The Need for Family Promise:
Did you know
• During this school year there have been over 300 homeless children attending local schools in the Edgewater, New Smyrna Beach, Oak Hill, Port Orange and Samsula areas. (Volusia County School Board, February, 2007).
• According to the State of Florida Department of Children and Families’ most recent report, there are 85,907 homeless people on any given day. The statistics from the 2006 report showed 40% of those are families and 23% are children aged 18 or younger.
(FAQs, Coalition for the Homeless of Volusia/Flagler)
• 750,000-1,000,000 U.S. children experience homelessness each year. Families account for 40%
of our nation’s homeless people.
Family Promise of Southeast Volusia County
PO Box 671, Edgewater, Florida 32132-9998
Host Congregation Committee Chairperson:
Cheryl Jordan (386-424-0587)
Transportation Committee Chairperson:
Richard Jones (386-427-0029)
Day Center Committee Chairperson:
Pat Dillon (386-428-5993)
Finance Committee Chairperson:
Guy Wilkinson (386-423-9395)
Board of Directors:
Chuck MacDonald, President;
Barbara Scott, Vice President;
Becky Routh, Treasurer;
Patti Earl, Secretary;
Donna Barron Pat Dillon, Guy Wilkinson,
For more information call:
Chuck MacDonald at 386-423-1715
Family Promise of Southeast Volusia County is an affiliate of a national not-for-profit organization called Family Promise. Through its affiliates, Family Promise runs a program called the Interfaith Hospitality Network.
The Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) program responds to the growing need to provide shelter, meals, and comprehensive support services to families without homes. The network program unites the religious community to assist homeless families. The program, which uses existing community resources to provide comprehensive services to homeless families, often invigorates congregations and inspires volunteers to further service.
More information can be obtained by visiting the website
Family Promise
of Southeast Volusia County
Building community,
strengthening lives
I would like to be a part of caring for homeless families.
Please contact me about:
□ Host Congregation
□ Volunteering
□ Other: ______
I would like to make a one-time contribution of $ _____.
I would like to pledge $ _____ each month.
Please forward contributions to:
Family Promise of Southeast Volusia County
PO Box 671
Edgewater, Florida, 32132-9998
(Make checks payable to FPSEV). FPSEV is incorporated in the State of Florida and is exempt from Federal Income Tax under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions will be tax deductible under Section 170 of the Code.
______
Name
______
Address
______
City, State, Zip Code
______
Phone Number
□ Please add my name to your mailing list.
□ Please add my name to your email list.
June Update: Family Promise of Southeast Volusia County (FPSEV) is a tax exempt 501(c) (3) corporation that is incorporated in the State of Florida.
Host Congregations Committed: Coronado Community United Methodist; First Presbyterian, NSB
Support Congregations Committed: Trinity Lutheran Evangelical; Edgewater Union
We need 10 to 13 host congregations to start receiving families.
How does it work?
Host Congregations
About four to six times a year – for one week at a time – Host Congregations provide overnight lodging, meals (supper, breakfast, and brown-bag lunch), and hospitality. Hosting rotates among the eight to thirteen Host Congregations in the Network which provide lodging for three to five families (up to fourteen individuals) from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. the next morning.
Volunteers
Volunteers are the heart of the Network; without them, it cannot exist. Volunteers provide a variety of services: cooking and serving meals, playing with children or helping them with homework, and staying overnight. Beyond providing lodging and meals, volunteers interact with the guests, treating them with respect and responding with compassion.
Social Service Agencies
Local social service agencies refer families to the Network. The agencies may also help guests find housing, jobs, and other services. Since Family Promise is primarily comprised of volunteers, the social service agencies help assess potential guest families for active substance abuse, domestic violence or psychiatric problems.
Day Center
Guests use a local Day Center, space at a congregation or agency, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to shower, care for pre-school children, and seek employment. Many guests are employed during the day and go to work. During the school year, children go to school. The day center provides guests with a mailing address and a home base from which to conduct their housing search. The Network Director’s office will be at the day center.
Transportation
A network van transports guests to and from the day center. The van (or other transport) carries bedding and luggage to the next Host Congregation.
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in …
“Then the righteous will answer Him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in...’
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of mine, you did for me.”
Matthew 25:35, 37-38a, 40