Strengthening families and the systems that support families help strengthen the community as a whole, Hamilton Rotarians heard on Tuesday.

The executive director of The Family Learning Centre (TFLC), Martha Dismont, and its programme director Peter Carey spoke to Rotarians at their weekly luncheon at the Chamber of Commerce.

They spoke of the importance of investing in Bermuda's people and said the best way to combat social ills was to first be aware of them.

"Don't be dismayed at the elements of crime and drug use, and startling conditions that we are witnessing, coming to the surface," said Ms Dismont. "If this stuff remained hidden, it would be even more difficult to combat it ? I can't work on it unless I see it."

Ms Dismont, a former social worker in New York, gave a brief description of TFLC's history and mission.

She said the group began as TLC in 1990 and was originally limited to tutoring children who were struggling academically.

But after noticing the true depth of need in the community, it changed its focus to a more comprehensive clinical model and began to address issues affecting children outside of the school system.

Ms Dismont said: "If we had chosen to continue to provide tutorial services to children with increasingly dangerous social emotional problems ? which is often the source of academic failure ? families in this community would be in a much worse state than they currently are.

"Our shift to address the real need helped families, helped us to be a better agency, and helps you, the community."

Investing in the community yields untold benefits, she said.

"When you invest in systems and organisations that are established to strengthen families and their children ? the very fibre of our community ? you are investing in our economy, tourism, and reduction of crime."

But facing the challenges is essential to beating them.

"The fact that we are seeing such startling conditions means we are doing good work to bring (problems) to the surface. Now we must get real smart in choosing how we will address what we are seeing," said Ms Dismont.

Mr. Carey opened his speech by pointing out that TFLC and Rotarians have something in common. "We are both service organisations," he said.

There is an irony, he said, in living in a prosperous country yet one which is suffering from social issues, family based issues, and self-esteem issues. But TFLC is doing its best to help.

"When children drop out of our value system then our community is at risk," Mr. Carey said.

"We work with families that need more than just therapy. We go into the schools and homes and work with the families to change their lifestyle."

"I hope you are inspired to join us to help," he added.