Cornell Cares Day – Covid-19 One Year Later: The Impact on Homelessness in Northern New Jersey
1 in 16 children will experience homelessness before the first grade. That’s one child in every kindergarten classroom.
Low-income families across America face increased challenges supporting their children’s education, finding childcare, maintaining employment, and obtaining housing due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Family Promise strives to ensure that families remain healthy, safe, and housed. Family Promise Affiliates have been first-responders to the health crisis—delivering hygiene kits, masks, and meals. We support parents in job searches and relationships with their landlords. Together, we’re making sure children have a home to homeschool from.
Now, more than ever, housing is healthcare. With the support of our volunteers, donors, and partners, we’ll prevent families from experiencing the trauma of homelessness, shelter them while in crisis, and provide ongoing stabilization services so they can maintain independent housing.
Family Promise envisions a nation in which every family has a home, a livelihood, and the chance to build a better future. We deliver innovative solutions for family homelessness and aspire to change the future for 1 million children by 2030 through our community-based programs.
Our work is supported by individual donors, corporate partners, foundations, civic organizations, and congregations. Family Promise has received Charity Navigator’s 4-star rating–the highest available– for nine consecutive years. Only 6% of nonprofits have received this status. Earlier this year, Family Promise was highlighted by Charity Navigator on their list of organizations responding directly to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Actions You Can Take
Family Promise considers a wide range of perspectives and we approach our work holistically. We serve over 100,000 family members every year through shelter, meals, case management, homelessness prevention, and stabilization programs. There are many opportunities to get involved and make a difference in the lives of families facing homelessness.
FAMILY PROMISE OF BERGEN COUNTY
- Social Media Awareness: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter to learn more about the issue of family homelessness. By engaging with and sharing our content on your platforms, you can help raise awareness and elevate the voices of low-income families. You’ll find content in the section below for you to easily download and share.
- Target Gift Cards: Help our families get back on their feet by providing them with essential home items and products from Target. You can purchase a gift card HERE or at a local Target location.
- Transportation Support: Help our families safely transport themselves to work, job interviews and school by purchasing prepaid gas gift cards. You can purchase gift cards online at Sunoco or Exxon Mobil as well as your local Sunoco or Exxon Mobil locations.
- Give a Meal: Help our families enjoy nutritious meals by donating a ShopRite gift card. Your generous donation will allow our guests to purchase grocery items and make meals to feed their family. You can purchase a gift card HERE or at a local ShopRite location
Mail gift cards directly to:
Family Promise of Bergen County
Margo Heller – CCNNJ
100 Dayton Street
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
FAMILY PROMISE OF ESSEX COUNTY
- Social Media Awareness: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter to learn more about the issue of family homelessness. By engaging with and sharing our content on your platforms, you can help raise awareness and elevate the voices of low-income families. You’ll find content in the section below for you to easily download and share.
- Target Gift Cards: Help our families get back on their feet by providing them with essential home items and products from Target. You can purchase a gift card HERE or at a local Target location.
- Transportation Support: Help our families safely transport themselves to work, job interviews and school by purchasing prepaid gas gift cards. You can purchase gift cards online at Sunoco or Exxon Mobil as well as your local Sunoco or Exxon Mobil locations.
- Give a Meal: Help our families enjoy nutritious meals by donating a ShopRite gift card. Your generous donation will allow our guests to purchase grocery items and make meals to feed their family. You can purchase a gift card HERE or at a local ShopRite location.
Mail gift cards directly to:
Family Promise of Essex County, Inc.
Melissa Perales – CCNNJ
46 Park Street
Montclair, NJ 07042-3441
FAMILY PROMISE OF UNION COUNTY
- Social Media Awareness: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter to learn more about the issue of family homelessness. By engaging with and sharing our content on your platforms, you can help raise awareness and elevate the voices of low-income families. You’ll find content in the section below for you to easily download and share.
- Amazon Wish Lists: Help our families get back on their feet by providing them with gift baskets full of essential home items and products! Browse the Amazon Wish List HERE with products that our families need the most.
- Give a Meal: Help our families enjoy nutritious meals by donating a ShopRite gift card. Your generous donation will allow our guests to purchase grocery items and make meals to feed their family. You can purchase a gift card HERE or at a local ShopRite location.
Mail gift cards directly to:
Amy Jones
Family Promise Union County
447 Flanders Ave
Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
Share on Social Media
Using the graphics and captions below is a simple way to support Family Promise. By downloading and sharing on your platforms, you can raise awareness of homelessness and advocate for the needs of low-income families.
This year I’m supporting @FamilyPromise – a national nonprofit that provides food, shelter, advocacy and support services for families experiencing homelessness. Their 200+ Affiliates give families a voice and transform lives of families in their community every day.
You can find more information on how to donate or volunteer with your local affiliate at www.familypromise.org.
#everychilddeservesahome
#everychilddeservesahome
For over 30 years, @fpnational has helped families experiencing homelessness achieve sustainable independence. Join me in helping their 200+ affiliates continue their fight to end family homelessness at www.familypromise.org.
#everychilddeservesahome
The Family Promise Story
Karen Olson founded Family Promise in New Jersey in 1986. What began as a local initiative has become a national movement that involves 200,000 volunteers in 200+ communities in 43 states. Through the support of our partners and volunteers, we have expanded and deepened our impact. The lives of over 1 million family members have been changed since our founding–proof that a small act of compassion can make a lasting difference.
Annual Impact
The Family Promise community works tirelessly to not only provide services to families in need, but also to advocate on their behalf. In addition to securing housing and providing support through our host/support congregations, partners, and volunteers, Family Promise strives to educate others on the issue of family homelessness. A look through our 2020 Annual Impact Report illustrates how Family Promise empowers families in their journeys, and raises awareness of the root causes of family homelessness.
COVID-19 Impact
Despite limitations caused by the COVID-19 crisis, Family Promise has innovated solutions to keep families together and safe. Although social distancing and remote work have impacted the ability to fundraise, provide shelter, and host events, we’ve remained dynamic and flexible in our approach. Our Affiliates, staff, and volunteers have turned these unprecedented circumstances into an opportunity to aid vulnerable families in new ways.