Family Promise Training - All volunteers that signed up for Family Promise are invited to a training session. If you haven't signed up and still want to help you are welcome to attend the training as well. The training for all volunteers for the first 3 host churches (which includes Still Waters) will be Tuesday, February 23rd from 5:30 to 8:30pm. Location is the First United Methodist Church, 738 W Monroe Ave, Hartford. If you have any questions, please contact Ally & Aaron Bubb ally.bubb@gmail.com
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.
