January 2020 Update

My name is India and my son is Major. We live in Sarasota County. I am a nurse and I got laid off unexpectedly after 4 years. I was very upset and scared but I looked for help and found Family Promise. They are an organization that is very comforting and they helped me in every aspect that you can think of. I was to the point where I could not pay my rent or anything. It was scary. But we called Family Promise and they were very efficient and helpful. They helped us catch up our rent that was behind. I got a new job and kept my home. I recommend Family Promise to anyone who is struggling to help them get back on their feet. Thank you Family Promise.

Open

Doors

Program

The family thank you above is from a family we helped through our Open Doors Program. Family Promise SSC started with only our Bridge Housing Program in 2015 where families are guests at the local congregations who are participating and work with us at the Day Center during the day to become stably housed again.

In 2018, Family Promise SSC staff and board worked hard to find a way to serve more families in need. We began to develop the Open Doors Program. This program assists families who are at-risk of homelessness to help stabilize themselves again before they are at a point where they need shelter. This is done through intensive case management, rent assistance to move-in to a place or catch up past due rent to stay housed, and connect them to other services to meet their needs and help them succeed.

Family Promise SSC still has the very successful Bridge Housing Program but that program is solely for the families who have no other alternatives and truly have nowhere else to go. By expanding our services, we have been able to greatly increase our impact for the families in our community, like the family pictured above.

2017 - 18 families served with 35 children

2018 - 58 families served with 104 children

2019 - 174 families served with 262 children

There are still a lot of families out there struggling but we are reaching more and more of them each year. Every child deserves a place to call home.

2 More Families Housed in January

Already in January, we have housed 2 more families from our Bridge Housing Program. Both were in shelter for a couple of months and finally found something they could afford after a long and hard search. One family is renting a room in North Port and the other is renting from New Paradigm Foundation in Engelwood.

FPSSC Stats

2019

174 families served: 262 children

Bridge Housing - 14 families: 22 children

Access Point - 11 families: 23 children

Diversion & Early Intervention - 55 families: 98 children

Emergency Shelter - 26 families: 58 children

Rent Assistance- 32 families: 53 children

DCF Access Partner - 36 families: 8 children

To learn more about these programs, please visit our website at www.familypromisessc.org

Dates to Remember

Volunteer Training: 2-11-2020 at the Day Center, 4-5:30 PM - This training is for anyone who wants to volunteer with their congregation doing meals, hosting and overnights. All volunteers must go through training.  Please RSVP to Allisa at [email protected] to ensure adequate space is available.  

Coordinator Meeting:  3-10-2020 at Christ United Methodist Church, 5:30-6:30 PM - This meeting is for Coordinators at the Host and Support Churches. 

From the Director

Why do so many families need help? Affordable housing is the issue and there is very little affordable housing that can be found!

Who lives in affordable housing? The workforce... Affordable housing is sometimes referred to as "workforce housing." This is because affordable housing serves the needs of people employed in the jobs that we rely upon to make every community viable. They are people such as teachers, teacher's aids, nursing assistants, medical technologists, retail workers, government employees, emergency services providers and law enforcement. These are some of the low- and very low-income members of your community. (Florida Housing Coalition)

A person working a minimum wage job in Florida earns approximately $16,848 per year, assuming they work 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year. Rental costs in our community average $14,400 annually. That does not leave much for anything else for these struggling families.

Thank you for all you do and bless you all!

Jennifer Fagenbaum, Executive Director

[email protected]

941-497-9881 ext. 106

Special Thanks for funding support in 2019 for our programs to:

Annette J. Hagens Foundation

Bank of America Client Foundation

Boone, Boone & Boone PA

Christ United Methodist Church

Community Foundation of Sarasota

Emmanuel Lutheran Church

Epiphany Cathedral CCW

Evalyn Sadlier Jones Foundation

First Baptist Church

First Christian Church

Grace United Methodist Men's Club

Grace United Methodist Women

Gulf Coast Community Foundation

Harold & Jacqueline Bladel Foundation

Help Us Move In (HUMI)

Heron Creek Community Foundation

Jerome & Mildred Paddock Foundation

Kappa Kappa Gamma Alumnae Club

Kates Foundation

Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary

Lemon Bay Sunrise Rotary

Libertore Fund For Children, Inc

Plantation Community Foundation

Project Give

Publix Super Markets, Inc

Quinn Charitable Foundation

Royal Venice, Inc.

St. David's Episcopal Church

Sarasota County Government

Sarasota County Sheriff, Tom Knight

Stephen & Janine Marrone Foundation

Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness

TJX Foundation, Inc

Trinity Presbyterian Church

Trinity United Methodist Church

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Venice

United Way of South Sarasota County

Venice Community Orchestra

Venice Golf & Country Club

Venice/Nokomis Rotary Club

Venice Presbyterian Church

Venice Presbyterian Church Women

Venice Yacht Club Foundation

WaWa Foundation

Wells Fargo Foundation

Women's Fellowship VUCC

Women's Sertoma Club of Venice

Women With A Purpose, CUMC

Our programs supported in full or in part by:

Wells Fargo

Sponsored by the State of Florida, Department of Children and Families and the Suncoast Partnership.