SERVE THE CITY
Family Advocacy Movement (FAM) is a ministry at Refuge focused on bringing Gospel change and transformation for families in South Austin. FAM seeks to empower families forward. Ready to get involved? Check out the info below.
How to get Involved
Interested in getting involved at FAM? There are currently three ways you can get involved today. For more information, or if you have any questions, please email fam@refugeaustin.com.
Serve
We are currently looking for volunteers to serve in both our Friend and Coach positions. Training is provided and held as needed. Additionally, background checks are required.
Give
Pray
None of these things are possible without God moving in our city and communities. No matter your level of involvement, we invite you to join us in praying for families in Southeast Austin.
Ready to Get Started?
Currently, FAM implements a three-prong support structure we call FCC: Friendship, Coaching, Counseling. We believe that change happens with help, but growth happens in community. In other words, we all need other people to help us navigate growth in our lives. As a result, our three-prong approach (each of which is an individual person families interact with) prioritizes relationships and human connection.
We are currently looking for volunteers to serve as both a Family Friend and a Family Coach. These are detailed more below.
Family Friend
We believe advocacy and growth begins with friendship. In friendship, we find a growing investment in the wellbeing of others, which we believe is the healthiest beginning to advocacy. Our “Friend” role is meant to provide families with someone who is invested in their wellbeing. Friends are focused on meeting a family where they are with care and support, utilizing the resources available in our city to meet needs, helping families get where they want to go.
Family Coach
We believe financial literacy is one of the tools that paves the way for generational change. However, not every person is given access to this tool, often resulting in families finding themselves in cycles of struggle. In FAM, our financial coaches aim to equip families with tools that help them understand where they are financially, where they want to be financially, and how to get there.
Common Questions
How Long is FAM?
Currently, families in FAM make a three-month commitment to our FCC programming (Friendship, Coaching, and Counseling). However, we don’t believe growth and progress have an end date. As a result, families are invited to utilize as many three-month cycles as they would like. As a result, we encourage volunteers to commit to serving in 6-month commitments. This helps us ensure families will a support structure around them long enough to implement meaningful changes in their lives. If you’re interested in volunteering again, volunteer renewals are sent out 45 days prior to the end of your volunteer commitment.
Who am i working with?
Family is available to families in the 78744, 78742 78745, and 78748 area codes, or on a referral basis through Refuge Community Church. Families may be single-parent homes, multi-generational homes, mixed families, or anything in-between. Families will establish a point of contact that you regularly work with, and that will be the person you interact with the most.
Is there training?
Yes, we provide training for both the Family Friend and Family Coach roles. While current trainings usually take place on Saturdays, we are also working on online options through Google Classroom. For the sakes of both local families and volunteers, we desire to provide training that helps you feel confident and empowered to help families take meaningful steps forward. Training includes how to effectively serve in your role, resources you’ll need to be familiar with, and reports and support staff you may
What about background Checks?
Yes, for the sake of keeping our families safe, every FAM volunteer is required to pass a background check. Due to the personal nature of these roles, background checks are required to ensure we do everything we can to keep local families and children safe.
How do I apply?
Ready to get started? You can apply by filling out our FAM Volunteer Application. Once you apply, we will reach out to begin setting up an interview, trainings, and background checks.