Family Promise Ministry 
 

Family Promise of Washington County is a non-profit agency that works with churches to provide shelter, food and care for families in need.  Still Waters is proud to be a part of this important ministry of sharing God's love.  We will be a host site providing shelter 5 times a year for one week at a time (during the evening and overnight hours).  If you would like more information about Family Promise visit their website http://familypromiseofwashingtoncounty.com/cms/

There are five key components to this program.


Hosts  - Still Waters Church - Begins February 2010!
Hosting rotates weekly among 10 to 13 host congregations in a Network. In turn, each host congregation provides lodging, three meals daily, and hospitality.

Day Center
Guests use a local day center from 8:00AM to 5:00PM, where the Executive Director, and a social worker provide case management services. There, guest pursue employment, tend to pre-school children, shower, and do laundry. The day center provides guests with a mailing address and a base for housing and employment searches. Many guests are employed during the day, and older children attend school.

Volunteers
Volunteers are the heart of the program. They can share their time and talents in many ways, usually just for a few hours every three months. 

  • Cooking and serving meals
  • Playing with children and helping them with homework
  • Staying overnight with guest families
  • Providing specialized services, like resume writing or financial counseling
  • Just being there for children and their families, showing them compassion and respect, and
  • sharing a sense of community

Social Service Agencies
Local social service agencies refer families to the Network. The agencies may also help guests find housing, jobs, and benefits.

Transportation
A van transports guests to and from the day center.

 
Fast Facts About Homelessness and Poverty

Families with children comprise one of the fastest-growing segments of the homeless population today.
 
13% of Americans live in poverty, including one in five children, the highest rate in the industrialized world.
 
42% of homeless children are under the age of 6.
 
Almost 60% of Americans will spend at least one year below the poverty line at some point between ages 25 and 75.
 
There is no city or county anywhere in the United States where a worker making the minimum wage can afford a fair market rate one-bedroom apartment.
 
The cost of rent and utilities for a typical two-bedroom apartment has increased 35% in less than 10 years. 

2 million additional American children will fall victim to the foreclosure crisis over the next two years.


8 March 2010 Family Promise update from Joe Walter Executive Director
 
To all pastors, volunteers, board members and friends of Family Promise,
 
Just as surely as spring is arriving Family Promise is moving closer to accepting its first family.
 
Thanks to Scott Korn for assessing the needs of the Day center and developing a work list. As things stand now Scott and other volunteers will be making repairs at the Day Center beginning the week of March 9th.
 
Thanks to Paul Bissett for developing a comprehensive spread sheet displaying all the talents in the volunteer corps of Family Promise. I will be taping deeply into this resource.
 
Thanks to Dolores Cocoran, currently pricing the best deal for a land line phone, a cell phone, and wireless internet.
 
Thanks to students at Holy Angels elementary school in West Bend for the money raised on behalf of Family Promise. Watch for their photo in the West Bend News this week.
 
Thanks to the Gormans of Barton for the stroller and the table. We appreciate their support.
 
Thanks to all the volunteers who continue to enthusiastically support Family Promise in body, mind and spirit.
 
Immediate Needs: All volunteers who have skills related to grant writing and the motivation to join the grant writing committee contact me asap at 262-339-9157.
 
Seeking a volunteer team to spearhead funding resources for paint and paint related tools. We hope to begin painting the Day Center within the next two weeks. Call or e-mail me asap.
 
I am meeting with the Board on Tuesday march 9th. We continue to make efforts to expand the Board, broaden our base and seek ways to achieve our financial goals.
 
Who can help us find a heavy duty copier for the Day Center?
------------------shelving material 12 to 18” deep x feet
------------------paint and painting tools
 
Finally, we are planning to develop a Community garden at the Day Center. More on this in next weeks update.
 
With Gratitude,
Joe Walter
Executive Director