Family Promise of the Capital Region began its ministry serving homeless families and families on the verge of homelessness in April 2015. To date, Family Promise has provided shelter to 60 families and helped more than 100 families avoid homelessness. I would like to invite you to be part of this very special ministry in service to the poor and homeless that live within our community.
Family Promise’s mission is to affirm the humanity and dignity of homeless families and engage our community in helping them achieve sustainable independence. Our mission is carried out through the immense generosity of host congregations and volunteers from those faith communities. This is what makes Family Promise unique: the host congregations are more than partners offering space for homeless families. They are engaged in a ministry to those who are most in need.
Interfaith Hospitality Network of Host and Support congregations are the heart of Family Promise. Congregations transform space they use for other purposes such as religious education, meetings and nurseries to provide 1-3 families with a private room for an entire week. Cots and air beds with bedding are set up in advance of the arrival of the guest families which begins on a Sunday evening.
The families are greeted by trained volunteers (congregants/parishioners) who provide and share a homecooked meal. After dinner concludes, the family enjoys visiting with evening volunteers who often play games with the children or perhaps help children with reading or homework. Around 9pm, overnight volunteers arrive and are also provided with private sleeping accommodations. They are available should the families have any unanticipated need. After a very early quick continental style breakfast, the Family Promise van arrives to bring the families to our Day Center in Albany where the children board school buses and the families shower, take care of laundry and most importantly, receive assistance from the staff which leads to securing sustainable housing and independence.
Family Promise is very fortunate to have a rotational network of congregations that host the families one week at a time, four weeks a year and support congregations whose volunteers serve at the host sites. Would you like to learn more how you can be a part of this ministry? Please call or email to learn more. Thank you! 518-650-8895 info@familypromisecr.org.