Volunteer Opportunities From: Volunteer Fishers

When you volunteer as a Family Friend, Safe Families for Children will connect you with an at-risk family that would benefit from a healthy support system. And Family Friends can also support Host Families by providing meals, respite care, transportation, etc.

Family Friends encourage and strengthen families in crisis so that they may thrive. Performing small tasks, such as dropping off diapers or babysitting for a few hours, provides families with support and builds relationships.

As a Family Friend, you will:

provide friendship and encouragement share helpful information about parenting and life support parents who have children staying with Host Families advocate for families seeking resources for their children, such as schools or mental and physical health services

Please CLICK HERE to learn more and to apply. 

Resource Friends assist Host Families and Families in Crisis with goods and services they may need. This help may come in the form of gently used equipment, children’s furniture and clothes. They can also donate their professional services when needed, especially if they are healthcare providers, day care providers, barbers or stylists.

Please consider helping in your area. Please CLICK HERE to learn more and to apply. 

You can play a vital role in Safe Families for Children (Safe Families) by volunteering as a Family Coach to help parents in crisis get back on their feet.

As a Family Coach, you will:

Support the Host Family. This ensures that families get the support and resources they need to provide a safe and nurturing environment for children. Monitor children’s safety. Because safety is a top priority, the Family Coach begins assessing safety within 48 hours of a child moving in with the Host Family—and each week for at least a month. Provide a family in need with resources, such as community referrals and assistance in making their appointments. Facilitate the relationship between the Host Family and the Family in need with compassion and empathy.

You will also:

Listen to Host Families and Families in need. The Family Coach provides space for them to express their thoughts and concerns. Manage expectations. For example, the Host Family may feel that they must fix problems or situations that are not their responsibility. Alternately, if a hosting arrangement seems longer than expected, the Family Coach is needed to temper expectations. Show empathy, hope, grace, and compassion. We work hard to err on the side of grace. Problem solve. Family Coaches work with the church and other community resources to assist Families in need. Reassure. Stressful situations require a calm presence and the ability to give hope to those who may feel hopeless.

Volunteer to become a Family Coach and be sure to let us know if you have experience in child welfare or as a host family. Please CLICK HERE to learn more and to apply. 

If you are looking for a truly rewarding and challenging experience, consider becoming a Safe Families Host Family. You will make a lasting impression on a child in need and possibly change the trajectory of a family in crisis. Host Families serve as the backbone of the Safe Families movement. Without families opening their homes and opening their hearts, we could not care for vulnerable children in our communities.

To be a Host Family, you must be at least 25 years old, emotionally and financially stable, mature, law abiding, healthy, and active. You also must be willing to engage in a long-term friendship with a family in need, agree to not use drugs, and refrain from using profanity or engaging in other negative behavior that may impact a child. Please CLICK HERE to learn more and to apply.