1 of 4
Photo courtesy of Vineyard Family Services.
The Vineyard Family Services staff at their office in Pelham.
2 of 4
Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.
People prepare nonperishable food items during a Backpack Buddies packing party Nov. 7 at Vineyard Family Services. Held the first Saturday of the month, the event is open to volunteers to come pack food bags for students, including those in Shelby County Schools.
3 of 4
Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.
4 of 4
Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.
People donate their time during a Backpack Buddies packing party Nov. 7.
While working as an associate pastor in 2007 at Inverness Vineyard Church, Ward Williams decided to take a leap of faith and start a nonprofit ministry.
“I went to a conference that talked about how lots of people never go inside churches to get help, and to be effective, we may have to leave the walls of the church and offer different opportunities that people are receptive to,” Williams said.
He founded Vineyard Family Services out of a passion to reach the community and help men become involved, committed and responsible dads.
Although he had no idea what it took to start a nonprofit, Williams said he spent time researching and learning for about a year before starting VFS.
Not long after it began, the 2008 recession hit, and things were difficult for a while.
“There was a time where we had $100 in the bank and had to spend $4,000 to meet the next payroll, and we got a reimbursable grant,” he said. “I needed to raise $10,000 in one month to survive, and did so with the help of friends and family, most from church.”
Now in its 13th year, the faith-based agency has expanded from not only promoting responsible fatherhood, but also feeding kids in need and helping families in crisis.
VFS was named a 2019 Best Small Business of the Year finalist from the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce and was also awarded the 2016 Nonprofit of the Year by the South Shelby Chamber of Commerce.
“All of our programs have to do with responsible fatherhood; it’s the core of what we do,” Williams said. “Everything added has been a component of that.”
BACKPACK BUDDIES
One of the most recognizable programs at VFS is Backpack Buddies. In Shelby County alone, there are more than 10,000 public school children on the free meal program at their school. Backpack Buddies exists to help fill in the gaps on the weekends and holiday breaks. The program provides public school students with nutritious and easy-to-prepare food that they can take home when other resources aren’t always available.
This program is made possible by sponsors, donors and grantors that invest their money, time and hard work. It serves Shelby County Schools, along with Alabaster and Pelham City Schools, and feeds approximately 1,000 students weekly throughout the school year.
When school is out for the summer, the participants receive provision through the many summer feeding programs offered throughout Shelby County.
Packing parties are open to anyone who would like to volunteer. They take place every first Saturday of the month for the entire school year starting at 9 a.m. at the VFS office on Pelham Parkway. Once the bags are packed, they are delivered to schools, and school counselors make sure each buddy privately receives their bag on Fridays for over the weekend.
Buddy participants are selected based solely on need by the school professionals, which include the counselors, teachers, principals, vice principals and county social workers. Families cannot apply to be on the program but can make a request with the school counselor at their child’s school.
Schools served on the U.S. 280 corridor include Chelsea Middle School (sponsored by North Shelby Baptist Church), Chelsea Park Elementary (sponsored by Chelsea Church of God), Forest Oaks Elementary (sponsored by VFS), Inverness Elementary and Oak Mountain Middle School (both sponsored by Meadowbrook Baptist Church) and Oak Mountain Intermediate and Oak Mountain Elementary (both sponsored by VFS).
PARENTING PLANS AND CO-PARENTING/MEDIATION
The F.I.T. Dad program is Fatherhood Initiative Training. It is provided to noncustodial fathers in Shelby County, but any father who wants to improve their parenting skills is welcome.
During this 13-week program, which meets once a week, resources are made available to help participants find a job, obtain a GED, get legal advice, addiction support, group counseling and one-on-one counseling.
“We’ve probably had a couple of thousand go through the program,” Williams said. “It’s a class to help men be an involved, committed and responsible father.”
For the women, there is a class that serves as an awareness and communication program just for moms. The class helps women in situations when they are separated from kids.
JUVENILE SERVICES
VFS provides in-home and mentoring services to assist parents who have children ages 12 or older who have been or are currently in juvenile detention, are at-risk for being placed in juvenile detention or are court-referred.
Williams said the ministry recently received its first federal grant on mentoring to assist in this program, which teaches life skills classes and follows the client for a period of time while they transition out back to their regular lives.
“Very soon we will form different partnerships and recruit mentors and do activities with the kids involved with the justice system. It will be called Wise Advisors, and we have already had the first two recruiting classes,” he said.
EFFECTS OF COVID-19
During the COVID-19 pandemic, VFS did not slow down or cut its services in any way. It actually expanded its offerings.
“Families have been in a bigger crisis over the last nine months,” he said. “With the generosity of volunteers who donated food and other items, we gave out family emergency boxes that included $50 worth of food. We have given out a lot of these since March.”
It’s something Williams is proud of, and he said he encourages other organizations to find ways to help people.
“You can’t make an excuse to stop serving because of COVID-19,” he said.
HELPING OUT
Assisting Ward at VFS are Community Outreach Director Stephanie Grissom, Grant Manager Charity Havercroft, and Case Manager Ashley Loftis. Spurgeon Henderson serves as a fatherhood facilitator, and Derrick Williams is a life skills facilitator.
“We have a fantastic staff,” Williams said. “You don’t grow without great staff, and we’ve been extremely fortunate to be supported by individuals throughout the community and by people’s generosity. We get funding from different state agencies and other foundations, but a lot does come from people. We live in a good place where people have been generous for a long time.”
WAYS TO HELP
There are several ways to invest in VFS. Monetary donations are always appreciated. A church or group can adopt a school, or provide information on places they can send grant requests.
Resources are a tremendous help. Items needed for the food drives include buddy food items, hygiene items, family emergency boxes and Christmas stockings.
The gift of time can also be given by attending community packing parties, corporate packing parties or hosting a fundraiser.
While it took about 10 years before Williams felt the organization was financially stable, he said the last five years have seen growth, and it is close to being a million-dollar organization.
“That was one of the dream goals,” he said. “I feel that if we grow at the same rate, we will be there in about two years. We just got our first federal grant, and that will open up other avenues.
“I feel like we’re just getting started. We’re no longer worrying about not serving, but about how we’re going to grow and have the most impact.”
For more information on this program, visit vfsdads.com.
