The Marriage Resource Center is a non-profit organization that provides marriage education programs throughout Wayne County, Michigan. Their goal is to promote healthy marriages and relationships through workshops, classes, and other services that teach relationship skills. They offer various programs for teens, singles, couples, families and the military on topics like communication, finances, parenting, and more. The organization was founded in 2004 and is directed towards preventing relationship problems and strengthening marriages in the community.

2. About us…
 The M arriage Resource Center is a founding m ber of the
em
M ichigan Healthy M arriage Coalition.
Our purpo s e is to prom healthy m
ote arriages and relationships
throughout Wayne County.
Our strategy for accomplishing this goal is three-fold:
◦ To raise aw areness of m arriage-strengthening program and services
s
throughout the com unities w serve.
m e
◦ To serve as an organizing body, bringing together m arriage-m inded
individuals, churches, and businesses w hose united efforts w benefit
ill
relationships and fam ilies in our com unities.
m
◦ To increase the m arriage-strengthening program and services available
s
in com unities w serve in both num and variety.
m e ber

3. About us continued
◦ W are a 501 (c ) 3 nonpolitical, non –
e
sectarian organization, and are prepared to
help you w hether you are single or married,
regardless of age, sexual orientation, race
or religion.

4. Background
◦ Established in 2004 by founder and Executive
Director Julie Bock, a Certified Marriage Educator.
◦ Julie identified a critical need to serve the com unity
m
by focusing on the prevention of relationship
problem by offering m
s arriage education and
enrichm classes.
ent
◦ The M arriage Resource Center hosts the first w eb
based clearing –house of m arriage related
program in M
s ichigan. Our website, w
w .m arriage.org provides inform
w im ation for all types
of couples.

5. What is Marriage Education?
Marriage education is a process…
◦ W hich teaches im portant know ledge, skills and attitudes
about relationships in general, and m arriage in particular.
◦ Focuses on building strengths and equipping people to be
successful in their roles as partners in a com itted
m
relationship.
◦ Classes are taught in a group setting by trained marriage
educators w are often lay leaders, clergy, and/or m
ho ental
health professionals.

6. What are the benefits of
Marriage Education?
 Am ong other benefits, marriage education increases intimacy
and helps partners love m and fight less. All classes are
ore
research based, and m any studies showthat m arriage
education does m ake a difference.
 Som we ebsites that provide details of the current body of
research are
◦ http://w w
w .healthym arriageinfo.org/research_eval/recentresearch.
◦ http://prepinc.com ain/research_foundation.asp.
/m

7. Domestic Violence
Protocol
 We aim to PREVENT a m ajor problem w m
ith arriage
education before it gets out of hand; w strive to stop a m
e ajor
issue before it starts.
 While M arriage Resource Center holds up the ideal of the
two-parent fam it does not im that abusive situations
ily, ply
should be endured.
*Tri-County Marriage Initiative
◦ Each m arriage educator is trained in the Michigan Healthy
M arriage Coalition Dom estic Violence Protocol, in the case
that an individual in one of our program is in a unsafe,
s
violent situation.

8. Our Programs
Co nne c tio ns – Fo r te e ns
Program that helps teens develop healthy dating practices and life
skills. Teens learn:
◦ Howrelationships develop.
◦ W ays to com unicate ( using PREP techniques).
m
◦ Howto spot destructive patterns.
◦ Howto deal w em ith otions.

9. Our Programs
PICK A PARTNER – Fo r s ing le s :
Geared tow ards dating relationships, this program teaches:
 Howto identify and break destructive dating patterns.
 The im portance of know a potential partner and how
ing
much your trust rely on, or com it to that person.
m
 Howyour past can showup in your present.
 Howto really get to knowa person.
 Best steps to followfor great relationships.
*Can be used in a variety of settings, including you and
student groups, military, social agencies and places of
w orship.

10. Our Programs
PREP - Fo r Co uple s
 Research and skills-based curriculum from behavioral m artial
therapy sym ptom s.
 For couples w w to im
ho ant prove their com unication and
m
problem solving skills.
 Designed to avoid or elim inate the frustrations that creep into
relationships.
 Teaches skills for safely talking about difficult issues.
 Teaches ground rules for safe relationships.
 Teaches howto forgive and m ove on.

11. Our Programs
FOCCUS Inve nto ry – Fo r c o uple s
 Designed for pre – artial and new m
m ly arried couples ( 2 years or
less) to get them talking about all the things they haven’thought of
t
yet.
 156 question inventory covers topics like: com patibility,
com unication, sex, m
m oney, religion, extended fam and m
ily, uch
m ore!
 This is NOT A TEST, but a tool that show couples their strengths
s
and w they need to w on to have the best m
hat ork arriage possible.
 Inventory can be follow by a report and pre – arriage w
ed m orkshop.

