COBB COUNTY, Ga. — While many highschoolers worry about prom and sports tryouts, a large group of teenagers who live with their grandparents are worried about housing and bills.
Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell spoke with a local nonprofit focused on leadership and wellness that is helping those teens.
There’s a common saying about community, “It takes a village to raise a child.”
Sarah Winograd, the founder of Together With Families, said her organization is “Working to prevent foster care in our community by helping to keep children safely with their families.”
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
It’s an organization that is a “village” for grandmothers like Angela Watson.
Watson started raising her three grandchildren after a health scare forced her out of work.
“They were there for us, made sure they had extra clothing, toiletries,” Watson said about Together With Families. “That was just a big help.”
TRENDING STORIES:
- Random stabbing along Beltline kills woman; APD says suspect attacked USPS worker with rock
- 32 arrested in multi-agency north Georgia forest operation, including 1 cartel member
The organization is now working to fill the gap it sees among teens.
“It’s specifically focused on youth who are living with relatives and who are receiving support from the organization because their families were struggling financially,” Winograd told Channel 2 Action News.
KinRise gives teens access to licensed counselors, transportation support and more.
“Community members come in, they can tutor you, they can mentor you, they can offer apprenticeship programs within their businesses for you,” Winograd said.
Ashli Saunders, the KinRise coordinator, said the effort hits close to home for her.
“I was in foster homes and I was in kinship care, so I can relate to the teens that are coming in,” Saunders said.
Watson’s granddaughter and other teens helped Together With Families design the program.
“It’s good to know that I’m able to help somebody else,” Naomi Souder, a participant, said.
Another participant said it was a way to give back.
“This program, I felt, was a way to provide for those children and help them in their time of need,” Cumareya Varner said.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2026 Cox Media Group
