Question: I attend a church here in Troup County and our pastor mentioned a program connected with Twin Cedars, known as Safe Families. Can you tell me more? My husband and I would possibly like to volunteer.

Signed, Mama and Daddy in Christian Service

Dear Mama and Daddy in Christian Service,

There are many ways to volunteer with Safe Families for Children, depending on your time availability and passion. One of the most important volunteer positions we have are Host Families.

Host Families welcome children into their home on a temporary basis, while their parents overcome crisis situations such as medical procedures, emergencies, short-term homelessness, rehabilitation and other related circumstances.

Host Families are the core of SFFC and serve as local missionaries as they open their home to children and mentor parents in need.

If opening your home to children isn’t an option, you can serve as a Family Friend. Family Friends support Host Families by offering a few hours of babysitting, taking meals, helping with transportation, and other supportive acts of kindness.

Family Friends also help serve the biological parents by transporting to job interviews, and connecting them with other resources.

And if outreach and awareness is more your passion, we need Ministry Leads to recruit Host Families within churches and our community. Ministry Leads are the leaders within the church and community who advertise, recruit and help facilitate trainings for Host Families and Family Friends.

We also have volunteer Family Coach positions that are needed to visit children in the Host Family home and help facilitate relationships and resources between the Host Families and the biological parents.

There is a place for everyone to serve. If interested in any of these volunteer positions, please contact Candi Gibson at cgibson@twincedars.org or call 706-616-8028. We look forward to meeting you.