Families Forward Charlotte: Coordinating Crisis Support
Posted by Kate White
23
of 27 families in the program lost employment, hours, or childcare
45
kids received games and learning activities in the mail
67
kids sent snacks to replace missed school meals
A Mission Rooted in Mentorship
is a nonprofit in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, that partners with families living in poverty to help them reach long-term financial stability and economic mobility. It provides individualized mentoring, educational opportunities, and essential support through its Family Success Program, which pairs families with trained volunteer mentors called Family Liaisons.
Families Forward Charlotte
Before COVID-19 hit, the program was supporting 27 families making steady progress toward those goals.
When Income Disappeared Overnight
When COVID-19 shutdowns began, Families Forward Charlotte surveyed the 27 families in its Family Success Program. Twenty-three had lost employment, had their hours cut, or lost childcare and couldn't work. Many worked part-time or in service jobs, the roles hit hardest by closures, and none had savings to fall back on.
Families had already made real progress toward self-sufficiency by working with their Family Liaisons. Caroline Cox, the organization's Development & Program Manager, said the setback was "emotionally, mentally, and financially crushing."
Virtual learning made things harder. Schools moved to remote instruction, and families with limited income couldn't print worksheets, coloring sheets, and activities at home. Kids also lost the free breakfast and lunch programs they depended on every day.
Moving the Mission Online
Families Forward Charlotte moved its entire program online. Family Liaison and family partner meetings shifted to phone, email, and video calls. Monthly workshops moved to Zoom, and the team shifted their focus to stress management and finding stability in uncertain times. The organization ran a COVID-19 Relief Fund campaign to increase financial support for families unable to work, and began preparing to move its largest annual fundraiser, normally held every February, online.
For the more immediate needs, the team turned to SignUpGenius. They built a sign up that let volunteers mail learning activities directly to kids who couldn't print schoolwork at home, and a second sign up for volunteers to mail snacks to kids who'd lost access to school meals. They also used SignUpGenius to send families sign up links for virtual workshops, and to recruit new volunteers through informational sessions.
Cox said the tool was "instrumental in allowing us to engage with our community to support our families and our program during this difficult time."
Genius Tip
Not everyone has time or supplies to give, but a lot of people can give money. SignUpGenius Fundraisers lets supporters donate from any device in seconds with no account required, and you can set a goal, track progress, and issue automatic tax receipts, all from the same account you already use for volunteer sign ups.
Forty-five kids in the Family Success Program received games and learning activities in the mail, and 67 kids received snacks to eat during the day. Family Liaisons increased their check-ins to help families navigate the setback and hold onto the progress they'd made.
The organization has kept growing since.
A Setback They Refused to Let Define Them
Cox said the priority was making sure families held onto what they'd already earned, in employment, housing, and education, even as the loss of income threatened to set them back for months. She credited Family Liaisons, the board, volunteers, and new staff with helping families rebuild their goals and their path toward economic mobility.
Ways to Get Involved
Beyond becoming a Family Liaison, volunteers support Families Forward Charlotte through back to school supply drives, essential baskets of toiletries and cleaning supplies given out three times a year, holiday gift and meal drives, and Weekend Food Packs for kids at partner Title 1 elementary schools. Visit the Families Forward Charlotte website to learn more about becoming a volunteer.
Make an Impact in Your Community
From coordinating remote support to organizing volunteers for essential community work, SignUpGenius helps teams bring people together with clarity and confidence.
We use SignUpGenius for a variety of things — trainings, volunteer sheets for almost all our events on property and group interviews for potential team members in the hiring and interviewing process. It is an easy way for us to keep all the sign in sheets electronically in one place for admins to access the account instead of having a paper system.
Posted by Kate White
