Give Them Shelter

We are gearing up for a new event, a walk to raise awareness of the issue of family homelessness and to raise funds to support Family Promise of Greater Toledo. I'm very excited about the walk, which is being held on June 5 at beautiful Ottawa Park in Toledo. Be sure to check out our walk website and register online to participate.

This family-friendly event is perfect for Family Promise. I think about all the families we have seen come through our doors, some leaving us for permanent housing, some moving on to other shelters or being reunited with family. We hope every family walks away from us with the belief that someone - actually many people - really care about them. They are not alone as they deal with the crisis of homelessness.

If you in our area - please join us. But don't let time and distance stop you from supporting Family Promise. Every family deserves a place to call home. Every child is worthy of love.

Dehumanization

I attended a meeting yesterday, and the discussion turned to a new shelter in town. The main focus of that shelter is to create an experience that does not institutionalize homeless people. What was described sounded more like a well-meaning flop house, than an actual program that helps people move forward. In fairness, my reaction is based only on discussions about the philosophy and practice of the shelter, and not on firsthand experience. It may be very different in actuality. The point is, it got me thinking about Family Promise and how we handle this issue.

Yes - I do think that there is a potential for some shelters to create an institutionalized atmosphere where some of the participants may lose their dignity and feel less than human. I don't believe the answer is to create an environment where anything goes. Family Promise is all about restoring dignity and treating everyone - from the client/guest to the volunteer/host - with respect.

I was glad to hear one of our former guests answer the charge of "Isn't it difficult? Moving from church to church?" with this response: "I felt like I was being welcomed into a community every night - I wasn't the homeless lady going into a shelter - I was just part of a family going to church." She went on to talk about her experience, meeting so many new people who were very different from herself - but then weren't so different once she got to know them. And she appreciated so much kindness. She knew that people all across our city were praying for her. I believe prayer is a shower of good thoughts and energy, well wishes for the recipient. She was overwhelmed by the experience.

Dehumanizing? Not this program.

Mark Your Calendar - June 5, 2010

We're working hard to plan our first walk - and we need your help to make it a success.

Intended to raise both awareness and funds to support Family Promise, Give Them Shelter, will be a great event for families, community groups, and individuals.

I'm really energized by the great group of local professionals who have come together to make the walk happen. Many thanks to Rebecca Booth, for the fantastic event logo. When asked for a design - she produced several - and we had a hard time choosing just one! What a great gift.

Give Them Shelter, 2010 Walk to End Homelessness, is a 5K walk on Saturday morning, June 5. Details will be announced soon. Keep watching this space for more information!

2009 In Review

Every January, we take a little time to compile a few statistics and compare our numbers to previous years.

Family Promise of Greater Toledo served 40% more families in 2009 than in 2008 and those families included significantly more children. Additionally, we served more two-parent families than ever before.

It is expected that a single parent family (generally a mom) will be at a higher risk for homelessness. Two-parent families have a better chance of at least one person securing and maintaining employment. With double-digit unemployment here in Toledo and in much of the nation, it isn't surprising to see these numbers increase.