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Because of you...S A F E F A M I L I E S W E S T C E N T R A L M N2 0 2 2 A N N U A L R E P O R TFamilies had someone to call when facingcrisis.We are providing extended family-likesupport to parents so NO ONE has to face acrisis in isolation.

THANK YOU! Because of you, Safe Families West Central MN was able to serve twice asmany children and parents this past year!Safe Families for Children relies on our incredible family of volunteers, partners, and donorsto provide a community of support to walk alongside families needing support to overcomea crisis situation. Because of you, we are able to continue expanding our scope of servicesand helping our most vulnerable community members overcome challenges and thrive.Because of you, we are poised and positioned to grow even stronger in 2023! Because ofyou, we helped surround 210 children and their families with Circles of Support this year.Our team is humbled and grateful for your display of hospitality, generosity, andcompassion! We are encouraged by your passion to keep children safe and familiestogether.As we embark on 2023, we want you to know that you played a significant role in the SafeFamilies movement. Because of your involvement, partnership, and financial support, weare able to continue walking with parents by providing relationships and resources, caringor children, and working in the community to be a voice for all families. We are so grateful for you! Sarah Z. Boll Chapter DirectorDear Friends My husband and I, along with our four girls, are a Safe Families host family.This past year we were paired with a mom and her baby boy. The time wespent with them, I dare say, blessed our family more than it did them! My girlswere able to help care for a small baby, troubleshoot when he was fussy, andlearn to provide safe care under my direct supervision -- it's been a greatteaching opportunity! Growing in a relationship with the mom and comingalongside her to provide support has been rewarding for us all as well.Watching her reach her goals and overcome obstacles, as well as keeppressing forward when there are bumps in the road has been victorious! Shetruly is an amazing mama navigating life well for her and her son. It is hard todo that alone -- We were created for relationship! I feel lucky to be inrelationship together. We want to be intentional to teach our girls to haveservant hearts, and to be the hands and feet of Christ. Being involved with SafeFamilies is a great way to do this!! Involving our girls to come alongside andsupport a family has been good for all of us! Many call us crazy for wanting totake more kids into our already busy household, but really it's fulfilling. Pouringinto others pours into us just as much. - Kori Bosek "We want to be intentional to teach ourgirls to have servant hearts, and to be thehands and feet of Christ. Being involvedwith Safe Families is a great way to dothis!!"Volunteer Testimony

Chapter overviewMatch families needing support with volunteers tomeet needs in real time Help families access community resources andprofessional services Build bridges in the community across many sectorsfor true collaboration Safe Families for Children (SFFC) is a family preservation movement fueled byradical hospitality, intentional compassion, and disruptive generosity working tokeep children safe and families together. Through Family Friends, Host Families,and Family Coaches, Safe Families seeks to reframe how families are served andsupported when facing a crisis situation. Our goal is to surround families with acaring and compassionate community to build strong and resilient families. 98% offamilies served were single parents, many were struggling financially, and all buttwo did not have a faith community that they belonged to or felt they could rely onfor support. WHO WE AREWHAT WE DOHow has Safe Families impacted my life!?! I didn't know what was going to come fromreaching out to you, but I knew I was tired of being mistreated by the system, being toldnothing I did was good enough and feeling like no one would give me a chance to provemyself. When I heard about Safe Families from one of my nurses during my pregnancy, Iwanted to reach out right away, but I was scared of being judged and rejected all overagain. I finally worked up the courage to do so after losing my baby. I used the resourcesin front of me and I finally had a voice and was understood. Safe Families became myarmy and backbone that showed me they were there to help in any way, not letting mebecome discouraged. I had a supportive family for once. Everyone that I've met throughthem has impacted my family's lives in major ways from phone calls, to visits, helpingwatch the kids, a meal, a couple of moves, a Christmas tree, helping me get my licenseand van, or even just a genuine smile. It made a huge difference and showed theygenuinely loved and cared about us. Without Safe Families, I don't think I would havehad the strength to get to where I am at today. I finally fought for myself with you guyscheering me on from the sidelines and I won the fight! I have all of my kids back in mylife regularly. I thank you for supporting me through it all! - Anna CONTACT US218.671.3224westcentralmn@safefamilies.netwww.safefamiliesmn.orgfacebook.com/SFFCWestCentralMNParemt Testimony

