December 28, 2017
The nonprofits our fundholders have supported with more than $50 million in grants this year really run the gamut – from social services and scholarship programs to those doing important environmental work and healthy policy.
One nonprofit many of our fundholders come back to year after year is Family Promise, which helps homeless and low-income families achieve sustainable independence. Founded in Union County in 1988, Family Promise now provides intensive case management for more than 50,000 people across the country – finding housing for 74% of those served in the first nine weeks.
Tina Kelley of the New York Times recently spent time with Family Promise of Union County and attended their “Loss, Grief and Homelessness” workshop for those working through the grief that comes with losing a home. She writes:
The workshop was held here at Faith Lutheran Church where, four or five weeks a year, volunteers serve breakfast and dinner to homeless families, play with and read to the children, and provide moral support and networking assistance to the parents. The families sleep in rooms used for Sunday school, and one or two volunteers also spend the night at church. The workshop’s curriculum, which is used to train shelter volunteers, was introduced at Family Promise’s national conference in October and will be offered to 200 Family Promise groups in 43 states.
We’re proud of our many fundholders who have supported this important work, and look forward to Family Promise’s continued advocacy on behalf of New Jersey’s homeless families.
For the full New York Times piece, click here: Dealing with the grief that accompanies homelessness.
To learn more about the great work of nonprofits across New Jersey, contact Hans Dekker at hdekker@cfnj.org or 973-267-5533.