THE SUPPORT CIRCLE: Making a Difference for Families in Need Throughout Our Community

Homelessness is an issue around our country and impacts people right here in our own local community. The Support Circle Ministry, part of the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Raleigh, works to support and provide compassion to those dealing with homelessness. Doug Crouch has been a member of the group for six years and has been leading it for the last four years.

“The Support Circle is like adopting a family for a year,” Doug says. “The program works to empower families and individuals experiencing homelessness to secure and maintain permanent housing. We support one family for a 12-month period.”

Families are paired with adults who help provide moral and practical support to the families. The adults strive to provide support that builds upon the strengths that the families and individuals already possess.

Anyone can be involved in the Support Circle — however, volunteer opportunities are generally geared toward adults. Doug says that while most of the opportunities are for adults, his kids have sometimes helped out by babysitting during monthly meetings with the family.

“We typically have four to eight people in the Support Circle group, but for the monthly check-ins, we limit to two people because it can get personal,” Doug says.

Homelessness causes chaos and insecurity for the families who are affected by it. According to Doug, there are around 4,700 students in Wake County schools who are deemed homeless. The effects of this on children are serious and even lead to a higher risk that they will suffer from chronic illnesses.

“We can see the impact we have on a family’s life,” Doug says. “You can see firsthand the effect of giving back, not just financially with the church’s money, but also how your time can change a family’s life. When you help a family out of homelessness you can see how it transforms their life. They go from the chaos and insecurity of homelessness to a place they can call home and form a life.”

Doug believes that we are all called to be stewards of our communities. We are all called to find the problems in our community that we have the ability to change, and then try to fix them.

“For a while, I was stuck trying to find the perfect way to give back, but this helped me realize that it doesn’t have to be perfect, you just have to get out there and try to make a difference, small or large,” Doug says.

Being part of the Support Circle offers the volunteers an opportunity to give their time to other members of the community who are struggling, and to help make a difference. It is a wonderful opportunity to work one-on-one with families and individuals. It encourages members to see the good in people, especially those who might come from different backgrounds or situations.

If you have questions about the Support Circle Ministry, or to get involved, contact Doug Crouch at dgcrouch@gmail.com.