OVER6,000HOSTINGARRANGEMENTS 95% REUNIFICATIONRATE WITH FAMILYOVER 90 CHAPTERSREPRESENTING 30 STATESOVER 3,600CHILDREN AND FAMILIESSERVED * 171,8002022 Impact MetricsSafe Families DistinctivesFaith-motivated and family-focusedBuilt on establishing relationships, not a programVolunteer-driven and professionally supportedParents voluntarily request a hosting and maintain full custody of childrenVolunteers are motivated by their compassion to serve, not financialPermanent support systems are built to provide continued community compensationKEY HIGHLIGHTSAdded a chapter in HongKong this year along withstrong growth in Canadaand the UK. Safe Families became an evidence-based programproven effective inpreventing children fromentering fostercare system. Since 2003, SFFC hasmade over 63,000volunteer matcharrangements and servedover 37,00 children andfamilies.National Impact

Chapter ImpactIntake Support41.3%Resources provided18.8%Family Coaching15.5%Hostings13.5%Family Friending11%66PARTNERCHURCHES 1244 FAMILYFRIENDSHIPARRANGEMENTS TOTALVOLUNTEERS110 FAMILY COACHES 13Churches$9,639Partner Organizations$3,850FAMILYFRIENDS* Volunteer Impact52 Total Expenses: $156,312FAMILIESSUPPORTEDFamily Support62126CHILDRENSUPPORTED171,800Total Revenue: $ 162,040Base-BuildingHOSTINGSHOST FAMILIES54 47 22Community Impact Grants & Foundations$129,000Individual Donations$19,551 While serving through Safe Families, I have discovered that in developing relationships, the serving becomes mutual. Most of the mommas I have served have found ways to also serve me. From a text checking on me when I’ve shared about one of my own challenges, to showing up with a meal when our family had new foster children,those I’ve served have found ways to give back. And it seems they have been as blessed through their own giving asthey have by mine. This is a key difference that SFFC can offer that “agencies” never could. There is a dignity in beingserved in the context of relationships that can’t be offered through government programs and formal services, eventhough they certainly have their place. Formal services provide much-needed help, but relationships hold the power totransform at a heart level, and that makes a lasting difference. Being willing to serve is one thing, but being willing toalso be served is how real relationships work, and this is a powerful component of Safe Families for Children. In servingone another, we remember we are all equals, extending what we can when another needs it more. -Lindsey Zitzmann

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR CHURCH & COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPSTHANK YOU TO THE DONORS WHO MAKE THIS MISSION POSSIBLE$25,000- 50,000:PrimeWest Health CommunityReinvestment$10,000- 25,000:Douglas Machine Foundation West Central InitiativeMardag Foundation United Way of Pope andDouglas Counties$5,000-10,000Alexandria Community FundRuth McDonald Fund Anonymous Donor $1,000-5,000:Anonymous DonorBruce & Jeannie ZavadilHope Community ChurchAlexandria Covenant ChurchLawrence & Sandra KeenanNew Testament Church ofAlexandriaPope County H.E.L.P. CouncilJohn & Krista ChristianRunge Electric/Tom ZitzmannCalvary Lutheran ChurchChurch for the HarvestDean PetersonLife ConnectionsMichael and Sarah Boll Western Prairie HumanServices $0-1,000Alex PrimozichAmerican Solutions for BusinessAngela Heidelberger Barbra ZiegelmanBrad & Nancy RungeBrianna George Rob and Nancy RungeBruce GeiserBrian AscheCarolyn NelsonColdwell Banker Crown RealtorsCory and Katie OlmschiedCullens Home CenterCurt and Elaine Svenning Daniel MillerDale & Karen WibstadRestoration Church David and Lucie BatteyDavid FleenerDerek & Alysa StreiBethesda LutheranEJ EnterprisesElizabeth HaskinsEarl ThompsonFredrick and Sarah TownsendGlenwood Rotary ClubHannah Hegman/Do GoodEventsJ. CottingtonJacob and Jenna BryceJeannie PedersonJames & Katherine HornJim and Sheri FermoyleLacey and John SeversonJuettner MotorsJulie GerthKirkwold ConstructionLutherd and Mercedes HagenLiz BeaumiaMargaret and David StrandMarnie CollinsMichael TisserandNathan JohnsonPriti GhodkeRobert and Kristin DeutschRobyn Dillon Ryan CookSarah JohnsonSarah PaschenShalom Community LutheranChurchShawn PfefferSpirit Life ChurchStephani SchultzSteve and Talitha BoydStevens County FamilyCollaborative Terry StebnerThomas Van WakerenTim and Kathie CullenTim and Juanita FoslienTim and Nancy MillerUnited Methodist Church Briana WeberSupporting Churches Referral & Resource PartnersHope Community Church Bethlehem Covenant Church New Testament Church Church for the Harvest Reach Church Spirit Life Church Restoration ChurchShalom Lutheran Church Alexandria Covenant Church Calvary Lutheran Church St. Paul's Lutheran Bethesda Lutheran Grace/Faith Lutheran Car Care ProgramLove INC.United Way of Douglas & Pope CountiesLife Connections - AlexandriaWest Central Community ActionPope County Help CouncilRegion 4 Early Childhood InitiativesNurse Family PartnershipMN Adult & Teen ChallengeStevens County Social ServicesDouglas County Social ServicesWestern Prairie Human ServicesGood Samaritan FundPope & Douglas County Law EnforcementMinnewaska School District 206Donors & Partners

