Over the years, research has confirmed what we have long known at Safe Families. Long-term relationships can help people facing crises by creating a stable foundation of trust, safety, and consistent support. This secure environment can foster resilience, reduce stress, and combat feelings of isolation during challenging times. The history and shared experiences within a long-term relationship can be a powerful resource for healing. We have witnessed this impact and believe in the power of relationships to provide hope and transformation, but that can take time and much patience.
When Laura first called Safe Families for Children four years ago, her voice carried both exhaustion and longing. At the time, she and her two-year-old son were living in a Transitional Living Program, struggling to find stability. What weighed most heavily on Laura, though, wasn’t just the uncertainty of housing—it was the loneliness. I’ll never forget her first words to me: “Catherine, have you ever met anyone as alone as I am?”
That phone call marked the beginning of a journey filled with both hope and heartbreak, a journey that shows how lasting transformation often takes years—and how one Safe Families’ circle of support never gave up.
Over the next two years, Safe Families volunteers surrounded Laura and her son with practical care and friendship. Linette stepped in to help with laundry, Tia and Virginia provided rides to daycare, and accompanied her on grocery runs. When Laura had shoulder surgery, Donna and her family hosted her little boy, making sure he was safe and loved. He enjoyed his time so much that “respite weekends” soon became a regular rhythm, giving Laura time to rest and focus on schoolwork.
But life didn’t smooth out overnight. When the Transitional Living Program suddenly closed, Laura was given just two weeks to find housing. With no shelters available, Safe Families volunteers pooled resources to cover temporary motel stays and, when that wasn’t a safe option for her son, Becky’s family stepped up to host her son.
During this stressful season, Laura’s challenges deepened. She sank into depression, and it became clear she was also battling alcoholism. A series of safety concerns eventually led to a heartbreaking outcome: in April 2023, Laura lost custody of her son. For everyone involved, it felt like the end. Volunteers feared that their connection with Laura would fade, and that all the progress they had made together would unravel.
But something remarkable happened. The very relationships Laura had built through Safe Families held firm. Her son remained with Donna and her family-people he already knew and trusted—this time as foster parents. And even though Laura had hit rock bottom, the Safe Families community refused to let go.
Over time, with persistence and support, Laura began to rebuild her life. She entered rehabilitation, joined a local AA group, and eventually secured permanent supportive housing. Safe Families volunteers continued to stand with her—offering weekly rides to AA and caring for her son during her night classes.
Today, Laura and her son are reunited. She is sober, stable, and pursuing her dream of becoming a librarian. In Spring 2026, she is set to graduate with an associate’s degree in Library Science—a milestone that once felt impossible. A few weeks ago, as we were talking through closing her referral, Laura said to me, “I never would have imagined that my son and I could have a family bigger than just the two of us. But now, I have so many people who love me and who love him. Tia, Linnette, Shari, Becky, Donna… I don’t know how I could have made it this far without all of them.”
Laura’s story reminds us that transformation is rarely a straight line. There are setbacks, struggles, and seasons of despair. But with Safe Families, no parent walks that journey alone. The relationships built through Family Friends, Host Families, and Family Coaches are more than short-term solutions—they are lifelines of love and perseverance. These Safe Families volunteers proved that this is not just a program. It’s a community that stays, believes, and journeys together until hope takes root.
Written by Catherine Lindloff, Family Coach DuPage and Kane Counties