Pet PALS Brightens Our Day

What’s more relaxing than getting to hang out with some really awesome animals? Nothing! P.E.T. P.A.L.S which stands for Pets in Education and Therapy, People and Animals in Life Sharing made their way to Waverly recently for a visit! This organization was created in 1983, as a partnership with the Black Hawk Humane Society what we know today as the Cedar Bend Humane Society. The animals are the personal pets of the volunteers, these animals and owners go through an in-depth screening process

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Emily, Crisis Advocate, shares her typical day. What led you to become a victim advocate? A friend of mine had worked as a crisis advocate here at Friends of the Family. We were working together in Waterloo last year and she told me that I should apply because she had a feeling that I would be a good fit for FOF and I would really enjoy the position because of my past working with trafficking prevention. What time does your day typically start? I’m usually up by 6:30 so I have proper

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Executive Director, Ben Brustkern, joins Habitat for Humanity's Ali and J'Kalein on their podcast, Bringing Down the House.    

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In episode 32, Genie Berst, Outreach and Diversion Specialist with Friends of the Family, visits with Becky to talk about the Friends of the Family community table at the Waterloo Public Library.      

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FOR RELEASE ON 3.1.2021 Contact: Friends of the Family, Ben Brustkern   Phone: 319-352-1108, Ext. 207 Email: [email protected] Safely Home & Home Free New program options available for families experiencing housing instability in Northeast/Northcentral Iowa counties.   Effective January 1, 2021 – Safely Home – This Continuum of Care funded program is for survivors of domestic violence,

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FOR RELEASE ON 9.1.2020 Contact: Friends of the Family, Ben Brustkern   Phone: 319-352-1108 Email: [email protected] Service Expansion Additional funding increases service area   Effective September 1, 2020 – Additional funding has allowed for the expansion of services in our existing counties and the additional coverage of several new counties. The Federal CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief,

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Written by one of Friends of the Family's Housing Support Specialists Growing up, I didn’t know what it was like to go hungry. I always had enough to eat and had options. We had supper every night at six o’clock on the dot, and that was when we sat down as a family and shared about our day. My mom usually made casseroles or meat, potatoes, a vegetable and bread. She also made sure we had fruit or cottage cheese to go along with it, as well as a dessert and ALWAYS a full glass of

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Written by a one of Friends of the Family's Housing Support Specialists   Every day. Every single day.  We drive to and from work, we go to the park with our kids, and we watch television. Throughout those seemingly normal tasks, we drive by fast food restaurants, walk past grocery stores, and see commercials about mouthwatering food. Food seems to be so available to us everywhere that we go, that it is almost impossible to think that hunger might be impacting those around

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