Sarah Boll Chapter Director Steve Boyd Church and Community Engagement Kelsi Leeseberg- Intake and Admin CoordinatorTHANK YOU TO ALL OUR AMAZING VOLUNTEERS!Family Coaches:Lindsey ZitzmannVickie AndersonKelsi LeesebergSarah BollSteve BoydShawna & Tim CunninghamAmanda OlsenChere RikimotoCheryl ShekeltonStarla TekronyBruce & Jeannie ZavadilLacey Severson Kori Bosek Lindsey ZitzmannBruce ZavadilDanielle TurnerLissy WaageMonica WilsonMike & Jill TroenLonni & Starla TekronyCurt & Elaine SvenningDarla StaplesTim & Cheryl ShekeltonJohn & Lacey SeversonRebekah SchmidtJosie SchlimmeLindsey ReidenbachJoey & DaNae RakstadKevin & Ruth PedersonPaula PallasSheila NorlingQuinn NohlBen & Janina NesbittMegan NelsonCody & Kori BosekSusan ArnquistJodi ArndtLaurie AppelVickie AndersonSara AndersonCory & Melanie GresethBriel GuttormsonDeb HolteQuinto & Rita LottiTod & Sandra LonghenrySarah & Nathan MeeksKellen & Felicia MorrisseyJon & Megan NelsonBen & Janina NesbittSheila NorlingPaula PallasJoey & DaNae RakstadTucker & Merideth ReishusJohn & Lacey SeversonShelly StaeblerLonni & Starla TekronyTom & Lindsey ZitzmannCody & Kori BosekMicheal & Sarah BollBrett & Tracy BowmanSteve & Talitha BoydLarry & Jo BrechtJohn & Marie CoffmannBrian & Breahna DownerRandy & Dawn JansenSusan ArnquistMike & Jill TroenFamily Friends:Diane MiddendorfKelly & Cheryl MahoneyAdell LukesQuinto & Rita LottiTod & Sandra LonghenryKelsi LeesebergLynette JohnsonDixie JohnsonDawn JansenAmber HausmannBriel GuttormsonMichelle GreinerCory & Melanie GresethJudith FoxJenny EricksonBrian & Breahna DownerTim & Shawna CunninghamJoAnn ConroyDonna ConroyJohn & Marie CoffmanLarry & Jo BrechtSteve & Talitha BoydTracy BowmanCody & Kori BosekSusan ArnquistJodi ArndtLaurie AppelVickie AndersonHost Families:Jodi BlairJessica BlairAdrian and Karen BollTammy BoushekMarnie CollinsBekki CozartTerry CriderPat CriderAaron FrenchCathie GagnerMatt HansenIris HormannMary JohnsonJason KorandaDoug LienJaci LoweenKara MausDonna PetersonSara ReisMandy RiceLynette ShererCathy SnyderJeff SnyderErik WaageAshley RoodLEADERSHIPCOUNCILSTAFFLindsey ZitzmannDiane MiddendorfLacey SeversonJoseph RakstadBreahna DownerKorie AndersonJeannie Pederson Kelsi Timm John Severson Family Friends: Resource Friends:Chapter staff and volunteers