RALEIGH, N.C. — Safe Families for Children is a nationwide movement dedicated to keeping families together and is making a significant impact with their Raleigh location.
The organization offers resources to parents and guardians struggling to navigate crises. Through this program, families facing challenges can find temporary homes for their children while they work through difficult situations.
What You Need To Know
Safe Families for Children is a nationwide movement dedicated to keeping families together
The organization assists those dealing with various crises, including homelessness, unemployment, domestic violence, medical emergencies and substance abuse rehabilitation.
There is one location in North Carolina and it's in Raleigh.
Lonnie Clark, a first-time mother, shared her journey after being diagnosed with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid.
“I finally had the opportunity to get it fixed or get it taken out,” she said
Clark has battled pain for over a decade, but her diagnosis came while she was pregnant with her daughter, Scarlett. Feeling isolated and without a strong support system, she reached out to Safe Families for Children for the help she knew she needed.
“I’m a single mom, I’m doing it all by myself,” Clark said. “Thank God that I found this program, because I don’t think that I would've even got the surgery done.”
The organization assists those dealing with various crises, including homelessness, unemployment, domestic violence, medical emergencies and substance abuse rehabilitation.
Madi Johnson and her husband Matt Johnson, a volunteer host family member, welcomed Scarlett into her home while Clark underwent surgery.
“I knew that I made the right decision for both myself and my daughter,” Clark said. “I knew that she would be the one to really take care of her and to just be there.”
Johnson expressed that she was nervous and excited about this being her first placement.
“We’ve never done anything like this,” Johnson said. “As soon as I walked in the room and I saw [Lonnie] and I saw Scarlett, I was like, oh my gosh, okay, we’ve got this.”
Clark is grateful to the Johnson’s for taking care of her daughter while she recovered from her surgery.
“I appreciate everything you did for me,” Clark said. “I really wouldn’t know what to do if I didn’t have it all, so thank you.”
Safe Families for Children not only helps families through difficult times but aims to transform futures.
“You know the phrase like it takes a village to raise a child...you have to be able to expand your village to those who might not have a village around them," Johnson said.
While Safe Families for Children in Raleigh is currently the only location in North Carolina, the organization has branches across the country, striving to support families in need and foster a sense of community.