Published February 10, 2026
By LouMecia Staton, PCANC Community Relations Manager
“Family is where life begins and love never ends.” – Oprah Winfrey
Whether you were born in a small town, large city, or across our beautiful seas, we can all certainly agree that community, connection, and partnership truly matter. Whether we have found ourselves in need or helping someone else, knowing where to turn in the community is critical. One of the 5 Protective Factors that speaks to this need is Concrete Support. Concrete support refers to families not only hearing that there is support in the community to aid their family, but also knowing how to access those resources. Support may include housing, childcare, clothing, food, transportation, and much more. Located in Western NC is an agency providing these critical services to their community at the Swain County Family Resource Center (Swain County FRC) in Bryson City.
We recently had the honor to interview Melissa Barker, Executive Director of the Swain County Family Resource Center. Swain County Family Resource Center is a member of the Positive Childhood Alliance, as well as the North Carolina Family Resource Center Network. Swain FRC provides essential services to the residents of Swain County and surrounding communities. Founded in 1998 in a small, rural area, Swain County desired to have a place that would be a “one stop shop” for families in the community to turn to when they were in need. Positive Childhood Alliance NC’s NC Family Resource Center Network helps support organizations across our state just like Swain County FRC — agencies that are resolute towards providing these critical family support services to families no matter where they may live or their circumstance.
There are several ways that Swain County FRC provides services to the community. Operating under the Swain County Government, they work with agencies and programs including their local Department of Social Services, the Health Department, Emergency Management, local nonprofit organizations, and faith communities, among many more. Some of their local faith communities volunteer and provide concrete support on a regular basis to local families. Agencies can make referrals for families, and additionally, they receive referrals by word of mouth. Many families arrive as a “walk-in” to their office, as they have been a trusted community partner for the past 28 years. As Melissa expressed, they work to “meet families where they are,” and provide open, nonjudgemental, and loving support no matter what they may be facing.
Swain County FRC staff and volunteers came together during Hurricane Helene to not only support families in the community, but also local first responders. For example, during critical moments, they were able to work together with other agencies to feed their community volunteers, helping those impacted during the storm and recovery, and so much more. As a result of the massive impact of Hurricane Helene on their community and to plan for any future natural disasters, Melissa also emphasized how they came together with other organizations in Swain County to form a Long-Term Recovery Group. She states, “Although this disaster did not impact our community as severely as others, it exposed vulnerabilities and highlighted the importance of coordinated recovery and preparedness. We created the Long-Term Recovery Group to address remaining repair needs and to strengthen our readiness for future events.”
Whether it is providing food to families through their emergency food pantry, baby items from their Diaper Bank, schools supplies, school clothes, crisis intervention and more, they work together as one team in their community to help families meet their basic needs. They host a community freezer for families in need and offer spaces like a supervised visitation room for families who may need a space for visitation with their child or children. In addition, they provide parenting education, and work in partnership with PCANC Capacity Building Associate Johnanna Agathon to offer Circle of Parents, Strengthening Families and Triple P. Johanna mentioned, “The work I have done with Swain County FRC has been wonderful! They are so invested in their families and in their community. From my observations, this is not just a job; this is their mission. Swain County is so blessed to have people that care so deeply about the community.”
The Swain County FRC team also receives support from our PCANC Communications & Marketing team, as they work to enhance their public awareness to the community about the services they provide. Ashley Cooper, Communications and Marketing Associate, emphasized, “Our work with Swain County Family Resource Center has focused on strengthening communication and expanding their reach, so more families know about the support available to them. We’re excited to keep partnering with this incredible team as they continue their dedicated work serving families in Swain County.”
Andrea Clark, LCSW, PCANC’s FRC Network Manager, has collaborated with this team over the years and continues to support their work through the NC FRC Network. She shared, “Swain FRC has been foundational to the North Carolina Family Resource Center Network from the very beginning. They helped launch the Network and continue to be a stellar example of what high quality, community-rooted family support looks like in practice. Their leadership and commitment have strengthened not only their own community, but also the statewide movement to elevate families.”
To our Swain County FRC family, we are so proud of you. Because of the love and heart that you give to the children and families in Swain County and beyond, your impact, grace and love will last for a lifetime. As for the future and what is to come for Swain County FRC, Melissa Barker Executive Director, states, “As our community grows, so does our responsibility — the future of the FRC is about expanding access, deepening impact, and building a stronger foundation for generations to come.”
Learn more about Swain County Family Resource Center on Facebook.