By Liz Oakes , Beech Acres Parenting Center

Donita and Craig Jackson’s interest in helping others build better relationships began before they even knew each other.

Photo: Craig and Donita Jackson look over their wedding album. The couple, who will be conducting a marriage seminar as part of the OSFI grant programs, recently celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary.

“We both come from products of divorced families,” said Craig Jackson, 37, who works in the banking industry. “Going into our marriage, we realized we didn’t want that for ourselves.”

The Jacksons, who recently celebrated their 13th anniversary, will be conducting a series of three marriage-enrichment classes in October, January and March. The first began Oct. 5.

The workshops are designed to help already healthy couples and make them even healthier, through interactive activities, small-group work and dialogue within the couple.

“We’ll be using ordinary things to show how couples relate to each other,” said Craig Jackson.

“Instead of trying to fix what’s broken, it’s taking what’s good and making it even better,” Jackson said.

The Jacksons have led similar groups for the last several years within their church, Word of Deliverance Ministries for the World, and at other area churches.

Word of Deliverance Ministries is affiliated with S.O.A.R. Development Corporation, the community development nonprofit and a partner in the Ohio Strengthening Families Initiative collaboration grant. The grant partly funds the Jacksons ’ classes as part of a county-wide effort to support families through stronger marriages.

The Jacksons, who live in Forest Park , a Cincinnati suburb, have two children, Wynton, 3, and Miles, 7.