About Family Forward

FamilyForward is the result of a 2017 merger between two of St. Louis’ most accomplished and leading-edge non-profit organizations, Children’s Home Society of Missouri and Family Resource Center. With long and proud histories of helping children and families, the agencies united from positions of strength to better serve the community. FamilyForward is transforming the way we understand the effects of childhood trauma.

FamilyForward moves vulnerable children in the direction of hope by delivering comprehensive therapeutic and educational services to support biological, foster, and adoptive families.

About Griffin House

Griffin House was born and raised in Springfield, Ohio. His father worked in a tire shop and his mother helped place children with foster families. In high school, the athletically gifted House landed a role in a musical and was surprised to learn that he had a natural talent for singing. House bought his first guitar for $100 from a friend, turned down a golf scholarship to Ohio University and instead went to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and started to teach himself how to play the guitar and write songs.

House began writing and recording and issued his first independent release, Upland, in 2003. His music attracted attention from Nettwerk, a Vancouver-based management company and record label, and House partnered with the label’s American branch to issue Lost & Found in 2004. In August 2004, on CBS Sunday Morning, music journalist Bill Flanagan (MTV/VH1) raved about Lost and Found, putting the newcomer on his short list of the best emerging songwriters in the U.S. “I bought House’s CD after a show in New York City,” said Flanagan, “and this never happens: I took it home and must have listened to it 20 times that weekend. I was knocked out.”

Several self-released albums followed, and in 2008 House released Flying Upside Down, produced by Jeff Trott and featuring Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench. House has released the majority of his records on his imprint label, Evening Records. House has toured extensively, opening for artists such as Ron Sexsmith,Patti Scialfa, Josh Ritter, John Mellencamp, Mat Kearney, and The Cranberries. Since 2007 House has been a national headliner.

Griffin lives in Darien, Connecticut with his wife Jane and two daughters Emma and Clara.