Family Promise of Athens

"There’s people out there who need love and care. I can provide that. Who am I to be afraid? - a fabulous 85 year-old volunteer @familypromise @milledge_avenue_baptist_church #homelessness #volunteer #whatsyourexcuse

Mark your calendar for a percentage night at Brewster's, April 22! Eat ice cream and help prevent family homelessness! #familypromise #FPGivingDay2021

#FPGivingDay2021

Kitty Donnan, a long time volunteer with Family Promise of Athens, shared a powerful memory for a recent church newsletter. First Presbyterian Church of Athens is focusing on being a "Matthew 25 Church," addressing issues of poverty and injustice in our community. Here is what Kitty wrote: "Some events make for memories and change the way we see, think, and do. One of my most powerful memories happened at First Presbyterian Church. Not in the Sanctuary, but in the Pit. Not wi...th clergy or First Pres members but with a woman [experiencing homelessness]. Sherlene was a single mom to two sweet, well-behaved children. They were staying in our church for a Family Promise [of Athens host] week. We were talking about how to arrange the van schedule for the following day. Sherlene worked full-time. Her children were in school. She could not tell me what time she needed to leave for work the next morningfor she never got her schedule for the day until a couple of hours before she was to be there. I asked her, 'But what about your children how do manage if you must be at work before or after their school hours.' 'I have to get help,' she said. In that conversation I realized how little I know about the everyday problems of those who are poor. I cannot imagine how I would manage in Sherlene’s situation. One of the areas we will be focusing on as a Matthew 25 church (www.pcusa.org/matthew25) is poverty. Those who are poor face daily dilemmas such as Sherlene’s and worse. I’m looking forward to our church being a Matthew 25 church because our actions will be intentionalwe will consider the things we do through the lens of poverty, racism and congregational vitality. Ours is a generous church, thanks be to God, yet we can strengthen our response to Christ’s call as described in Matthew 25:34-45: 'For I was hungry and you gave me something to eatthirsty, a stranger, in need of clothes, sick, in prisonLord, when did we see you hungry? And Christ said Truly I tell you, whatever you did for these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' We can be the help for 'the Sherlenes' in Athens and beyond. God has no hands and feet but ours. I am excited about the new ways we can extend the heart of Jesus by using our hands and feet in kindness and kinship to all those in need. May we see Christ in everyone we meet." Join Kitty and our many other volunteers at Family Promise of Athens as we seek to make a difference in the lives of families experiencing homelessness. We assist with emergency shelter, emergency funds to prevent homelessness, case management, networking relationships, and so much more to help families achieve sustainable stability. Find out more at https://familypromiseathens.org See more

We welcome Madison Smith as our newest staff member! Madison joins Family Promise of Athens as our Service Director. She is completing her Master’s of Social Work and certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership at the University of Georgia (2021). A Georgia native, Madison grew up in Marietta and received a B.A. degree in Economics with minors in Education Policy and Poverty Studies from Washington and Lee University. Prior to moving back to Georgia, Madison worked in Washington, DC in the fields of poverty and early childhood research and policy. Madison also has experience in case management, family therapy, evaluation, training, and grant writing. She has always been passionate about creating opportunities for families to thrive and is excited to be a part of the FPA team.

We surpassed our goal! Thank you!!!!

We love our volunteers and Tom is one of the best! As the lead volunteer coordinator for Alps Road Presbyterian Church, Tom brings exceptional organization and entertaining humor to each host week! We celebrate the many hours Tom and our other coordinators put in before, during, and after each host week!

Welcome to Jordan Salter, who joins Family Promise of Athens today as our new Homeless Prevention Coordinator!

Thank you to America's Homeplace for helping us end 2020 with a substantial donation!

Thank you reBlossom for your generous support of the mission of Family Promise of Athens and your care for our guests during the holidays!

UGA Employees who love Family Promise - Thanks for your support over the years through the Campaign for Charities! This is your reminder that the due date for participation is rapidly approaching. Another reminder, the state does not let us know who is making a gift. When you sign up to participate, please email us and let us know that you made a donation so we have a record of it and so we can appropriately thank you!

THANK YOU! #FamilyPromiseWeek2020 was a great success! We raised $12,736 in gifts and pledges. That will be matched dollar-for-dollar which makes the total amount raised $25,472! We were second in the country in dollars and numbers of donors out of all the affiliates who participated. The donation match will continue until the end of the year - so even if you missed FPA week you can still help us make a difference in the lives of families experiencing or at risk of homelessness! See our website for a link to donate.

