What is Changing Families?
Our Vision:
“Making a Difference for Kids By Making it Work for Their Parents”
Our goal is to:
- Break the chains of past hurts
- Strengthen the fabric of the family during challenging times
- Prepare a positive, uplifting path to the future For One-Parent Families, Stepfamilies, and Families with Prodigal Children
The way we accomplish these goals leading to this vision is through:
- Faith-based weekly groups offering support, education and fellowship for one-parent families
- Seminars for One-Parent Families including key note talks, small group discussions and helpful, practical workshops by local experts
- Putting families in contact with and church and community resources
- Educational classes for parents involved in litigation within the Family Court system relating to single parent and stepfamily issues
- Reaching out to other communities and churches to spread the vision of Changing Families
- Providing information through speaking engagements and writing articles concerning the vision of Changing Families
About the founders of Changing Families
Tom and Helen Wheeler established Changing Families in 1996 after a family crisis and resulting late night discussion about the difficulties involved in single and step parenting.
- They are both trained Guardians ad Litem in South Carolina
- Tom has 29 years of experience working in youth ministry and with at-risk teens
- Helen is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of South Carolina with a private counseling practice; she is also a certified teacher with over 20 years of experience and a Doctoral Candidate in Family Counseling studying single parent families
- Changing Families was recognized as being “The Most Innovative Counseling Program of 2003” by the Tri-County Counseling Association, the local affiliate of the American Counseling Association
- Tom and Helen are charter members of the Parent Educators Network (PEN) in the Tri-County region of Charleston, South Carolina; Tom is on the Advisory Council of PEN
- The Wheelers have spoken to the National Association of Single Adult Ministers and to the SC Baptist Convention Single Adult Ministry Conference; Helen has spoken to the South Carolina Counseling Association about Changing Families; Tom and Helen will be speaking at the SAM (Strategic Adult Ministries) conference in Phoenix in Spring, 2004
- Helen has had three articles published by Focus on the Family Magazine, Single Parent Edition
- The Wheelers are Educational Specialists for Successful Stepfamilies based in Jonesboro, Arkansas; they are also consultants on the Congregational Spiritual Development Team of the South Carolina Baptist Convention
- Most importantly: Helen was a single Mom for nine years and Tom is now the Step Dad of Helen’s (mostly) grown children
Contact Changing Families:
For general information about Changing Families please contact us
| PO Box 1470 Mt. Pleasant, SC 29465 Phone: 843.224.1781 Fax: 843.388.2698 Email: Info@ChangingFamilies.com |
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Tom & Helen Wheeler |
- For questions about the Children’s Ministry of Changing Families, contact Mindy Johnson
- To meet and talk with our “Resident Grandparents” contact Ray and Marty Easter
- To find out anything else about Changing Families or to have the Wheelers speak to your group or church contact Tom and Helen Wheeler.