12. Our Programs
The Firs t Danc e – Fo r c o uple s
 2 Hour DVD-based program .
 W help you m
ill anage the “people stress” planning
of
your w edding.
 For engaged couples and/or their parents.
 W help you get to the altar w
ill ithout doing permanent
dam age to your fam relationship.
ily

13. Our Programs
Ac tive Re latio ns hips – Fo r Co uple s
 Skills and research based.
Teaches relationship resilience –building skills in the follow ing
program areas:
 Com unication
m
 M oney
 Personalities
 Rom ance
 Traditions
 Active Adults ( for singles)
 Active Relationships for Young Adults
 Reunions ( for m ilitary)
 M ilitary life skills ( for single or married military personal)

14. Our Programs
S mart S te ps fo r S te pfamilie s – Fo r
Familie s
 Research and skills based.
 Designed for the whole fam ily.
Sessions include:
 Changes to anticipate in your fam ily.
 Howto m anage conflicts.
 Building strong connections in your newfam ily.
 Step– parent legal rights and responsibilities.
 Healthy expectations.

15. Our Programs
Family We llne s s – Fo r familie s
Teaches survival skills for healthy families in these key
areas:
◦ For parents
◦ For children
◦ Adult Relationships in Healthy Fam ilies
◦ As Children Grow Change in Healthy Fam
: ilies
◦ Solving Fam Problem
ily s
◦ Sex, Drugs and You: Passing on Your Values to Your
Children

16. Key benefits of our services
 W orkshops offered free to you and to your clients.
Clients w learn:
ill
 Proven skills they can put into practice im ediately.
m
 Howto break the cycle of arguing.
 Ground rules for safety in relationships.
 Howto be clear about w they w
hat ant.

17. Benefits for children
Children in tw parent, healthy m
o arriage fam ilies are on
average less likely to…
◦ Live in poverty
◦ Suffer physical or sexual abuse
◦ Develop health, em otional, mental health or behavior
problem s
◦ Attem suicide
pt
◦ Engage in delinquent behaviors
◦ Becom a teen or unw parent
e ed
◦ Becom divorced them
e selves

18. Benefits for Teens
 Gives teens role m odels and inspiration especially
those from non –intact fam ilies.
 Increases eventual m arital stability.
 Im proves com unications w parents.
m ith
 Builds know ledge and self aw areness that delays
the onset of sexual activity.

19. Benefits for Women
 M satisfying relationships.
ore
 Less likely to be victim of dom
s estic violence,
sexual assault, or other violent crimes.
 Less likely to attem or com it suicide.
pt m
 Less likely to rem or end up in poverty.
ain
 Have better relationships w their children.
ith

20. Benefits to Men
 Longer life expectancy
 Physically healthier.
 Em otionally healthier.
 Better relationships w their children.
ith
 Increase in the stability of employment.
 M satisfying sexual relationships.
ore

21. Benefits for communities
 Higher rates of physically healthy citizens.
 Low dom
er estic violence rates.
 Low crim statistics.
er e
 Low teen pregnancy rates.
er
 Low rates of juvenile delinquency.
er
 Higher rates of hom ow
e nership.
 Decreased need for social services.

22. Other services we offer
 The M arriage Resource Center hosts the first w eb-based
clearinghouse of m arriage related program in M
s ichigan. The
w ebsite provides helpful information for our clientele, facts and
figures that counter com on m
m yths about m arriage, recom ended
m
reading, and related w ebsites.
 “ arriage Talk: Building Healthy Relationships”Our w
M , eekly radio
broadcast on talkshoe.com covers a variety of topics related to
,
m arriage and relationships.
 We also supply referrals to marriage-friendly therapists for those
couples w truly need their services.
ho
 Finally, w affirm m
e arriages of 25 years or longer in our Marriage
Hall of Fam e.

23. Next steps
 S c he dule a wo rks ho p date (s )
First, w ll m w you to chose a tim and a place.
e’ eet ith e
 Marke ting
Then, together w spread the w in-house, m ber to
e ord em
m ber and through our listservs and w
em ebsite.
 Re g is tratio n
Will be handled by host site.
 Pre s e ntatio n
Host site w receive 8 hrs w
ill orth of program ing by
m
trained m arriage educators. All m aterials ( books, hand outs
etc) w be provided by The M
ill arriage Resource Center.
 We will pro vide o ng o ing s uppo rt
We w continue to w w you after w deliver services
ill ork ith e
through evaluations and followups. In this w you w get the
ay, ill
m value for your clients.
ost

24. Contact information
Office located in Village Plaza,
23400 Michigan Avenue, Suite P -18
Dearborn, MI 48124
Contact Person: Steven Hernandez
313 278 4400 ( p )
313 278 4411 ( f )
Email: community@mimarriage.org
Website: www.mimarriage.org