Question 1

What is the Family Promise Affiliate model?

Accepted Answer

Family Promise organizes community partners including congregations, social services agencies, nonprofits, and other local organizations to work together to provide a truly holistic response to families experiencing homelessness and at-risk families. Our guests are housed in one of two main shelter models: rotational and static. The rotational shelter model engages a network of community partners, often faith communities, to house families with children in different locations. The static site model also engages community partners, including faith communities, but the location does not change. It is a fixed site for the families to stay, and volunteers provide hospitality at the site. Volunteers create and connect families to the community, lending their passion and expertise to help families get back on their feet. The key to Family Promise’s success is community engagement. What started as one woman’s response to meeting a homeless woman on the streets of New York City has grown into a national movement comprising more than 200 Affiliates and 200,000 volunteers across 43 states. Since our founding, we have served nearly one million family members: one Affiliate, one congregation, one volunteer at a time.

Question 2

What is family homelessness and why is it a critical issue?

Accepted Answer

Family homelessness is often referred to as an “invisible crisis.” The parents and children experiencing it are less likely to be seen on the streets than chronically homeless individuals or homeless veterans. Parents most often attempt to stay hidden from sight, for fear that their children will be taken from them if identified as homeless by child protective services. They can be found living in their cars, staying week-to-week in unsafe motels, or doubled up temporarily with friends or family. But, although not visible, they are the faces of a national crisis. Simply put, we have a severe shortage of affordable housing in America, exacerbated by rising rents and stagnant wages. Low-income families have little or no margin of error, and one misstep can lead to homelessness. Two and a half million children will experience homelessness this year in America—one in every 30. 35% of the entire homeless population in the United States is comprised of families with children, more than half of whom are under the age of six. Children without safe and secure homes are not playing on a level field with their peers. They have higher levels of emotional and behavioral problems, increased risk of serious health issues, and perform significantly worse in school. These children run the very real risk of following in their parents’ footsteps; a new generation of homeless adults, unable to earn a living wage or afford secure homes. If we cannot effectively address this issue as a nation today, the societal costs tomorrow will be staggering.

Question 3

Is Family Promise a homeless shelter?

Accepted Answer

Yes…and so much more. We began thirty years ago as the Interfaith Hospitality Network and our core program was shelter. But over the years, as we have added new Affiliates, and existing Affiliates matured, we have continued developing a broad array of programs to serve low-income families and families experiencing homelessness. In 2003, we changed our name to Family Promise, more reflective of our ever-broadening scope. The name speaks to the promise we make to every family we serve, but also to the promise that is inherent in every family. Our model comprises prevention & diversion initiatives for families who are at risk of experiencing homelessness; food, shelter, and case management for those who are experiencing homelessness; and stabilization programs to ensure that the independence of the families who have secured housing after leaving the program is sustainable. Today, we are the leading national organization addressing family homelessness.

Question 4

How is Family Promise funded?

Accepted Answer

The largest percentage of funding comes from individual donors, who get to know Family Promise through volunteer efforts and fundraising events. Our donor base is committed to introducing new friends to Family Promise and is often engaged in events and campaigns to raise funds and awareness. Our corporate partners, in addition to providing major funding, rally employees to offer skills-based volunteering and programs that capitalize on their market expertise. Foundations also invest in Affiliate development and in programs such as Family Wellness and Homelessness Prevention. Congregations and civic organizations support Family Promise financially in addition to providing people-power. We receive government funding for local efforts, not at the national level.

Question 5

Do you only serve families and what is your definition of family?

Accepted Answer

In our shelter programs, we serve primarily families with children. However, many Affiliates have additional programs that are able to serve many populations besides families. Keeping families together is one of Family Promise’s priorities, and we define a family as any adult(s) with a custodial relationship with children. This includes families of all compositions and can include multi-generational families.

Question 6

Do you only serve the homeless population?

Accepted Answer

In our shelters, by definition, those we serve are experiencing homelessness. However, since our work also focuses on the prevention of homelessness, and the stabilization of people at risk or who have experienced homelessness, many of the people we serve would not be defined as homeless at the time at which we serve them. That is the point—if you treat homelessness as a spectrum and can support families and individuals before and after they experience homelessness, you can effect permanent change.

Question 7

Why provide Eviction Prevention?

Accepted Answer

We provide Eviction Prevention to help reduce toxic stress impact on families, particularly children. We also want to keep other resources (shelters) available for those who are experiencing homelessness.

Question 8

Why offer stabilization?

Accepted Answer

Stabilization seeks to reduce the risk of housing instability and reentry into the homelessness system.

Question 9

Why provide shelter?

Accepted Answer

Our goal is to provide the shortest amount of stay possible and quickly connect family to housing. For families with literally nowhere else to go, Family Promise can provide a safe, trauma-informed, and low barrier temporary solution while the family is connected to a longer-term housing solution.

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