HARTFORD, CT, June 6, 2012 - Friends of the Family and friends of the Village congratulate the hard work and perseverance of the young clients, some of whom are young parents, in taking charge of their lives and graduating from high school. For the past six years, Friends of the Family has distributed graduation gifts to students participating in Village programs at the Gray Lodge, located in Hartford's Asylum Hill neighborhood. This year, Friends of the Family, in partnership with the Shelter for Women Advisory Council and friends of the Village made very generous contributions of gift cards, books, and candy to award the graduates for their hard work. The gifts will be distributed to the high school graduates in the coming week. The Village is very committed to providing programs that benefit and empower young women and their families.Karen Brown, Chairman of the Friends of the Family Advisory Council, said, "A key focus of programming of Friends of the Family is on supporting young parents in taking charge of their lives and moving towards self sufficiency. Completion of school is a key step in this direction and we applaud and congratulate our young parents. This gift is a way to show our young parents how proud we are of this accomplishment."

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