Family Promise of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA)
James came to Family Promise of Philadelphia with poor credit from business losses he experienced during COVID and a prior eviction that made finding new housing a challenge. His three children had been in the foster care system, and James desperately wanted to reunite his family. Working with Family Promise, he found a rental through one of the Affiliate’s landlord partners, and Family Promise further assisted the family by providing the security deposit and first month’s rent. Soon, James also found a new job that enabled him to better support his reunited family. Just as important, Family Promise worked with the children, helping them navigate their way through a traumatic time. James and his family are now in their own home and looking at a brighter future.
Family Promise of the Northland (Kansas City, MO)
Family Promise of the Northland halted its shelter program during COVID and innovated a new way to offer support: they “took the show on the road.” Volunteers loaded up a bus with food, clothing, toiletries, and blankets and drove into the community to share whatever they could. They quickly realized they could reach significantly more people this way, often serving more than 100 people during each outing.
Now, they operate a hybrid program. Twice a month, they open the doors to their day center, where an average of 30 people typically come to shower, do laundry, use computers, enjoy a hot meal, and access supplies. On two other days, they continue their “remote” support, driving their bus into the community to provide food and supplies to those in need.
“We used to work with sixteen or seventeen families a year. Now we can help more than 1,300 people annually,” says Jeff Hon, founding board chair. “It’s not the traditional Family Promise model, but it works beautifully for our community. It answers our guests’ most basic needs by meeting them where they are.”
Every community has unique needs, and across the country, Family Promise Affiliates address the crisis of homelessness by meeting families and individuals where they are. Thanks to friends like you, we can offer homelessness prevention services, emergency shelter, healthy meals, and so much more and give families in crisis the chance for a brighter future.
