Families Moving Forward

In celebration of Women's Equality Day, we want to take a moment to honor the progress since the ratification of the 19th amendment. As we are reminded here at FMF, there is still an incredible amount of change needed to ensure all women have equitable access to equal and fair wages, adequate housing, educational and leadership opportunities, and vital healthcare. Your support of FMF builds the foundation for thriving future generations.

Thank you to this group from Brightview Technologies for volunteering at last week’s Facility Friday! One of their projects was packing backpacks with school supplies so our kiddos are ready for school.

We have another Facility Friday this week (23rd) to organize books and do yard work. Come volunteer anytime 12:00-4:00, see you then!

The Workforce Development Coordinator (case manager) is responsible for providing comprehensive case management and employment support services to individuals experiencing homelessness residing in FMF’s shelter and families in FMF’s aftercare program. To learn more and apply, visit fmfnc.org/employment.

Tomorrow’s another Facility Friday! We’ll be organizing books for our free library and prepping for the school year. Come volunteer with us anytime between 12:00-3:00. See you then!

“The Supreme Court’s decision in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson highlights the urgent need for a shift in how we address homelessness. Criminalizing those without homes is not a solution; it is a harmful policy that fails both individuals and our communities. Instead, we must invest in proven strategies like Housing First, build and support affordable housing, and develop community-based solutions informed by those with lived experience.”

Read more about why barriers are not the answer on our website, and sign up for our e-newsletters for future articles.

https://fmfnc.org/news

Meet Tahrionna! She shares, “I am the current mental health counseling intern pursuing my Masters in Mental Health Counseling from Truman State University. I am originally from New Jersey and have an extensive background in early childhood behavior intervention and applied behavior analysis. What I like the most about working with FMF is the helpful and friendly staff followed by all the personalities and guests I encounter while volunteering.”

Are you a state employee? You can select FMF as your charity of choice in the 2024/25 NCSECC. Every dollar counts!

Congratulations to our incredible partners for this award! Our families truly appreciate the Empowerment Unleashed program, and we are thankful for the Durham County Library’s ongoing support. Go Community!

I’m thrilled to announce that the National Association of Counties (NACo) has awarded Durham County Library an Achievement Award for their exceptional collaboration with Blue U (BCNC) and several other partner organizations (I.e. Sistahs Who Care, Shaw University, City of Raleigh - Government, The Rules of a Big Boss) in support of Families Moving Forward (FMF). FMF is committed to providing temporary housing, skills education, and community connections, with the ultimate goal of ensuring every family thrives in a safe, stable home.

Through this partnership, leaders from both Blue U, Durham County Library, and other partner organizations have conducted workplace skills workshops at FMF. This program equips FMF residents with essential workplace skills through mock interviews, resume preparation, and much more, thus enabling them on their journey towards housing and employment stability.

Congratulations to our sponsors, Durham County Library, Blue U, and everyone else who contributed to making healthcare better for all in our Durham, NC community.

Visit the link below if you’re interested in learning more about this workshop.

https://www.therulesofabigboss.com/post/unleashing-potential-a-community-s-journey-to-empowerment

We are hiring a part-time Team Associate! Learn more and apply at fmfnc.org/employment. We’d love to have you on our team!

We love our partnership with Misstakenid Gives Back Foundation! They are always such a joy when they volunteer. Now our kiddos are ready for Camp Phoenix!

Thank you, students, for volunteering for us!

Congratulations to these OTA students, who successfully completed their Service Learning projects! 🎉

Five projects were completed with four amazing community partners, and .

Excellent work by our students and OTA faculty member, Lauren Jones. Great job team! 👏👏

We have some upcoming volunteer project opportunities to participate in!

•Camp Phoenix Prep- July 15th
•July Facility Friday- July 26th
•Book Organizing- Aug 16th

For more information and to register, visit our website at fmfnc.org/upcoming-volunteer-events or DM us!

