbour County — offered a quick overview of events and services in each county.

For information and connection to any of these services, please contact 304-478-3827.