Fort Bend Family Promise
Fort Bend Family Promise is part of a national organization that was created to provide shelter, meals, and comprehensive support to families without homes. Christ Church serves as a host church 4 weeks a year for homeless families in our area. During our host week, rooms in the Family Life Center are set up as bedrooms for the family and over night hosts. There is also a hospitality room where evening meals are served to the families.
In 2012, Christ Church will serve as host church:
- January 22nd - 29th
- April 22nd - 28th
- July 29th - August 4th
- October 14th - 20th
During our rotation weeks there is a need for countless volunteers to help set up the first Sunday afternoon, prepare evening meals for the families, serve as dinner hosts, overnight hosts, and staff the Family Center at New Hope Lutheran Church the 2nd weekend.
Another area that Family Promise assists families with is transportation. To date, 4 donated vehicles have been given to families who had unreliable or no transportation. The program accepts vehicles in working condition for families in need. If you have a vehicle that you would like to donate to the program, contact Lyn Storm, Executive Director of Fort Bend Family Promise, at 281.403.3923.
On Feb. 22nd, Sandi Reed, head of the second family in the Fort Bend Family Promise program, visited Christ Church. Listen to her Story of Hope.
Family Promise started the new advocacy campaign: A Place To Call Home at the National Conference in Orlando FL the weekend of April 29th - May 2nd. The campaign seeks to educate people across the nation to the crisis in affordable housing and to unite their voices in seeking solutions.
New numbers released by the National Low Income Housing Coalition reveal a gap of 3.1 million homes for the households living at extremely low-income, defined as those living below 30% of area median income. The lack of affordable housing is a principle cause of homelessness.
Without affordable housing, there will be no place for graduating families to go. "Families need homes they can afford that can offer long term stability for them to grow and prosper;" said Karen Olson, President of Family Promise. Family Promise now has 155 affiliates operating in 41 states. 130,000 volunteers make the work of Family Promise a reality for homeless families.
Team Leader: Kira Halcarz