New Family and Child Development Association kicks off the school year with first meeting

• Family and Child Development Association, founded to address specific interests of FACS students, kicks off first year on Sept. 18.
• The FACD program is partnering with Park View Community Mission as partner for members’ service projects.

Liberty University’s Department of Family and Consumer Sciences kicked off the school year with the first meeting of its new Family and Child Development Association Sept. 18.

According to Janet Brown, a professor in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, the association was originally part of a larger club in the department, which included event planning. interior design and family and consumer sciences. Brown said two students approached the chair last spring about starting a separate club.

“We had a lot more needs, so we wanted to really specialize in each of these associations,” Brown said. “Now we can bring in people who are more specialized in family and child development, and the (Fashion Design and Merchandising Association) can bring in people who are more specialized in fashion.”

Approximately 100 prospective members attended the meeting.

The FACDA is for undergraduate students enrolled in the FACD program with either a major or minor in FACD and other FACS students. Members must attend three meetings and participate in one service project each year they are a member.

According to FACDA treasurer Megan White, their goal is for students in the FACD department to practice their skills and learn about post-graduate options.

“It’s a good time for them to come and talk to other FACD majors and learn from speakers about job opportunities and careers that they may not have known about,” White said.

The association partners with the Park View Community Mission in Lynchburg for the students’ required service project. The organization meets the needs of the community by providing food for those are suffering from malnutrition and a lack of food.

However, Rachel Koenig, who works for Park View Community Mission’s Food for Families Pantry said they want to meet more than just people’s physical needs.

“We know that a person is more than just a physical being,” Koenig said. “They’re mental, social, emotional and spiritual (beings). Our biggest goal is for them to know Christ as we provide these other resources that help tend to those different parts of the person. We want to help restore their value and their self-worth in order to impact those other parts of their life.”

Madelene Gwaltney, president of the association, said she hopes working with the Park View Mission will be beneficial to the members.

“My hope for (our members) is that they would be spurred on in their career, and that our love for God and for these people would be influenced into their minds,” Gwaltney said.

Koenig said she hopes students will gain a better appreciation for underserved people.

“We really hope that students catch the vision of Park View because we know it is a vision given by God,” Koenig said. “We hope these students are able to understand these communities and these individuals who are living in poverty and that their hearts would really break for these people. We hope they will value (these people) in the same way that God values them.”

There are many service opportunities available for students at Park View Mission for CSER credit through the LU Serve page. Students can also register to volunteer by visiting the mission’s website and looking under the volunteer page.

Students interested in joining FACDA can contact the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at facs@liberty.edu.