General

Friends of the Family has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2024 honor by Iowa Top Workplaces. This list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage,LLC. The confidential survey uniquely measures the employee experience and its component themes, including employees feeling Respected & Supported, Enabled to Grow, and Empowered to Execute, to name a few. At the recent awards ceremony for Top Workplaces, Friends

Monique, office manager, shares a bit about her role. Describe your role.  My role is a complicated one, I wear a lot of hats. I am here to ensure everything is going how it's supposed to be going. I am here to support our full-time and part-time staff in their day-to-day work. It can be making sure they have the folders they need to make client files; it can be making sure shelter vehicles are running properly to get staff and clients from point A to point B safely, it can be fixing

Emma, housing support specialist, shares about her role.  Describe your role.   My role is to fill in throughout each of our housing programs when extra support is needed. Whether that is a staff going on maternity leave or leaving the agency, my role is to assist each program, so it can stay up to standards while there is a gap in staffing.   What led you to become a housing resource specialist?  I really liked the idea of my position always changing. A

Housing Support Specialist, Amie, shares about her role.  Describe your role.  I am a housing support specialist. I assist clients with finding housing and provide case management to help them reach self-sufficiency.  What led you to become a housing support specialist?  I always wanted a job in the helping field because it is very fulfilling and rewarding. When I saw the opportunity to be a housing support specialist, I thought it was a perfect opportunity for me

Alyssa, Diversion & Assessment Specialist, talks about her role. Describe your role.  Conduct housing assessments on the Housing Services Hotline explaining services for clients, setting up expectations for receiving assistance, discussing diversion options for a safe place to stay, provide referrals to community providers for additional resources. I also practice data management and client tracking, attending pull meetings with other housing agencies and engage full circle with the Coordinated

Tiphanie, housing support specialist, talks to us about her position and what a day looks like for her.  Describe your role: As a housing support specialist, we support individuals fleeing domestic violence find safe and stable housing.  After clients find their housing, we financially assist them until they are back on their feet and can self-sustain their rental payments.    What led you to become a housing support specialist? A friend that was working for the

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

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

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