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The Marriage Resource Center's purpose is to promote healthy marriage throughout Wayne County. The strategy for accomplishing our goal is three-fold:

• We will raise awareness of marriage-strengthening programs and services throughout the communities we serve.
• We will serve as an organizing body bringing together marriage-minded individuals, churches, and businesses whose united efforts will benefit marriages and families in our communities.
• We will increase in both number and variety the marriage-strengthening programs and services available in the communities we serve.

is to improve the quality of marriage relationships and family life, for adults and children alike. We are challenged to raise awareness of programs and services available to individuals and couples at every stage of pre-marriage and marriage with a mind to strengthening marriages and reducing the divorce rate throughout Wayne County.

1. What is the Marriage Resource Center?
The Marriage Resource Center is a community-based, non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote healthy marriages and relationships throughout Wayne County. It was founded in 2004 by Julianne Bock to address a growing need in the communities.

2. Does the Marriage Resource Center provide therapy or marriage counseling?
No, the Marriage Resource Center focuses on the prevention of relationship problems by offering marriage education and enrichment classes.

3. So what is marriage education?
Marriage education is a process of teaching important knowledge, skills and attitudes about relationships in general, and marriage in particular. It focuses on building strengths and equipping people to be successful in their roles as partners in a committed relationship. Classes are taught in a group setting by trained marriage educators who are often lay leaders, clergy, and mental health professionals.

4. What types of marriage education classes does the Marriage Resource Center provide?
Below is a list of the classes currently available: PICK a Partner: A fun workshop for single adults and teens on how to find Mr. or Ms. Right First Dance: A video for engaged couples that helps relieve the stress of planning a wedding FOCCUS: Pre-marriage workshops for engaged couples PREP: Enrichment and conflict-resolution sessions for anyone in a relationship Smart Steps for Step Families: A program for children and adults in step families. Third Option: An ongoing support group program for those struggling in their marriages Connections: A course that helps teens develop healthy dating practices and life skills. Family Wellness: Empowers families to manage their relationships in a healthy way Active Relationships: Powerful skills to create and maintain healthy relationships.

5. Is there a cost for these classes?
Classes are offered for a reasonable fee. We never turn away due to lack of funds and if money is an issue, we accept what people can pay.

6. Whom do we serve?
All married couples, as well as anyone in a serious relationship, can benefit from the services we provide. The Marriage Resource Center's clientele includes teens, single people looking for a suitable partner, engaged couples, long-married couples seeking marriage enhancement, struggling couples, and step families.

7. What are the benefits of marriage education? Does it really work?
Among other benefits, marriage education increases intimacy and helps partners love more and fight less. All classes are research based, and many studies show that marriage education does make a difference. One web site that provides details of the current body of research is The National Healthy Marriage Resource Center:
The National Healthy Marriage Resource Center

8. Does the Marriage Resource Center provide any other services besides marriage education and enrichment classes?
The Marriage Resource Center hosts the first web-based clearinghouse of marriage related programs in Michigan. The web site provides helpful information for our clientele, facts and figures that counter common myths about marriage, recommended reading, and related web sites. Our weekly radio broadcast on talkshoe.com covers a variety of topics related to marriage and relationships. We also supply referrals to marriage-friendly therapists for those few couples who truly need their services. Finally, we affirm marriages of 25 years or longer in our Marriage Hall of Fame.

9. Is the Marriage Resource Center affiliated with any government entity or religious organization?
While the Marriage Resource Center sometimes works closely with such organizations, it is not affiliated with the Wayne County government or the State of Michigan government, with any educational institution, or with any religious organization. We are a non-partisan, non-denominational organization.

10. How is the Marriage Resource Center funded?
The Marriage Resource Center receives funds from two federal grants. We also receive support from foundations, community organizations, and generous individuals such as yourselves.

11. Does the Marriage Resource Center collaborate with other organizations in the community? If so, which ones?
Yes. Some of the organizations we have partnered with are the Wayne County Head Start, LIFE, MAS Youth, ACCESS, Songs of Solomon, and Marriage Ministries.