Family Promise

How it works:

If we chose to join this initiative, UUCC, as well as about 13 other area churches would provide living space for up to 4 families in our church for a week at a time. Because the families would rotate through all of the churches, we would be committing our space for about three or four weeks per year. During the week:

• On Sunday afternoon, a van, provided by Family Promise of Hendricks County, would drop off the families' belongings, as well as cots for the families to sleep in. Church volunteers will set things up in the RE rooms, as well as arranging Fellowship Hall prior to the families' arrival that evening.
• During the week, the families will get up and, after eating breakfast at the church, will be transported by van to a community center to shower and receive case management or other services. Children who are in school go to school, adults who work will go to work.
• In the evening, the families return to the church, eat dinner and have fellowship with church volunteers. Hosts and the families can watch movies, work on homework, or just talk. After dinner, families and volunteers also pack sack lunches for those who will need them the next day.
• The following Sunday morning, when the families leave for the community center, the van also takes their belongings and the cots to drop them off at the next church in the rotation.

What we would need:

As a host congregation, we'd have to fill about 50 volunteer slots during the week, as well as providing various necessities to the guest families. Volunteers could, of course, fill multiple spaces (morning, evening, overnight).

• Volunteers: A congregation should always have at least 2 volunteers present, including overnight. Volunteers can come from other congregations and organizations as well. All volunteers undergo orientation before they begin.
• Space (for example the RE rooms and/or part of the Overflow Room) for about four families to stay for a week at a time. Out of respect, guests' belongings are not moved or put away during the day while they're not at the church.
• Space in Fellowship Hall for meals, homework, relaxation and fellowship.
• Two bathrooms (The community center provides showers.)
• Space for volunteers to sleepover
• A kitchen for meal preparation, including a refrigerator, food staples, and cleaning supplies
• The congregation is responsible for all meals (nutritious cooked dinners, simple breakfasts and supplies for sack lunches), utilities (heat/cooling, water and electricity), linens, and various basic items such as toys, soap, etc. The network supplies the beds.

Program Benefits:

While IHN seems like a lot of work, there's many benefits attached to the program as well, both for our congregation and for the families we help.

For Guests

• Safe shelter where families can stay together and feel at home
• Feeling cared for and nurtured by congregations and the Network itself
• Intensive case management by Network director
• Help finding and keeping long-term, stable housing

For Volunteers

• Opportunity to make a tangible difference in someone's life
• Flexible volunteering schedules, including different times, days, activities, and congregations
• Opportunity for families to volunteer together

For Congregations

• Outreach opportunities in the community
• Opportunity to participate in a community interfaith alliance
• Increased sense of community among members and between allied congregations