FCR, Inc.’s Exciting New Partnership with Friends and Mentors

On Monday, July 7, 2025, Family and Community Resources, Inc., is excited to announce a new partnership with Friends and Mentors (FAM), expanding the impact of our teen dating violence prevention efforts. Family and Community Resources (FCR) leads a DPH sponsored Healthy Relationships Program collaboratively with the Boys and Girls Club of Metro South (BGCMS). The program uses a peer-leadership model to implement the Safe Dates curriculum for middle and high school youth, increasing knowledge of healthy relationships and awareness of the prevalence of dating violence among teenagers, which is critically needed as 1 in 3 teens under 18 experience some form of dating violence. This new collaboration, created in part thanks to the hard work of Kenny Monteiro, Executive Director of FAM, Alycia Montrond-Bullock, Coordinator of the Healthy Relationships Program at FCR, and Dejanae Sheppard, Youth Resource Coordinator at BGCMS, will enhance the prevention, intervention, and treatment supports available to young adults aged 11 to 24.

Beginning this Summer, FCR, BGCMS, and FAM will each hire, train, and support cohorts of 5 peer leaders. The peer leaders will work with coordinators from each organization to host workshops, activities, and events aimed at teaching teens the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships, the importance of consent, and how to support friends who may be in abusive relationships. What makes this new partnership exciting is FAM’s unique, holistic approach to youth development, which recognizes the importance of nurturing the mind, body, and spirit, equipping youth with the confidence and resources they need to thrive. Their approach will complement the existing work of the partnership, creating a comprehensive response and support network for youth experiencing teen dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault.

For More Information, Contact:

Alycia Montrond-Bullock

alycia.montrond-bullock@fcr-ma.org

(508) 583-6498

www.fcr-ma.org