The Life-Changing Nonprofit You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

How do we truly break the cycle of abuse and family violence? For Family Builders, the answer is clear, but difficult. To truly bring an end to physical abuse in families, treating the root of the problem is the priority. That means working with abusers and offering them tools for building healthy relationships.

In 1976, Family Builders was founded as “Parents Assistance Center” by a social worker named Ann Hardy. She believed, as we do today, that parenting is a learned skill, and that at some point all parents need help. She saw a gap in the services provided to parents after abuse and neglect had occurred in the home and began teaching parenting workshops around her kitchen table. She offered help, healing and hope to the families she served, many of whom were repeating a cycle of abuse that they had learned from their own parents.

Family Builders is one of only a handful of organizations in the Oklahoma City area to offer a 52-week Batterer’s Intervention Program certified by the office of the Attorney General. It is a 52-week group program as specified in the Oklahoma state statute. Groups are offered for male and female clients separately. Topics include personal responsibility and the effects of violence on others, issues of power and control, beliefs that promote domestic violence and tools for healthy relationships.

It’s hard work, and it’s certainly not always pretty. But it’s work that matters, which makes it precisely the kind of organization we single out and celebrate at Luxiere. You’ll see more about Family Builders in upcoming issues, and we feel certain that by raising awareness together, we can help Family Builders help even more families.

We encourage you to learn more about this phenomenal nonprofit by visiting familybuildersok.org.