9 Family Focus is a Channel 9 project that was introduced in 1991. Our goal is to bring business and service organizations together to focus on a family environment and to address the needs of our community.

Under the 9 Family Focus umbrella, we serve our community through programming, PSAs, projects and events. Channel 9 produces public service announcements featuring Channel 9 anchors dealing with area concerns. 9 Family Focus prime-time specials are broadcast throughout the year, while every Friday a Family Focus report dealing with the concerns and challenges today's families face airs on Channel 9 Eyewitness News at 5:30 p.m.

"School Tools" is one of the most significant commitments of 9 Family Focus. In cooperation with Communities In Schools, the North and South Carolina National Guard and local businesses, school supplies are collected throughout the month of August. Supplies are given to students in grades K-12 who need the items to be successful in school. This project has grown from serving 5,000 children in 1997 to 60,000 children in 2003.

Each year, the initiative honors 9 Who Care -- an annual awards program that publicly recognizes outstanding individual volunteers, groups, and business for services they've contributed to our communities.

Other Family Focus projects include "Carolinas' Outstanding Graduates," a project that recognizes an outstanding graduating senior from each high school in our 22-county market.

"Room In The Inn," with help from the Urban Ministry Center of Charlotte, collects new hats, socks, gloves and backpacks and distributes them to hundreds of local homeless children and adults in our community.

9 Family Focus provides opportunities for families to come together and generates community support for those in need. WSOC-TV Channel 9 is proud to partner with outstanding companies who share our commitment to their community and families.