Category: Faces of FACCES

A Legacy of Giving Back: Suzie Dunn’s Vision for Her Family’s Future

As we kick off February 2025, we’re excited to highlight Suzie Dunn as one of our Faces of FACCES.

At the FACCES Winter Wonderland Family Gathering, Suzie shared her hopes for her children: “I hope one day they’ll grow up and come back to FACCES to give back. They all went through the preschool and childcare program, and they learned so much faster than I ever thought was possible. I want them to come back and give back to the community.” 

We’re so grateful for Suzie and her family’s love for their community, and we’re proud to celebrate their journey and all they’ve contributed to the FACCES family. Thank you, Suzie, for inspiring us all! 

Become a FACCES Family Member

Join the free FACCES Family Membership program exclusively for those caring for children under the age of 18 years old. As a member, you’ll gain access to the services offered by FACCES and benefit from connecting with FACCES community resource partners at no charge.

Highlighting Humana Healthy Horizons in Ohio and Siatta Denise-Brown

As we welcome 2025, we’re proud to spotlight Humana Healthy Horizons in Ohio as our January Faces of FACCES. For families unfamiliar with the program, Humana offers a Medicaid plan that goes beyond just healthcare—it provides a comprehensive approach to well-being. Designed to support families in all aspects of their health, the plan ensures members have access to a wide range of benefits, from preventive care to mental and emotional health services. Humana’s focus on holistic support helps families live healthier, more balanced lives.

Ms. Siatta Denise-Brown of Humana shares, “It has been a privilege to work closely with community members and partners like FACCES. Together, we strive to fulfill a shared mission of providing essential supports and empowering families, helping them navigate their health journeys with confidence and resilience.”

To learn more about how Humana Healthy Horizons in Ohio can support your family, visit Humana’s website or reach out directly to Ms. Denise-Brown at sdennisbrown@humana.com.

December 2024 Faces of FACCES: Sharice Whittington-Biko

This month, we would like to highlight Sharice Whittington-Biko and her children, Izarah and Yasir, as our Faces of FACCES. Sharice is from Columbus, Ohio, and has two children, Izarah and Yasir. She recently completed an Ages and Stages Questionnaire for Yasir and utilizes all the resources available through FACCES’ K Ready Ohio program, as she is passionate about being her children’s first and best teacher. Sharice shared how she has posted notes on the walls with 2- and 3-letter words and even bought a scale to work on math problems, all to support Yasir’s readiness.

She also really enjoyed FACCES November Family Gathering. Sharice loves to cook and does meal prep on Sundays for the whole week. The fresh produce available at the event was put to good use in breakfast tacos and salads. She even turned to the internet for recipe inspiration to make sure she used everything efficiently.

Sharice shared that Yasir’s birthday is coming up, and they are planning a trip to Universal Studios. She is excited to see her children’s reactions, as they have never flown before. The timing of their trip is perfect, as it is after the December Family Gathering—she didn’t want to miss it!

Sharice hopes for her children to be healthy, happy, and successful. She wants them to know that they can be whatever they want to be, as long as they are willing to work hard for it.

Celebrating Rick Teets: A Loyal Volunteer and Dedicated Mentor

At FACCES, we’re grateful to have incredible volunteers who give their time and talents to help support the FACCES mission. Rick Teets loyalty and dedication have made a significant impact on our community. Rick has been a committed volunteer at the FACCES Fresh Market, and he doesn’t hesitate to show up and give back, even when it means stepping away from his passion for golf.

“I love to teach and play golf, and I realized that not everyone can teach young kids. I can’t talk to a 6-year-old how I do a 12-year-old. I wanted to come up with specialized lessons specifically for the kids. The kids learned the fundamentals of the sport, but outside of that we talked about how to introduce yourself, sportsmanship and more.” 

But Rick’s contributions go beyond the Fresh Market. During the FACCES Summer Program, Rick took on the role of mentor, teaching students the fundamentals of golf. Through the sport he loves, he not only helped them develop their golfing skills but also imparted valuable life lessons that will stay with them for years to come.

“Of course when you’re retiring you have to find something to do, it seemed like a worthwhile endeavor to participate in. I saw Fresh Market had an immediate impact on people and the community. It also provided some benefits to me as well, it feels good to contribute just like any other volunteer.”

We thank Rick for his consistent volunteer efforts and for helping to shape the future of our youth. You are truly an invaluable part of the FACCES family.

