I was introduced to Family Paths in 2016 when my daughter went on her journey and left me with her son who was only 6 at the time. I was at a loss of what to do when his behavior became a challenge. His school principal gave me a flyer and said that she had heard good things about this organization. I called I got an interview and I was set up with our very 1st therapist, Kristy, I was able to relax and learn about my grandson and how he was feeling, and how he was mourning his mother. We went to the office every Thursday from 5 to 6 PM and he had his session with Kristy. While waiting for him, I met some great people and we just sat and shared. This hour helped me to realize that we all need support and we all need each other.
My experience as a support line volunteer (2007 to 2013) has been nothing short of life changing. I learned so much & gained knowledge & skills that has transformed my life. I met amazingly inspiring professionals & fellow volunteers. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity. Family Paths provides great services to the community & so proud to have been a small part of this wonderful organization.
I have worked for Family Paths for nearly a year, and after many years working for various non-profits, I can say that Family Paths is one of the best organizations I have ever worked for in terms of quality of programs, client care, staff care, infrastructure, etc. The success stories from our clients, whether children, families or adults, is truly inspiring. Also inspiring is the longevity of the organization (43 years!) and the staff retention (it's not uncommon to find a staff members who have been with Family Paths for 5, 10, 15, 20 years! It's a testament to the amazing work being done here.
The Support Line at Family Paths is a terrific way to give back to the community as well as develop basic counseling skills. As a volunteer, you are trained by an amazing staff who are also on hand to support you with every call you receive. I always looked forward to my shift on the Support Line. The work was interesting and challenging, and the camaraderie among the staff and other volunteers felt wonderfully supportive.
I came to Family Paths 6 years ago when I was fresh out of college. I'd volunteered many places before I came to Family Paths. I was accustomed to organizations that didn't know what to do with a volunteer, that didn't seem to be helping their clients, or that gave me really boring menial work. Family Paths was completely different. Family Paths gave me an intensive training on being a hotline counselor. I found I was looking forward to each day of the training! Once I started on the hotline, I found the work even more exciting. Talking to a real parent who needs my support makes me feel useful and connected to humanity very deeply. Each volunteer shift has a supervisor who is warm, supportive, and there whenever you need him/her. My experience on the hotline was so rewarding that I joined the board of directors and became much more involved with the agency. It is a wonderful place to work and it provides a very needed service to the community.