Posted
For Immediate Release: Friday, October 23, 2020
Board of Commissioners proclaim Family Promise Week
On October 20, the Washington County Board of Commissioners proclaimed October 18 through 25 as National Family Promise Week to raise awareness that every child deserves a home and acknowledge the work of nonprofit and faith-based partnerships working to end homelessness for families with children. The Washington County Department of Housing Services coordinates a countywide response to homelessness and recognizes Family Promise as a best practice model in supporting homeless families on their journey to housing stability.
Nationally, Family Promise Week will be celebrated in 200+ communities where there is a Family Promise Affiliate. Family Promise has helped men, women and children with emergency crisis intervention services, shelter, housing, case management, and other services. Family Promise works on the principle that the elements to help children and their families are already in the community. The program brings together houses of worship to provide temporary homes, facilities to provide space during the day for case management, and most importantly, volunteers who, by sharing a few hours of their time, enable families to turn their lives around.
Family Promise of Washington County opened in 1999, Family Promise of Beaverton opened in 2018 and Family Promise of Tualatin Valley opened in 2019. The shelters are affiliates of Family Promise and proud to be part of a nationwide effort to help children and families who are homeless regain their sustainable independence. In Washington County, more than 1,300 volunteers from local faith-based congregations support this work. Since 2005, Family Promise shelter participant demographics have been captured in the County’s Homeless Management Information System that reports 1,271 people in 218 households have been assisted on their journey from homelessness to housing stability. Because of the extent of in-kind contributions, Family Promise shelters in Washington County help 11 family households at any point in time despite a very low budget – while at the same time building community between its volunteers and the families served in the program.
Family Promise Giving Day is October 25, an opportunity to create community awareness of the crisis of family homelessness and to volunteer or donate to a Family Promise shelter near you.
Ms. Kathy Ayers, Chairperson
Family Promise of Washington County
P.O. Box 4073, Hillsboro, OR 97124
503-844-2919
Ms. Jolene Guptill, Executive Director
P.O. Box 1932, Beaverton, OR 97075
971-217-8949
Ms. Rose Money, Executive Director
Family Promise of Tualatin Valley
20425 SW Stafford Rd, Tualatin, OR 97062
503-427-2768
Media Contact:
Annette M. Evans, Homeless Program Manager503-846-4760
[email protected]