Name: Emily Cox
Hometown: Weatherford, TX
Favorite Movie: Dan in Real Life
Favorite ice cream: Any make of Chocolate Fudge Brownie
If you could be any animal, what would it be?
Some type of bird to be able to fly — let’s go with a tropical habitat.
Give us some background about yourself and how you ended up here in Austin and a part of the Vox community.
I grew up in a small town in north Texas with my parents & 2 younger brothers. I’ve always loved learning about and working with families. So after college I moved to California to attend grad school at Fuller Seminary to study a degree in Marriage & Family Therapy. That was an incredible three years of learning about myself and growing as a person and a professional. I moved back to Texas and settled in Austin where I found a job with a non-profit that works with families who are homeless. Through some random encounters, or God-ordained circumstances, I met the Vox community about 4 years ago. I felt that God wanted to continue teaching me themes that were first spawned during my time at Fuller, but that I hadn’t quite wrapped my mind around yet. Vox was seeking to live out these themes like: What is God’s bigger story through time that he invites us into? Why is it imortant to seek to bring about his Kingdom here on Earth, and how can I be a part of that? How am I a participant and not just an observer in Christianity?
Where has God placed you to live the church during the week?
During the week most of my hours are spent at my job at Foundation for the Homeless. My role there is the Director of Shelter and Case Management. Our shelter, known as the Interfaith Hospitality Networks, provides transitional shelter and supportive services for 8-10 families at a time, or roughly 40 families in a year. Local congregations open up their doors each week and house the families, while volunteers provide a warm meal and hospitality. Sometimes I forget just how much God’s hand is in this because I am in it day-to-day. But my favorite piece about it is the opportunity it gives churches to welcome strangers and break down preconceived ideas about the homeless, the “other.” Four years ago I began as a case manager; hearing many peoples’ stories and encouraging them as they found their way back into housing. Now my role is managing the shelter operations, comprised of roughly 50 faith congregations who support over 1,000 volunters, and leading our case management and transportation staff.
Why are you looking forward to being a part of the Navigation Team?
I am really looking forwad to the Nav Team. First, just because I love Vox so much and am grateful to God for the way he encourages me through the people and the spirit of Vox. Regarding the Nav Team specifically, I enjoy taking a step back and seeking God’s guidance for a big-picture vision. I like thinking systemically, whether that be family dynamics, work relationships, or the church. And so the opportunity to work alongside with Vox in this role is an exciting privilege.