Safe Families For Children exists to connect churches with a heart for their community with local families that are struggling. Many parents in our county do not have community and they live in isolation without support of family and friends. Since 2017, Creekside has been partnering with Safe Families to help local families who are experiencing a temporary crisis and helping parents get back on their feet before abuse or neglect occur. There are currently 19 people from Creekside who are involved in this ministry through hosting children in their homes, mentoring a struggling parent, or providing needed resources. Below, you will read a couple experiences from some Creekside people involved in Safe Families. To protect the privacy of the families being served, names have been changed in these stories.
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Jake and Tina’s Story (Host Family)
A couple years back, my oldest son and I were at the library park when we met a woman named Amanda who had a fussy 1-year old draped around her in a baby carrier while her highly energetic 4-year old son ran crazily through the play structure. Amanda and I had a typical parent-to-parent park interaction as we talked about the importance of getting kids time to run out all their energy before naptime. I didn’t think much of this interaction, until my wife, Tina, and I met this very same woman two weeks later in the Safe Families office. Tina and I had just completed the training and vetting process to become a Safe Families Host Family and we were scheduled to meet our first family that day. It turned out that we had already met. During this initial meeting with Amanda and the Safe Families staff, we found out that Amanda was leaving an unhealthy relationship and trying to get back on her feet as she struggled to balance being a single mom of two littles and paying the bills.
Our family didn’t change Amanda’s life or do something extraordinary – we simply watched her two kids once a week for a few hours so that Amanda could take a deep breath and be cared for. We were a piece to the puzzle of helping her get back on her feet. Today, Amanda is in a much better place in her life and the whole experience was such a blessing to us as a family!
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Hannah’s Story (Family Friend)
I first met Victoria over the phone during Covid. She is a single mom of 4 kids, one of which has special needs. Her oldest daughter is 16, but she’s only 33. In our first conversation, we talked for two hours. She shared with me about her failed marriages, her loneliness, her disappointment in herself, and her desperate hope for something better. I was able to care for her just by being there and being willing to listen, something she couldn’t find anywhere else as she’s grown increasingly isolated since her youngest son was diagnosed with ASD. Since then I’ve taught her how to make hummus and she’s made me tacos. We’ve laughed together and cried together. We’ve been able to connect over our shared difficulties and experiences in mothering and relationships. I’ve been served by her and inspired by her resilience. She is a good mom and has become a good friend. Throughout, I’ve had opportunity to share my confidence in God’s goodness and his provision in my life.
A few months ago, Victoria confessed that she’d become behind on her PGE bill. VERY behind. She told me through tears. It was a need I couldn’t meet, but through an incredibly generous resource friend at Creekside, it was covered in full, with extra credit on her account for the next month. “What kind of person does something like that?” she asked. I answered, “someone who’s experienced God’s generosity and loves to share it with others”.
I know life is busy and it feels like it’s hard to add “just one more thing”. But I’d encourage you to consider, what is more worthy of your time than caring for the least of these?
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To find out more information and to find ways to get involved with Safe Families, click here.
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Family Health Meeting 2021