Connect Your Family to Coordinated Local Support
SAFE Family Services Center brings together programs for families at every stage.
Find the Right Resources for Your Family
Practical family support through integrated programs across Sylacauga
SAFE is a community based, nonprofit organization whose purpose is to provide meaningful opportunities for families, to contribute to the growth of our community, and to promote community cohesion.
SAFE established three goals for its strategic agenda:
1) identify critical needs
2) investigate feasible solutions and funding sources
3) develop a plan of action to improve the quality of life for youth and families
For 20 years SAFE has been committed to it is mission, vision and values to empower and impact families and the community in order to foster the positive and healthy development of our youth, families, community, state and nation.
SAFE is:
Comprehensive and flexible
Individualized support
Workforce development
Strength-based and prevention-focused
Collaborative across systems and disciplines
Family-focused
Relentless problem solving
CORE SERVICES & PROGRAMMATIC AREAS
1. Early Childhood & Family Support Services
SAFE provides home visiting and early instruction programs that promote early literacy, parent engagement, and school readiness. Family support and case management services connect families to resources, crisis/emergency assistance, and build resilience and stability.
2. Youth Development & Out‑of‑School‑Time Programming
SAFE’s afterschool, summer enrichment, mentoring, and academic support programs for youth foster positive development, engagement, and success. Juvenile diversion and prevention efforts provide alternatives to court involvement and strengthen youth outcomes.
3. Prevention & Diversion Services
SAFE leads prevention and diversion initiatives focused on strengthening families, reducing trauma, and interrupting cycles of system involvement. Partnerships such as Turning Point and Pathways offer alternatives to detention and support at‑risk youth through restorative and educational programming.
4. Workforce Pathways & Adult Services
SAFE connects adults to training and career advancement through career coaching, technical instruction, and employer partnerships. Programs remove barriers to employment, such as transportation and emergency needs, ensuring participants can succeed in long-term job placements.
5. Transportation & Access to Opportunity
The Alabama Workforce Ready Transport initiative provides transportation to connect residents with employment, education, and essential services—helping bridge rural gaps and support economic mobility across East Alabama.
6. Arts, Culture, Resilience & Place‑Based Initiatives
SAFE’s EARTH (Arts, Education, Resilience, Theatre, Humanities) project leverages arts and cultural spaces to drive education, workforce training, and community engagement. EARTH strengthens local identity and builds creative and economic resilience through performance and learning spaces such as the Black Box Theater.
7. Trauma‑Informed & Strengths‑Based Case Management
SAFE employs a whole‑family, trauma‑informed approach that builds on strengths while connecting families to housing, utility, and emergency assistance. This holistic approach stabilizes families and fosters lasting independence.
Trusted by Customers Like You
They have numerous resources and are ready to assist ASAP. I am grateful for their help as a new mom!
Mary B.
I really enjoy this place it is a wonderful place to work with they have awesome classes and I will continue to go and recommend them to anyone and everyone
Melissa W.
Safe offer classes for GED Parenting Classes turning point classes for troubled teens, relationship classes, Marriage Classes ETC. A lot more than I can name.
Shelia G.
SAFE is a cornerstone of our community and we are blessed to have them!
Clay G.
Volunteer
Discover how SAFE Family Services Center serves Sylacauga families through a coordinated network of programs built around real needs.
Opportunities
Find workforce development, employment readiness, and other pathways designed to help adults move toward stable, sustainable work.
SAFE + EARTH
Stay current on programs, events, and updates from the center and the broader community it serves.
Contact Us
Your contribution helps sustain family case management, youth programming, and nutrition services that families in this community depend on.
OUR HISTORY
In 1996, the Alabama Civil Justice Foundation, invested $5,000 in the Sylacauga community to create opportunities to strengthen and support its families, its children, and the community as a whole. Over 20 years, the Sylacauga Alliance for Family Enhancement, Inc., better known as SAFE, has leveraged millions of dollars to support its work. Its work has impacted in lives changed.
In the fall of 1995, members of the community of Sylacauga, Alabama embarked upon a journey. Led by Dr. Don Palmer, a renowned pediatrician and child advocate, representatives from across the county began working together to address growing social and economic issues affecting our community. Dr. Don Palmer and Mayor Jesse Cleveland took the helm, bringing together individuals who committed themselves to a shared vision and common agenda that focused on strengthening families and strengthening the community. In 1996, thanks to these dedicated and talented individuals, representing providers and citizens from across Sylacauga and Talladega County, the Sylacauga Alliance for Family Enhancement, Inc. (SAFE) was birthed.
MISSION STATEMENT
All families have the right to thrive.
Families can be adaptive, solve problems, have a sense of identity, be self sufficient, and maintain a sense of hope for the future; these goals can be accomplished with necessary support and basic resource provision to foster resilient families. We will provide meaningful opportunities for families to contribute to the growth of our community, to serve others, and to promote community cohesion.
We support families because children from resilient families have the best opportunity to succeed. Our children are our most valuable resource. To invest in our children is to invest in the future. We will demonstrate community attitudes that will teach children to choose a healthy lifestyle.
VISION
To achieve a sustained culture of health, wellness and economic stability for the children and families of Talladega County, the region and state.
IMPACT
- Children are safe.
- Children are healthy.
- Children are successful in school.
- Children are prepared for life-long learning and the world of work.
- Families are hopeful and positively engaged in their children's development (0-19).
- Families are safe and strong.
- Communities are safe, supportive, and engaged.
- Communities are economically sound.
Featured Resources
WHY SAFE MATTERS
SAFE transforms community challenges into coordinated solutions by integrating prevention, education, workforce, transportation, and the arts. Through partnerships, trauma-informed practices, and a focus on resilience, SAFE ensures that every child, adult, and family in East Alabama has the opportunity to learn, work, and thrive.
