An Answer to a Problem
By Brent Thompson
Ward Williams had a calling, and he followed his instincts. Four years into his tenure as an outreach pastor, associate pastor, and youth pastor at Inverness Vineyard Church, Williams decided it was time to expand his mission into the community at large.
“In the summer of 2006, I didn’t feel like I was doing stuff in the community as much as I would have liked,” Williams recalls. “I was at a conference, and they talked about how nonprofits are often invited into places that churches aren’t and that it’s a different way to reach the community. [I learned] that there are people who trust nonprofits that don’t feel comfortable at churches. That sounded really interesting and appealing, and I had developed some relationships as the outreach pastor with DHR.”
As a result, Williams founded Vineyard Family Services (VFS), a self-described “faith-based family resource center that feeds kids in need, promotes responsible fatherhood, and helps families in crisis.” With one of two locations on Royalty Drive in Alabaster, Williams has placed an emphasis on serving the whole family, especially the fathers that often get overlooked.
“I think most organizations in social services think of moms, but responsible fatherhood in our mission statement has been a core thing,” he explains. “If you think about serving the dad, you’re naturally going to serve everybody. Moms are way more likely to go to social services agencies, and most of them are friendlier towards moms. We had to learn that to serve the whole family, serving dad was a very big aspect of it.”
With services reaching roughly 7,000 Shelby County residents, VFS programs include food, workforce development, fatherhood classes, and life skills among many others. Williams says that each focus area uncovers layers that aren’t always visible upon first look.
“We have a fantastic team, and we have fantastic volunteers,” he says. “One of our core values is collaboration in the community and shared relationships. We start addressing a problem, and once you start to address it, you figure out how complicated the issue is. If we are trying to help a dad be more involved with his kids, you realize that if he has a job, he might be able to pay child support, so you have workforce development. If a dad doesn’t go to see his kids, we start to figure out how we can come up with a visitation plan. If the biggest issue of him not seeing his kids is that he doesn’t get along with the child’s mom, we need to have a program for moms and have conflict management skills.”
Though his organization has existed for more than 15 years, Williams offers that on-the-job training never ends and that many of the VFS services are reactive. “Everything that we’ve done has been an answer to a problem,” he says. “We started off with foster care support and a fatherhood program, but it was hard for people in the community to get involved. So, we started a feeding program called Backpack Buddies. We realized that hunger was a way bigger issue— even in Shelby County—than anybody would have ever imagined. When we started, there were 10,000 kids on free or reduced lunches in Shelby County schools. Once we got involved with that issue, we developed collaborations with different churches that helped us out. Then, we added hygiene, toothpaste, and Christmas stockings to that. You add relationships, you find ways for people to help you fund the programs, you add staff, and you continually look for ways to solve problems and be better at whatever you’re doing to make a longer-term impact.”
Asked if the challenges he faces today are different than when he first founded his organization, Williams’ initial response is a sign of the times. “The price of food has gone way up,” he says. “Our bags cost over seven dollars when they used to be under five dollars.”
His next comment, however, is more jarring and unsettling. “I think the world is a little sharper,” he says in a concerned tone. “Kids get put into a group home, and they’re angrier and have more complicated problems. There is more of an intensity. Even in dealing with families, there is a tighter grip on anger.”
Though he continually deals in situations fraught with crisis and problems, Williams does take time to reflect on the victories at VFS. “VFS didn’t stop during Covid,” he says with pride. “There were lots of other organizations that completely shut down, but we never stopped. We closed our groups for maybe two weeks, but we found a way to get through whatever obstacles that were in our way. I think that’s one of our biggest success stories. You continually find people who will find a way to get the job done and make sure food is delivered each week. We show up, and we are a good partner.”
Founding VFS in an effort to spend more time in the community and further his reach, Williams ironically spends much of his time these days in an administrative role. “I started VFS because I didn’t want to be in an office, and my typical day has become more of the office than it used to be as we’ve grown,” he admits. “We just received a grant from the Lilly Endowment to do a Christian parenting grant. We are faith-based, but we have never been able to be overtly Christian in our programs, and I’m going to be involved with that program.”
In running an organization that relies heavily on collaborators and donors, Williams feels fortunate to serve in an area that is rife with giving and compassion. “In Alabaster and all of Shelby County, the partnerships are very positive, and people find ways to collaborate and make things stronger together. When considering giving we hope everyone will consider giving locally.”
Visit vfsdads.com to help.