Durham Tech Occupational Therapy groups ROCK! They created a staff photo board, filmed videos for our board of directors, facilitated a Zones of Regulation workshop, and created resource guides for our teens. We are so grateful for our partnership with these amazing students!

Durham Technical Community College

Huge shoutout to this group from Moser Associates for helping prep for our Houseware Share event last weekend. They were a tremendous help and so enthusiastic! Thank you for volunteering with FMF for your day of service.

We are looking for a volunteer photographer to take family portraits. Please contact Anna Krecklow at [email protected] or DM us for inquiries.

Social media can be a powerful tool to connect with our communities, and we use it to intentionally post educational, joyful, and compassionate content. We hope that you enjoy our content as much as we enjoy creating it! Thank you for engaging with us, on social media and beyond!

Here are some ideas for events that you can host with friends & family to benefit FMF and our guest families!

•Host a house party—backyard BBQs with friends, neighbors, and families are a great place to share how much you love FMF!
•Game Nights—trivia, bingo, cards! Everyone wins when the games support FMF!
•Snacks & Drink Stands—help keep the neighbors cool and hydrated for a great cause!
•Make friendly hole wagers on your next golf outing—mini or otherwise!
•Organize a fantasy sports league—and make FMF the Charity of Champions!

If you would like materials and/or support in hosting an event, please contact Joe at [email protected] or 919-683-5878 ext. 27.

You can still donate household items on Friday 8:00am-6:00pm or Saturday 8:00am-10:00am.

We have volunteer opportunities on Saturday as well!
Set up: 8am-10am
Transportation: 9:30am-12:30pm
Clean up: 2pm-4pm

Stop by Elizabeth Street UMC this Saturday between 12pm-2pm to shop the extra yard sale items, with all proceeds benefitting FMF!

For more information visit fmfnc.org/houseware-share

"My name is Kaleisha Council, founder and executive director of Sistahs Who Care. I am originally from South Carolina. I have been volunteering with FMF in different capacities over the past eight years. Before serving at FMF through Sistahs Who Care, I volunteered with their Study Buddies program. One of the reasons I cherish partnering with FMF is the opportunity to build connections and interact with the families. Having faced similar challenges in my own life, it makes me smile to offer encouragement, support, and joy to the families. I always look forward to volunteering at FMF!"

Thanks for sharing our mission and vision!

Champion Spotlight: Families Moving Forward We spoke with Families Moving Forward (FMF), a community-based organization in Durham, North Carolina that helps provide families with children a stable, safe, and loving environment while they are in the temporary crisis of homelessness.

Thank you to Katherine Wintsch for donating Slay Like A Mother books for the mothers in our shelter. Every opportunity we have to empower our moms is appreciated.

Juneteenth is imbued with a historical legacy of maintaining hope and inherently understanding the value of our shared humanity. Celebrating Juneteenth reminds us to continue to fight for and share stories of inequity and systemic barriers to health and happiness. From all of us at FMF, we hope you have a restful and reflective Juneteenth and thank you all for your support and dedication to providing for our families.

If you or an organization you belong to would like to be a 2024 Series CFC Sponsor, please contact Joe Daly at [email protected] or 919-683-5878 ext. 27

Happy Father's Day to all the dads of FMF! Thank you for all that you do and we hope that you have a day full of love and joy!

June 29th! Donate gently used household items or small furniture for families who have moved out of our shelter into permanent housing. Volunteer to help with setup, transportation, or clean up for the event. Join us at Elizabeth St. UMC at 12:00pm to shop the items in abundance with all proceeds benefitting FMF.

Sign up now to donate or volunteer here: https://fmfnc.org/houseware-share

Don’t miss out on crossing off our last clue for our CFC Harvest Mixer chef reveal!

Our next clue is puzzling… who will the next chef be at our Harvest Mixer on Oct. 3rd?

https://puzzel.org/en/jigsaw/play?p=-NzYRIjiCpWwKV7ir1Q6

Teamwork and community building!