Family Promise of the Interfaith Coalition: An Overview

Family Promise of the Interfaith Coalition: An Overview

Interfaith Coalition Since 1981 Our coalition is a partnership of diverse faith communities that works to improve the lives of local people in need, focusing on housing for families experiencing homelessness and meeting the needs of the marginalized in our community. We have been providing emergency and transitional housing for over 20 years.

Interfaith Coalition Housing Program Interfaith Coalition currently provides emergency and transitional housing. We currently have 10 emergency and transitional housing units for families in Bellingham and Ferndale. Like Family Promise, all of our units serve all family-types, including dads and teen boys. For our units, families come through coordinated entry. Case management is provided by the Opportunity Council. IFC 4-plex, built in 1995, and Little House

Family Promise Affiliates

How the Program Works Family Promise shelters children and parents/guardians experiencing homelessness. Family Promise hosts up to 4 families, 14 individuals Local (host) congregations, supported by other congregations (support) provide overnight hospitality for a week at a time on a 3-4 month rotation. All volunteers are trained and screened. Family Promise provides beds. Congregations provide linens. Congregations provide dinner in community, a simple breakfast and provisions for families to make their own lunches.

How the Program Works (continued) Family Promise provides transportation via 15-passenger van between congregations and the Family Promise Center. Family Promise provides a day center. During the day, families go to the Family Promise Center and work with a Family Promise case manager who help families regain their self-sufficiency. Family Promise partners with local social service agencies and other organizations to support the families. At the Family Promise Center, there is also space to work, rest, prepare meals, shower and do laundry. School children are picked up and dropped off at the Family Promise Center.

Who Makes the Program Work? Host Congregations Church of the Assumption Northlake Community Church The Firs Retreat Center First Christian Church Hope Lutheran Church Christ the Servant Lutheran Church St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church Garden Street Methodist Church Christ Lutheran Church First Congregational Church Sterling Drive Church of Christ Sacred Heart Catholic Church Saint Paul s Episcopal Church Support Congregations Center for Spiritual Living United Church of Ferndale Zion Lutheran Church St. James Presbyterian Church Iglesia de Dios Church Roosevelt Community Church Hope in Christ Church Christ the King, Sudden Valley Christ the King, Bellingham Blaine United Church of Christ Bellingham Friends Staff Family Promise Director Program/Case Manager Transportation and Liaison Interfaith Coalition Staff and Board of Directors Leadership Team (formerly Core Group) Local Agencies and community organizations

Why the Interfaith Model? Nationally in Family Promise affiliates, guests stay an average of 9 weeks in 30-day, renewable increments. The Interfaith Community provides key connections for guests. Volunteers get to know families and often feel good about referring them for employment and housing. We plan to recruit private landlords to rent to families, ideally at a reduced rent for a designated time period. The Interfaith Community, which is far-reaching (25 faith communities currently participating in the Family Promise of Interfaith Coalition program) meets people where they are at and in doing so, volunteers gain a better understand of family homelessness. Family Promise provides a Continuum of Care that is proactive, collaborative and long-range. Our long-range vision is to expand to work towards ending family homelessness. Some Family Promise programs have two rotations of congregations so that they can serve twice the number of families. The Interfaith Community has tremendous capacity toward this community effort.

What Family Promise Cannot Provide We provide emergency shelter; however, our intake process does not permit us to accept guests 24/7. We seek to be as low-barrier as possible, but families will be screened on a case-by-case basis to make sure there is a mutual fit for the program. Families with active substance use or violent criminal background are not able to be served. We cannot ensure anonymity for guests who are fleeing domestic violence.

About our Guests While we are still considering all the different avenues that guests might take to come to Family Promise, we would like to accept guests referred from: Coordinated entry School District Homeless Liaisons Congregations Other organizations

DRAFT Guidelines for Accepting Guests Family Promise relies on many volunteers to provide community for guests. Therefore, it is important for both guests and volunteers that guests be a good match for our program. What does a good match look like? Family is referred or self-referred. Families will read about the program to see if they feel the program is a good fit. Family Promise will run a background check and interview families to support the safety of both volunteers and guests. Families will in sign an agreement, indicating that there is no active substance use.

Timeline to Open From 2015-Present, we have raised funds and awareness, recruited volunteers and renovated The Disciples House to become The Family Promise Center. We received the Whatcom Family and Community Network Ken Gass Award for the tremendous effort of many community members in December 2017. We will begin to review referrals in March open the Family Promise Center and program on April 2.

Questions and Contact Info Questions? Contact information: Family Promise Director, Sarah Lane Interfaith Coalition of Whatcom County 910 14 th Street Bellingham, WA 98225 360-734-3983 sarah@interfaith-coalition.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fpwhatcom/ Interfaith Coalition Website https://www.interfaith-coalition.org/ Family Promise Center: 4065 Deemer Rd. Bellingham WA 98226