Local Mission Spotlight: Safe Families
By: Ross Jelgerhuis
This week for the blog we asked Molly Hurst and Shannon Roberts to answer some questions about their experience serving with Safe Families, one of Redeemers local missions partners. Read and be encouraged by what God is up to in our city and learn ways you can get involved as well.
One more thing! Click here to learn more and sign up for the Safe Families Dessert Fundraiser hosted by the Hursts/Farmers on Saturday October 24.
Tell us a bit about safe families, why they exist and what work they are doing…
The Safe Families for Children’s mission is to host vulnerable children and create extended family–like support for desperate families through a community of devoted volunteers who are motivated by compassion to keep children safe and families intact.
Safe Families helps parents who are in difficult health, financial, domestic, or other crisis situations that need short-term childcare so they can keep their family together, avoid foster care and become more stable. Safe Families works through families in churches filling four defined roles of coaching the parent(s) in need, hosting the child(ren), befriending the family, and providing needed resources for the family.
What inspired you to get involved with SF?
(Shannon) I have always had a heart for children and helping them get a strong, healthy start in life. Even before I was married I was interested in possibly being a surrogate mother or providing respite care for foster families. When the Neikirk family introduced us to Safe Families for Children I attended an informational meeting and felt a great pull to volunteer for Safe Families and introduce Redeemer to the organization. We love being able to serve as a family through Safe Families! And the idea of mentoring and loving on the whole family unit to help provide critical familial stability are some of the things that I love about Safe Families for Children.
(Molly) A couple years ago, Cindy and John Morris shared about Safe Families one Sunday morning, and we got excited about the ministry of helping local families in need. The Neikirks inspired us to be a host family, after we watched them care for a baby whose mom was waiting to get out of prison. We loved that Safe Families works as a ministry within churches to identify families to fill the four roles to help families in crisis. We loved that there was a circle of support that surrounded the family to help them in different unique ways with the goal of keeping their family intact. Help ranges from childcare to budgeting to finding employment to finding transportation to learning life skills, etc. We also loved that it was a ministry our whole family could do together. Our kids are at an age where they can be involved and help.
What has brought you joy being involved with SF?
(Shannon) I have so enjoyed seeing my own children interact so seamlessly with the children we have had in our home! It brings me great joy to introduce our family to children from all different backgrounds. I feel so humbled and honored to be a trusted caregiver for these families - families who are many times at the literal end of their rope - and I get a small chance at helping them move in the right direction.
(Molly) It’s been so wonderful to become friends with the young mothers we have served and that those relationships have continued even a year later. It’s also been such a delight that the children want to stay in touch with our family even though hosting ended months ago. It truly is an honor to be a little part of these mothers’ journeys and to play a small role in helping them get back on their feet. They are incredible women who love their kids.
What are some of the challenges?
(Shannon) Schedules - I like to have a schedule and it's a little difficult for me to feel like I can "run" things at home when our schedule changes quite a bit when we have a new child in the home. And while having my children play with Safe Families kids is a joy, sometimes it can be a struggle if one of my own children is struggling with something themselves, or has a need for more attention. But with the grace of God we have been able to juggle things pretty well so far. One of the greatest challenges for me is wanting so much to help the placing parents but remembering that they make their own decisions and choices. We can pray for them, love them and mentor them but ultimately they are in God's hands and we need only to be willing to serve where God gives us the opportunity. We may not see the results of seeds planted, and that's difficult for me.
(Molly) When you add a new person to your household there are obvious changes and sacrifices for all of us. Some of those challenges are also helping the children we care for to learn new boundaries and expectations. We have only cared for kids in need for a couple of nights a week or just during the day, but a typical Safe Families case average a 6-week stay, allowing the parent(s) to fully focus on getting back on their feet.
Where do you see God at work at SF?
(Shannon) I definitely see God at work in my own heart - learning to be willing to serve when it's inconvenient, learning to be grateful for our own family support, learning to see everyone as a being loved and created by God.
(Molly) The most recent hosting we had was a young mother who was so excited to know that Safe Families was a Christian organization. She said she very much appreciated the other agencies but knew she needed spiritual encouragement and someone to encourage her in the Lord. It has also been sweet to openly share the gospel with the older children who have been in our home and one child even was able to come to VBS and be directly loved on by Redeemer. This family has moved away but I know it impacted him and his mom greatly.
How can Redeemer get more involved at SF?
(Shannon) This is an excellent question. Redeemer can get involved with SFFC in so many ways! We desperately need volunteers in the Circle of Support - Host Families, Family Friends (who either work with the children or just with the parents in a mentoring role), Family Coaches (helping a hosting run smoothly, making sure the host family and the parents are in good communication with each other, making sure the children are safe). We are fortunate to have quite a few Resource Friends (provide tangible resources for either host family or the parents when needed) and we could always use more! And of course, anyone is welcome to join the Prayer Team! Ashley Farmer is in charge of the Prayer Team for SFFC - Raleigh. We have a zoom prayer meeting once a month. SFFC is in much need of prayer, especially with COVID and figuring out how to navigate the challenges it brings with it.
(Molly) Safe Families needs lots of prayer. Ashley Farmer is the prayer coordinator for the Raleigh chapter of Safe Families and anyone can join the prayer meeting each Month on the first Monday night of the month. Contact Ashley for more info.
Safe Families also needs financial assistance There are so many needs right now especially during Covid from housing expenses to food expenses, the need is great.
Safe Families also needs volunteers desperately. Many churches, including Redeemer, no longer have a full circle of support filling the four roles, so we are having to piecemeal the circles from different churches. It works, but not as well. Even this week, the need for host families is great but a host family needs the other three roles filled in order for them to be able to host and not be overwhelmed with meeting all of the family’s needs. There are several ways to serve. Redeemer needs families to fill roles of Family Friend, Family Coach, Resource Friend person, Host Family, and by being a Prayer Partner.