Christine’s Compassion:
A Journey from Volunteer to FAM Leader to C127 Team
“You have to ask yourself, ‘What can I do?’” In the effort to protect vulnerable children, Christine’s question models an all-hands-on-deck attitude that makes the ultimate difference for kids from hard places, and it is the same one that led Christine to join our team.
Christine Colon joined our staff in August as a FAM Specialist. A long-time friend of C127, she previously worked at Summit Church for 7 years, during which one of her roles was coordinating their Family Advocacy Ministry.
Christine’s prior experience prepared her to step right into the critical work of establishing new church partners and training them to launch and lead their new FAMs. She explained that she knows “the process and the big picture” of how FAMs work, and she said, “To be able to relate to [new church partners] and give first-hand experiences is valuable.”
Christine’s experiences coordinating a FAM and volunteering with her Care Community momentarily impacted her heart. She saw firsthand the vast need these families have and the effectiveness of the faithful service that FAMs provide them. “Being in the hard place with them greatly moved me,” she said. “Knowing that these children have experienced the worst of the worst- losing their families, their homes, and everything they’ve known- motivates me to help.”
Christine is fueled by compassion in her powerful heart for service, and she knows how crucial it is to help others find their motivation for caring for foster families. She said, “It’s our responsibility to bring the awareness and help them discover what their part in it could be.” She knows that together is the only way to make a real impact.
Part of Christine’s compassion for families comes from her love for her own. She is married and has a jubilant six-year-old son. Christine and her family love spending time together outdoors, especially at the beach. Her son is creative and fun and recently learned to play chess. He also loves building Legos with Mom and Dad.
To sum up her approach to loving her family and her work with C127, Christine says, “It’s so important to come at this with compassion.” We’ve already seen her heart so clearly in her work and life, and we are so excited to have her on our team!