2010_site_header_logo.png
       Creating a hunger to follow Jesus  

Calendar  |  Mission  |  Staff  |  Lay Leadership  |  Ministerio Hispano | My FirstChurch  | Home

Serving

  • FamilyPromise_logo.gif
     

    Family Promise from Lucy Huffstetter, CPP on Vimeo.

    Family Promise is an organization that has helped families in need for 20 years throughout the country. Groups of 10-13 churches form an Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) to help homeless families. IHNs are currently active in 39 states and the District of Columbia in large cities, suburbs, and rural counties. They mobilize community resources: houses of worship for lodging and volunteers, social service agencies for assessment and referrals, and existing facilities for day programs. This strategy enables the networks to help homeless families achieve lasting independence at a third of the cost of traditional shelters. 

    There are five key components in each IHN.

    1. Hosts (11 Collin County congregations – see below)
    Hosting rotates weekly among the host congregations in a Network. In turn, each host congregation provides lodging, three meals daily, and hospitality.

    2. Volunteers – might this be you?
    Volunteers are the heart of the program.  They can share their time and talents in many ways, usually just for a few hours every few months.Please contact or Rev. Alice Coder in the church office if you would like to help.

    • Cooking and serving meals or sponsoring a family for the church Wednesday night dinner
    • Playing with children and helping them with homework
    • Staying overnight with guest families
    • Providing specialized services, like resume writing or financial counseling
    • Just being there for children and their families with compassion and respect to provide a sense of community

    3. Day Center (Generously provided by the City of Lucas – the old municipal building)
    Guests use the day center from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The IHN director, a professional social worker, provides case management services. Guests may pursue employment, tend pre-school children, shower, and do laundry. The day center provides guests with a mailing address and a base for housing and employment searches. Many guests are employed during the day, and older children attend school.

    4. Social Service Agencies
    Local social service agencies refer families to the Network. The agencies may also help guests find housing, jobs, and benefits.

    5. Transportation (Family Promise of Collin County has the van and trailer ready to go)
    An IHN van transports guests to and from the day center.

    Nationally, 80 percent of the families served by IHNs go on to long-term housing.  In 2007, Family Promise affiliates served more than 31,000 children and adults and involved more than 120,000 volunteers in 5,000 congregations, according to the Family Promise website.

    In addition to FirstChurch, member churches in the Collin County IHN include Creekwood United Methodist Church (Allen), Forest Grove Christian Church (Lucas), West Plano Presbyterian Church (Plano), Grace Presbyterian Church (Plano), Trinity Presbyterian Church (McKinney), Custer Road United Methodist Church (Plano), First Christian Church (McKinney), Stonebridge United Methodist Church (McKinney), Friendship Baptist church (Fairview) and Rockbridge Church (Allen). Currently there are several other churches undergoing the approval process to become a part of this network. 

    If you are interested in learning more about Family Promise of Collin County or volunteering to help, please contact or visit familypromiseofcollincounty.org.