appreciate you so so much!!! If there is anything we can do together in
the future please don't hesitate to contact Karen McConnell at 582-0377.
Ogden House is a temporary residential shelter for youth operated by
Tennessee Valley Family Services. Youth find their home at Ogden House
in a variety of ways from living on the streets to DHR placements. Some
children are placed at Ogden House because of parental abuse or neglect,
or even abandonment. Youth who are having trouble staying in school or
slight behavioral problems at home may be place here because of the
structure that staff is able to provide.
Up to 14 youth can be housed at Ogden House with two staff members
(child care counselors) on duty at all times. Ogden House just
celebrated its one year anniversary of its new location south on highway
79. One 15-year-old resident said that she was thankful for "a place
where I can go to work out my problems."
TVFS started out as Marshall County Attention Homes, Inc. in 1977. The
idea was that homeless youth were placed in local jail cells and put at
risk, rather than in a loving and caring environment. The agency grew to
serve more and more of all of North Alabama and because of that changed
their name to Tennessee Valley Family Services. Services have been
expanded to include four programs: Ogden House (temporary residential
shelter); Safe Place (national program for homeless youth); TRIPP
(weekend program for at-risk youth); and TLP (transitional living
program for youth 16-22).
Safe Place uses the Ogden House when a youth needs emergency shelter,
crisis intervention, food or clothing.
The main goal of our agency is to advocate and empower youth and
families. We strive to provide shelter, support, care, structure and
assurance to youth separated from their families and to strengthen
families' ability to cope with crisis.
We provide our residents with group skill building activities, such as
meal preparation or grocery shopping on a budget. We also recognize that
play is a productive activity. We have volunteers from around the area,
like Wal-Mart employees and RSVP'ers who come to interact and play games
with the youth. We also have a basketball court, horseshoes and in the
near future we hope to build a volleyball court.
As I'm sure you can imagine, it takes an overwhelming amount of
necessities to keep our kids clean, fed, transported, productive and
safe. We are so blessed to be in a community where children are valued.
Thanks for all that you do.
Tennessee Valley Family Services
P.O. Box 952
Guntersville, Alabama 35976
Phone: (256)582-0377
Fax: (256)582-4315
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