Fishing Creek Salem United Methodist Church

Family Promise Ministry

After a long tiring day at work, where do you want to go?

After your children have finished the day at school, where are they eager go?

Where do you feel secure, surrounded by familiar people and belongings?

HOME

What if you didn’t have a home to go to tonight?

Being without a safe, warm place to sleep, eat, and care for children; living without the security of familiar people and belongings - this is homelessness. How does homelessness happen? A mother loses her job, a father is kept from working by an injury, a family is forced from their home by fire or natural disaster. Healthcare costs soar, public transportation is underfunded, affordable housing is almost impossible to find. These are the reasons why families now make up 40 percent of the homeless population, and why one out of every four homeless people is a child.

Salem Church is taking on the challenge of homelessness by becoming part of Family Promise, a team of 13 congregations who take turns providing on-site lodging, meals, and hospitality for three or four families at a time. Every congregation in the team serves 4 times a year, for one week each time, on their own church property. In addition to sharing our building space, we will be sharing love, kindness and understanding.

To make this ministry successful, a lot of volunteers will be needed. Prayerfully consider how you could become involved: setting up, cooking and serving meals, interacting with the families, helping with homework, or staying overnight. This is a chance for helping hands of all ages to live out their faith in a practical and rewarding way.

Contact Laurie Murry at 938-1928 (ext. 241) or lmurry@fcsalm.org for more information.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

How many people will we host at one time? We may host 1 to 4 families, but not any more than 14 people.

How long do we host the families? For one week. Families will arrive late on a Sunday afternoon and will leave early the following Sunday morning. As a result, this will not affect any Sunday School classes.

What does a typical host week involve?

Sunday Afternoon - the families’ personal belongings and the cots arrive at Salem. Volunteers set up the common area (eating) and the sleeping/private areas (in rooms 211, 214, 215) for the families.

Then, on Sunday and each day of the week:

5:30 PM - Guest families arrive. Families settle in, relax, and meet the coordinators and the evening volunteers.
6:00 PM - Dinner is served family style. Guests and volunteers share the meal together. Families are responsible for their children and help with cleanup and chores.
After dinner, volunteers fellowship with guests and their families. Together, they play games, do homework, watch videos, or just talk. Families may also occasionally want some “down” time, so they may return to their rooms to read, and play and talk with their children.
10:00 PM - Adults turn in, children at appropriate earlier bedtimes. Two volunteers spend the night at the church.
6:30 AM - volunteers serve breakfast, typically it is cereal and other convenient foods. (On Saturdays, the families will wake up a little later and are served a hot breakfast.) Volunteers make food for lunch available in the kitchen area, and guest parents make sack lunches for their families.
7:00 AM - The van picks the families up and takes them to the day center. From there, children go to school, and the parents go to their jobs. If the parents do not have jobs, they work with the Director at the day center to seek employment, housing, and other resources to help them regain their independence. The day center has showers, laundry facilities and other necessities to prepare for the day.
5:30 PM - The van brings everyone back to the host congregation, and the cycle repeats.

SUNDAY

Early AM - the families pack their things and leave the facility before Sunday services. The van driver takes them to the day center for the day until it is time to move on to the next congregation . . . and the next host congregation begins its week.

What is the Family Promise Day Center? The Day Center, currently located in Dillsburg, is the “hub” of the program. Each day the families return to the Day Center to do their laundry, take showers, and prepare for work or school. If the parent(s) are unemployed, the staff at the Day Center assist them in finding in employment, as well as, permanent housing.

How do the families get to and from the churches and the Day Center? The Family Promise van provides the needed transportation.

What area are the families from? Family Promise provides assistance to local families. Families are from the Harrisburg and surrounding areas.

What are the different volunteer opportunities that are available? There are many ways to help, including: setting up the rooms and common area for the families, providing meals, staying overnight at the church, greeting the families as they arrive and fellowship with them in the evening. Contact Laurie Murry (see below) for specific details or for more information.

Can our family volunteer to help? Families are certainly welcome to participate together. There may be children to play with, and at other times, there may only be infants. It will depend on who is currently in the program.

How long can families stay with the Family Promise Program? This program is meant to aid families in developing their independence. Assistance is provided in finding employment and permanent housing, so families may be with Family Promise for up to 90 days.

Are there rules that the guest families must follow? Yes! The program is a drug and alcohol free environment; no smoking is allowed in the buildings; guests are to keep their areas clean and assist with housekeeping chores; anyone with a contagious disease or illness must leave until the contagion is over; no visitors are allowed at the hosting facilities; and etc….

How can I get more information? Contact Laurie Murry, Director of Outreach & Nurture Ministries at 938-1928 (ext. 241) or lmurry@fcsalem.org