I donated 5 bags of women's clothing. I hope it goes to the people who need it most! I have a good feeling my clothing will make multiple women in need , happy.
Meri
Family Promise changes the lives of homeless families! Their program provides housing, meals, computer resources, budgeting classes, counseling and more to support parents to get back on their feet and into decent housing. It's a nationwide success story!
Most peoples view of homeless persons is the guy or gal standing on a corner asking for money. Volunteering for Family Promise quickly makes you realize that there are many, many families working very hard to go from homelessness to independence. I have seen single mothers, single fathers, or husbands and wives work numerous jobs to get themselves back on their feet as quickly as possible. And to see the children interact with other kids in the same position is truly amazing. They all help each other whenever they can, and truly appreciate all that Family Promise provides to them.
As a volunteer with Family Promise I would just like to say how rewarding this experience has been for me. To be a part of an organization that makes a real difference in my own local community is such an honor. Getting to know the families in the program makes it easy to see how we are all one big family of neighbors and we need to stick together and help one another when times get tough. If you are looking for a way to serve your community and bring joy to others look no further. Check out the website where they have more information about volunteering.
My husband and I have thoroughly enjoyed our volunteering for Family Promise of South Palm Beach County. The families we have met have been hard-working people and their children who are doing everything in their power to become independent. The program is not easy for the families, but we understand that ultimately it works and they will get their independence back and their own place to live. It feels great to know we have been even a small part of that. We also have gotten to meet volunteers from other churches, mosques and synagogues, and appreciate working together with them for a common goal of helping families succeed.
I was greatly disappointed in Family Promise of south Palm Beach county. I was experiencing homelessness with my children largely due to an abusive ex husband manipulating finances and my ability to work. As I have come to learn later, because I was a battered woman, the rigidness of the rules and schedule caused me to "re experience the abuse" and trauma off my marriage. I felt like I was walking on eggshells everytime I went too the daycenter. The bouncing every week from a house to a church to another church to a house again was so unstable for me and my children that my children were emotionally confused. Because of the sleep deprivation I experienced my own car was completely totaled.
Inn the end I was just a statistic to the staff at Family Promise. They asked me and my the children to leave having no car, no home and no where to go. In asking me to leave, the director began using the same blameshifting tactics of reasoning to justify her leaving me and my three children in a worse situation then what we came. Had it not need for the efforts on one specific angels on this organization's staff, my ex husband's threats of leaving me to "sleep on the streets" would have been realized.
The individual churches volunteering their time were all very hospitable and a great reason for why I did not suffer a complete breakdown from the rigidness of this program. I give two stars rather then one simply because I did witness the organization actually helping some of the people who were strong enough to get through it. Even these guest graduates complained of how awful, controlling, traumatizing and unstable the organization was.
In speaking with a member of one puff the Jewish synagogues out was realized that even the volunteering members know nothing of the complete hell guests and their children have to endure. It was the second week of our stay. Myself and another member described how the program worked. The woman from the synagogue responded in horror that the program was too unstable for young children.
Possibly there can be hope for Family Promise actually being an ethically run non-for-profit but that would begin by having one stable location for families to sleep in with all churches accommodating asset that one location. Secondly it would require replacing certain staff members to that ALL members are competently educated enough to recognize the individual needs of its guests rather then treating all persons as if they were rehabilitating from drug addiction (the area of human services strict rules are intended for).
