After looking for a new home for their Day Center, Family Promise of Anderson County has arrived.  On Monday, May 9, 2011 Family Promise officially opened its doors at our Luther House location.  The Family Promise program is a national nonprofit 501 (c)(3)organization begun in 1988 to assist homeless families by providing meals, shelter, and support services.   Up to 14 individuals, consisting of 2-3 families, are cared for at a time by a network of local congregations. Families are admitted on a 30 day basis and must be screened to be drug and alcohol free, undergo a background check, and undergo a review of their past three years of employment and housing records.

The Day Center (the Luther House) provides office space for Mark Wise, the Network Director and for a social worker.  Guests use the Day Center Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to work on job resumes, find housing and employment, care for pre-school children, shower and do laundry.  Many guests are employed during the day and go to work.  During the school year, children go to school.   The Day Center also provides guests with a mailing address.  

In the evening, guests are transported as a group by van to one of 14 participating local Host congregations that provide a place to sleep (on cots), shower (those that have the facilities) and supper and breakfast.   Each Host congregation provides these services for one week (four times a year). On Sunday afternoon guests move to the next host congregation.

Besides Mark Wise serving as Director, staff includes a social worker who provides case management services, and two van drivers.  Family Promise of Anderson has an annual budget of $109,000 and is funded by grants, fundraisers, contributions and churches.   Family Promise provides its own insurance and covers all utilities and maintenance issues that arise. 

To be added to the list to receive regular email updates on Family Promise, send an email to:  familypromiseanderson@gmail.com

To find out more about the program visit the web at:  www.familypromise.org  or www.familypromiseanderson.org

This is an exciting opportunity for Holy Trinity to help reduce homelessness for children and their families in Anderson County.  Welcome Family Promise!