City, Family Promise Invite Public to Participate in Community Meeting Aug. 22
The homeless population has soared across U.S. cities, including Murfreesboro, since the financial crisis and Great Recession of 2008. The City of Murfreesboro and the Homeless Alliance are considering a nationally-tested approach to reducing homelessness by inviting community-wide participation in starting a Family Promise affiliate.
The community is invited to learn more about Family Promise at a Community Meeting to be held Tuesday, August 22, at First Baptist Church, 200 E. Main St. in Murfreesboro.
“The Family Promise Network Program brings shelter, meals and support services to families without homes,” said Assistant City Manager Jennifer Moody. “Family Promise Networks are a cost-efficient, effective community response to family homeliness.”
Who: Members of the public, including faith-based and non-profit organizations, interested in learning more about Family Promise, representatives of Family Promise, City administrators, Scott Foster, Homeless Alliance of Rutherford County and executive director of Journey Home, and partners in the Alliance.
What: Family Promise will discuss how congregations in Rutherford County can explore networking together to provide, on a rotating basis, overnight accommodations and meals for homeless families.
When: 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2017.
Where: First Baptist Church
200 East Main Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
City staff first met with representatives of Family Promise of Greater Chattanooga in March 2017 and became convinced the community should be invited to learn more about how this program could benefit Murfreesboro families.
Residents of the community, including faith-based and non-profit organizations who express interest, are encouraged to learn more about the non-profit 501(c)3 organization, a non-denominational organization for children and families facing homelessness. The purpose of the Community Meeting is to support local efforts to collaborate on a community-based solution to meet the needs of Murfreesboro’s homeless. Representatives from national office of Family Promise will be available to answer questions about the Family Promise model.
Currently, 207 Family Promise affiliates in 43 states are serving the at-risk community by hosting homeless families at faith-based and non-profit facility locations throughout the country. Some 6,000 congregations and 180,000 volunteers make up the networks that have served approximately half a million people.
“Reducing homelessness is a community-wide issue,” said City Community Development Director John Callow. “Learning about the severity of childhood homelessness in our community, the Family Promise model and a creative vision for how we can leverage our compassion and strengths as a community is the first step toward ensuring that every child has a home.”
Members of the public interested in learning more about this initiative and Family Promise’s holistic approach to helping families experiencing homelessness in our community are encouraged to contact John Callow, City Community Development Director at 615-890-4660 or [email protected].
To learn more about Family Promise and the network approach to providing a safe, homelike shelter where families can stay together, visit www.familypromise.org.