Thanks to Alps Road for helping to host our guest families over the holidays!

We are honored to have been selected as a 2021 United Way of Northeast Georgia Grant Recipient to further our new initiative of homeless prevention!

Thank you to all of our supporters! We wouldn't be able to serve families in need without you! #FamilyPromiseWeek 2020 https://www.fpgives.org/organizati/family-promise-of-athens

This is Family Promise Week in Athens! If we can raise $25,000 a donor will match your support dollar for dollar. So essentially you donation will be doubled and will have an even greater impact. If you have already made a gift, Thank YOU! but if you want to accept this challenge during Family Promise week, you can make a donation by clicking here: http://www.ihnathens.org/donate-now.html ... or you can mail a check to: IHNA, P.O. Box 581, Athens, GA 30603.

Tag 3-7 people in the comments to spread awareness. #FamilyPromiseWeek2020

Family Promise of Athens would not exist without our volunteers. Host Congregations welcome our guests into their facilities, providing comfortable accommodations in transformed educational space, and Support Congregations assist in providing volunteers, meals, and financial support. In addition, we have an increasing number of At Large volunteers who are not tied to a particular congregation but provide support throughout the year (lots of UGA students are in this category). If you would like to assist in our mission of eliminating family homelessness in the Athens area visit our website for more information. If you would like to make a financial contribution during Family Promise Week, visit the link below. #familypromiseweek2020 http://www.ihnathens.org/donate-now.html

We are number 3 nationally in fundraising! Help us keep going up! #FamilyPromiseWeek2020 https://www.fpgives.org/organiza.../family-promise-of-athens

Here is how you can help the families we're serving. https://www.fpgives.org/organizati/family-promise-of-athens #FamilyPromiseWeek2020

Family Promise offers much more than shelter to our guest families. It brings a safe place from the stresses of life, a since of being loved, of being worthy, of being normal while sorting out the difficult realities that led to homelessness. Our 16 Host Congregations, 25 Support Congregations, and the more than 1100 volunteers that welcome our families each year do so much more that prepare a meal, provide a warm bed, and give a ride to school for the parents and children in... our program. We bring back dignity. We give our guests the opportunity to have fun again without worrying about the stressors that have enveloped their realities for the past weeks or months. They are safe. They are supported. They are loved. So they can play ball, or look for a better job, or return to school to improve their opportunities. That's what a simple question can do. Family Promise offers much more than shelter to our guest families. It brings a safe place from the stresses of life, a sense of being loved, of being worthy, of being normal while sorting out the difficult realities that led to homelessness. Our 16 Host Congregations, 25 Support Congregations, and the more than 1100 volunteers that welcome our families each year do so much more that prepare a meal, provide a warm bed, and give a ride to school for the parents and children in our program. We bring back dignity. We give our guests the opportunity to have fun again without worrying about the stressors that have enveloped their realities for the past weeks or months. They are safe. They are supported. They are loved. So they can play ball, or look for a better job, or return to school to improve their opportunities. That's what a simple question can do. See more

That's 13 million too many. #FamilyPromiseWeek2020

Kaylee Palomino, a UGA Student, contacted Family Promise of Athens after hearing about us in class. She went through our online volunteer training and asked when she could volunteer. Over the last months of the summer, Kaylee became one of our most consistent volunteers. Other volunteers who encountered Kaylee expressed what a joy she was to work with. We asked her to tell us about why she volunteers with Family Promise of Athens during the Pandemic. "I heard about Family Pr...omise of Athens through a UGA certificate program in Health Disparities. One of the requirements for this certificate was to complete 20 hours of volunteering. What I liked best about volunteering during COVID-19 is that I was able to get out of the house and serve my community in a time when it was especially needed. Before the pandemic, community service was an integral part of my life, and I was feeling like I needed to find some way to serve others during this public health crisis. Luckily, I received an email sign-up sheet to get involved with volunteering, and it has changed my life by allowing me the opportunity to safely meet and be adopted into a community of individuals who share the same heart of compassion as I do. I have already encouraged others to volunteer. While volunteering I had the opportunity to witness families graduate from receiving shelter and assistance from FPA, and although I was not close with the families, it still meant a lot for me to recognize that FPA changed the lives of the individuals I was able to meet and assist over the past few months. I have had a close friend who experienced homelessness during high school. I remember days where she would be kicked out of her home and had stayed with my family or slept in her car on several occasions, so this organization was one that I felt a personal connection with." See more

THANK YOU to all of the volunteers who have helped us transform the lives of families experiencing homelessness! #FamilyPromiseWeek2020