Dialing 207…Maine is not exactly the first place that comes to mind as a sanctuary for immigrants.  But, recently, Portland has actually become something of an immigration hub.  Unfortunately, there is a lack of affordable housing for the new residents.  Factor  in the 186 children that were identified as homeless …
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My thirteen-year-old son and I were hosts one night at our congregation, serving meals to two families, and playing with the children. One of the moms came over to me and asked if there was a room where she could just sit down and watch TV. She wanted to watch …
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  Time is running out for Ada Lopez.   Ada has always been an attentive mother to her two teen-aged daughters and a hard worker—until recently, she held two jobs to support her family.  But last year she became sick and unable to work.  When she couldn’t meet her bills, …
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Don’t Hide It, Flaunt It (DHIFI) is a not-for-profit organization that works to advance understanding, tolerance and mutual respect for people’s differences. Inspired by the theme, “The things that make me different, make me, me,” DHIFI encourages people who possess any type of difference, whether blatant or invisible, to flaunt …
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Zac and Lasandra Clayton were living in Douglasville, Georgia, with their six young children in a house that was literally falling apart. The landlord refused to make repairs and their home became essentially uninhabitable. It was no place for children. Additionally, the neighborhood was beset with problems and the Claytons …
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Family Promise is proud to announce a partnership with Help Us Move In (HUMI), a Washington state-based nonprofit working with communities to fund and create programs helping families facing housing crises.  The model is based on the shared beliefs of the two organizations that a combination of case management, opportunity, …
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When I first moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, the beautiful trails of Lookout Mountain, the fish in the Tennessee River, and the hymns we paired with fiddle and guitar on Sundays made me feel at home. What made the feeling of Chattanooga as “home” permanent was not the natural beauty of …
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I am writing this after our first Family Promise family left the church to move to their “new home for the week”, another church here in Florence.  Goodbye was hard, not just for the family, who asked our Affiliate’s Director if they could please stay, but for us, as well. …
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Family Promise proudly announces the launch of Partners in Housing, an innovative solution designed to assist families experiencing homelessness transition quickly to owning homes of their own.  With funding from the Tides Foundation, Family Promise is making three initial grants of $10,000 to Affiliates in Colorado Springs (CO), Gainesville (FL), …
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Baby James takes a bow. “We are here this morning not just to be INSPIRED but to be EMPOWERED.  Inspired by the people you will meet today and empowered to make a difference.”   Martin Wise. With his opening remarks, Family Promise board member Martin Wise welcomed nearly 225 volunteers, …
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Family Promise of Central Connecticut opens as our first Affiliate in the Nutmeg State and brought their first family into the program on February 12th.  Their Executive Director is Don Carlson, who has spent over 20 years working in the Church World as a lay professional, primarily as a children …
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Last year, one out of 30 children experienced an episode of homelessness.    That number is simply unacceptable.   Recently, two other numbers with profound implications on low-income families have been in the news.   That first one is $6 billion, the proposed reduction in the HUD budget.  This would …
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