Mission
Families In Crisis, Inc. (FIC), a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, houses, supports, and empowers people experiencing family violence, sexual violence, and homelessness.
Vision
FIC envisions families and individuals that experience comfort and safety through the shelter and services of FIC, leading to restoration, wholeness and self-sufficiency.
Core Values
FIC is committed to practicing the following values in all interaction between board members, staff and clients:
Trust
Honesty
Dedication
Commitment to the mission
Commitment to person-centered service delivery
Belief in the worth of every individual
Respect
Families In Crisis, Inc. (FIC) was established in 1980 to assist and empower victims of family violence and sexual assault in Bell, Coryell, and Hamilton counties in Texas, including Fort Hood, the largest U.S. military installation. What started as a grassroots effort by volunteers has since evolved into a multi-program, comprehensive social service organization that continues to serve survivors of family/sexual violence as well as veterans and their families and the homeless and at-risk for homelessness populations. Services include: emergency safe shelter for survivors of family/sexual violence; transitional and permanent housing assistance; crisis intervention counseling; case management; 24-hour hotline; hospital accompaniment; provision of food, clothing, personal care items, and household items; support groups; life skills classes, and information and referral. FIC’s services, which are confidential and free of charge, promote stabilization and self-sufficiency through a goal-oriented approach, helping clients become more effective as individuals, as parents, and as citizens.
The overwhelming need for a shelter for battered women and their children in the Killeen/Fort Hood area had been recognized for a number of years. In the summer of 1980, an organizational meeting led to the formation of FIC. Through funds from the City of Killeen’s Community Development Block Grant and the Attorney General’s Office, the agency was able to begin offering shelter services in 1981. The current Killeen shelter facility was purchased in 1983, offering 65 beds for men, women, and children who had experienced family violence. That same year, FIC merged with the Central Texas Rape Crisis Center. By 2000, FIC expanded existing services to rural and underserved populations by opening three Outreach offices (in addition to the Killeen office) in Temple, Gatesville, and Hamilton. Through a partnership with Leadership Temple, a second 16-bed shelter was opened in August 2007, which was developed completely through donations and is now fully funded.
Since 2002, FIC has provided rental assistance to survivors of family/sexual violence through the City of Killeen’s HOME Program and through the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs’ Emergency Shelter Grant Program. In 2009, FIC received funds through the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program, allowing the agency to provide supportive services and rental assistance to additional populations, including veterans, youth aging out of foster care, and the general homeless and at-risk for homelessness populations. These programs continued through the acquisition of funds from the Texas Veterans Commission and the Supportive Services for Veteran Families. In 2012, FIC realized a long-term goal and began offering HUD-funded transitional housing at scattered site locations in Temple and Killeen, providing transitional housing and supportive services through 50 agency-leased or owned units.
In 2013, the City of Killeen Community Development Division, recognizing FIC’s significant growth and strong organizational capacity, approached the agency about further expanding its programs to include the provision of shelter for the homeless population in Killeen and encouraged FIC to apply for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to facilitate the endeavor. FIC then began a $1.4M project to renovate an existing building already owned by FIC to provide shelter to the general homeless population. Renovations included separate open-bay sleeping areas for men and women, a commercial-grade kitchen, dining area, communal shower and toilet facilities, system upgrades, and replacement of fixtures. The facility opened its doors December 23, 2015.
In 2023, FIC provided 17,744 shelter nights to 613 family violence survivors. 981 survivors received outreach services, and the agency answered 5,239 calls. The Friends In Crisis Homeless Shelter provided 22,077 shelter nights to 757 individuals. FIC provided rental assistance and supportive services to 3,888 individuals in 1,341 households in its transitional housing programs, and the agency’s low-income veterans’ housing program provided rental assistance and supportive services to 1,215 individuals in 459 households.