Emmanuela has been a shining star in the FACCES Life Ready Ohio Program and a young thought leader in her community! Throughout her time at FACCES, she has consistently demonstrated forward-thinking and planning skills. She has participated in FACCES Fresh Market, Urban Garden, Family Gathering, and many other community events. As she began to experience the services and programs offered to families, Emmanuela developed a genuine love for serving her community and finding ways to help others.

As the year progressed, more opportunities became available for her to get involved, including attending the FACCES T.A.L.C. Series at Mills James Production Studio. This one-day field trip opened the eyes of the youth to various career paths they could pursue.

Now attending the University of Dayton, Emmanuela plans to further her education. She believes that people and connections hold the most value in business and life above all else. Continuously on the lookout for new mentors, she aims to get involved in school and with business leaders in her area.

Emmanuela, we appreciate you and want to continue supporting your goals and dreams as one of the Faces of FACCES! 

Mid-Ohio Food Collective: September 2024 Faces of FACCES 

In 2019, we identified access to healthy food as a significant barrier for our community. With limited options available locally, we sought to address this challenge. Our partnership with Mid-Ohio Food Collective (MOFC) has been transformative, improving the availability of healthy food options one bag of produce at a time. 

Over the past fiscal year (2023-2024), MOFC has generously provided 233,683.5 lbs (approximately 105,996.97 kg) of produce. This substantial contribution has been distributed to families and community members through Fresh Market and various events. MOFC’s dedication and consistent support have made a profound impact and highlight their role as Key Contributors to FACCES Families. 

We deeply appreciate Mid-Ohio Food Collective and their staff for their ongoing commitment, and the vital role they play in advancing FACCES’s mission of connecting families with resources to lead healthier lives.

We are spotlighting the family of Rebecca Debreaux-West and Malcolm West this month in our Faces of FACCES. 

Rebecca and Malcolm have three children, Honesti (1), Taylor (soon to be 9), and Esaias, who is 15. Rebecca moved to Columbus from Pittsburgh to attend DeVry University and decided to stay upon graduation. Today, Rebecca works in supporting the research of clinical trials, inspiring hope for so many. 

Their daughter, Taylor, will attend our FACCES summer program, which is a big change for her as she typically spends the summer with her grandmother. It’s hard to compete with grandma, yet we have a great summer planned here at FACCES. 

Rebecca also utilizes FACCES K Ready Ohio to support Honesti’s development. She shared how the results of the ASQ are helping her support Honesti’s social and emotional development. By all accounts, Honesti is a jokester, and being funny brings joy to all those around her. She especially likes to be funny, hanging upside down on the bed as mom tries to change her. When work permits, Rebecca attends our virtual family gatherings and is looking forward to our in-person event in June. 

When asked about her hopes and dreams for their children, Rebecca stated that while she doesn’t know what is in store for them, she hopes they excel in their careers, giving back to others to share peace and joy! 

Thank you, Rebecca, Malcolm, Honesti, Taylor, and Esaias, for being our Faces of FACCES. 

We are thrilled to highlight Linda as this month’s Faces of FACCES. We want to thank her for her invaluable contributions to FACCES. As a Co-Chair on our Board, Linda’s guidance, wisdom, and expertise have been instrumental in shaping the direction of our organization. Her dedication goes beyond the boardroom, as she is always ready to offer a helping hand wherever needed. Linda’s commitment was on full display at April’s Fresh Market, where she, along with her husband George and friend Courtney, happily volunteered. Their efforts helped impact the success of the event, showcasing the true spirit of community. Linda’s passion for our mission and her support makes her an important part of the FACCES family, and we are incredibly grateful to have her on our team. 

This month we are highlighting Izaiah Lear.  He participated in our APPS program last summer. APPS (Applying Purpose and Passion to Service) is a City of Columbus job readiness program where participants gain real-world, paid work experience. 

Izaiah, who will be 17 this year noted on his pre-survey that his primary motivation for applying for APPS was to have his own source of income.  When asked what skills or abilities he hoped to gain, he replied “the ability to learn, work, and be happy.” 

In addition to working across programs at FACCES, he participated in a daily seminar around the Ohio Means Jobs Readiness criteria.  Izaiah was reliable, punctual, and had a strong work ethic.  Over the summer, he showed growth in multiple areas including collaboration and teamwork, critical thinking and problem solving.

Once you got to know him you realized he is a creative thinker with a penchant for humor.  Izaiah continues to be a part of FACCES as he volunteers at our Fresh Market every second and fourth Wednesday. You can often spot him tearing down all the boxes and hauling the cardboard to the dumpster.   His goal is to earn his CDL and be an over the road truck driver.