CHANGE LIVES
We provide shelter, meals, and support services to homeless families.
KEEP FAMILIES TOGETHER
We believe families should stay together — not be separated — during the most difficult times in their lives.
ACHIEVE SUCCESS
More than 80% of the families we serve find housing in less than nine weeks because of our intensive case management and community support.
ENGAGE VOLUNTEERS
We mobilize more than 100 dedicated volunteers who make a tremendous difference in families’ lives.
WORK SMART
For every dollar invested in Family Promise, $3 in goods and services goes back to serving families.
INSPIRE INITIATIVES
Our volunteers don’t stop at shelter, meals, and support services. Ideas are brewing for housing programs, homelessness prevention, health care, life skills, and mentoring.
CHANGE PERCEPTIONS
We help people understand what life in poverty is like. Family Promise builds greater understanding of problems — and of solutions.
HOW IT WORKS
During a typical week we rely on as many as 50 for volunteers. Some faith communities have a different member for each slot; others have volunteers take on multiple roles. Volunteers come from host and support congregations and are assigned duties by the Volunteer Coordinators – members of the host congregation who oversee the week.
On Sunday, our van arrives at the congregation in the afternoon with cots and the families’ personal belongings to be set up in a designated space. Guest families arrive at the Host congregation Sunday evening. The rooms for the families and the common area have been set up prior to the arrival.
EACH NIGHT OF HOSTING
Families settle in, relax and meet the coordinators and the evening volunteers. Guests and volunteers eat dinner together. Families are responsible for their children and help with clean up and chores. After dinner, volunteers visit with families. Hosts and their families play games, help with homework, watch videos, or just talk.
Food for lunch (for the next day) is available in the kitchen area and parents make sack lunches for their families for the following day. Adults turn in around 10:00 PM; children at appropriate earlier bedtimes. Two volunteers spend the night at the host faith community. In the morning, the volunteers prepare breakfast before the families are picked up for the day.
DURING THE DAY
Families go to the Day Center. From there, children will go to school and the parents to their jobs. In the afternoon the reverse is done. If the parents do not have a job, they work with Family Promise staff at the Day Center to seek employment, housing, and other resources to help them regain their independence. The Day Center has bathrooms with showers, laundry and other necessities to prepare for the day.
Changes due to COVID-19
The coronavirus pandemic may impact the way we operate on a day-to-day basis at this time. With that being said, services that Family Promise provide are especially important right now. Please read a message from Family Promise CEO, Claas Ehlers on COVID-19.
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