Family Promise Montco PA
An Interfaith Response to Homelessness and Hunger
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Family Promise Montco PA (formerly Inter-Faith Housing Alliance) is working to address homelessness, poverty, and food insecurity.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Interfaith Hospitality Network/Emergency Shelter Program
The Inter-Faith Hospitality Network of Family Promise Montco PA provides families experiencing homelessness with up to 90 days of safe, temporary shelter and other support to help them move toward self-sufficiency.
In this nondenominational program, twelve host congregations, supported by 12-15 "buddy" congregations, serve families for a month each year at their places of worship. Congregational volunteers, who collectively contribute hundreds of hours of their time each year, provide meals, overnight supervision, and transportation as needed. During the day, families can access a Day Center at Family Promise, where staff provide counseling, case management, and support to help families resolve their homelessness.
Families in shelter meet the Federal guidelines for very low or extremely low incomes; most are single-parent, female-headed households with young children.
Hope Gardens/Transitional Housing Program
Hope Gardens, an eight-unit apartment building in Ambler, PA, is home to our stabilizing transitional housing program. Families live at Hope Gardens for up to 2 years, during which time they work toward identified goals for a successful transition to safe, affordable, decent housing.
Families living at Hope Gardens receive comprehensive support. Intensive case management helps families develop practical, attainable goals, create a workable budget, obtain childcare, find employment, apply for subsidized and permanent housing, and create a savings plan. Life skills training--a series of educational workshops, which focus on topics such as financial literacy, budgeting, and credit repair, positive parenting, stress management, and healthy relationships--gives them the tools they need to become and stay self-sufficient.
Hope Forest and Hope on Fifth/Supportive Housing Program
Our Supportive Housing Program at Hope Forest in Ambler opened in January 2017, with a second location, Hope on Fifth in Lansdale, added in 2022. The Supportive Housing Program--the first privately operated supportive housing program in Montgomery County--offers four families an affordable housing option. Families pay fair market rent and receive general oversight from a case manager on a diminishing schedule until they have secured necessary skills to gain and maintain a living wage job and have resolved the issues that have been a barrier to stability in their past.
Aftercare Program
Our Aftercare Program increases the long-term stability of families who have graduated from our emergency, transitional, and supportive housing programs. A volunteer Aftercare Specialist stays in regular contact with graduate families to provide limited case management, financial assistance, and other resources needed to keep the families on track. The Aftercare Specialist also learns about specific challenges families are facing so we can make adjustments to our education program and support services that will better prepare our current residents for a successful transition to permanent housing.
Basic Needs Program
When families enter our housing program, many have had to leave valuable possessions behind. They arrive with few personal goods and often lack even the most basic essential items. Once families are safely housed in our program, the need for basic supplies continues. Families often lack essential household goods, and maintaining adequate food can be a continuing challenge. Even upon graduating from our programs, families remain vulnerable for some time to disruptions in their stability while they work at building their assets and maintenance of consistent, adequate income. Our Basic Needs Program provides comprehensive support in the form of household and personal care supplies and temporary financial assistance to cover expenses that threaten to disrupt a family’s progress towards stability.
Family Promise Food Pantry
Our Food Pantry provides a variety of foods to low-income residents of Montgomery County to reduce food insecurity and improve nutrition. Although it is currently operating as a drive through pantry, when the pandemic passes it will revert to being a "choice” pantry, where participants are able to select the foods that they are most likely to prepare and eat.
Where we work
Awards
Humanitarian Organization of the Year 2014
Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce
Citizen of the Week (March 8) for ED Marsha Eichelberger 2014
Ambler Gazette
Inter-Faith Award for former ED Laura Wall 2014
Bethlehem Baptist Church & Wissahickon Faith Community
Yaffe–Robert Johnson Smith Civil Rights Awards for former ED Laura Wall 2012
Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission
Zone of Peace 2014
The Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia
Upper Dublin Medal-Outstanding Community Non-Profit Organization 2020
Upper Dublin Township
Affiliations & memberships
Family Promise 2023
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of volunteers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Families, Economically disadvantaged people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This metric measures the number of volunteers who dedicate their time to helping our organization. The 2020-21 decrease in volunteers reflects social distance requirements due to COVID.
Number of clients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Families, Economically disadvantaged people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This metric measures how many total people have been served by our various programs, focusing on our transitional housing, supportive housing, emergency shelter, aftercare, and food pantry programs.
Number of program graduates
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Families, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Hope Gardens/Transitional Housing Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This metric measures the number of families that successfully leave our Hope Gardens transitional housing program.
Volunteer hours
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Families, Economically disadvantaged people
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This metric measures how many volunteer hours were completed. The decrease in 2021-22 reflects social distancing requirements due to COVID.
Dollars donated to support organization and programs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Families, Economically disadvantaged people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This metric measures the contributions and grants given to our organization. 2016 total includes a one-time gift to purchase a property for our supportive housing program.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our main goals are to prevent homelessness and hunger in Montgomery County, PA.
We collaborate with Your Way Home, Montgomery County's award-winning collective impact initiative, as well as other non-profit organizations and foundations in the area, to work towards providing shelter and supportive services to those who are experiencing homelessness, with the ultimate goal of making homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring.
Family Promise aims to promote self-sufficiency among families experiencing the crisis of homelessness. We offer extensive aftercare services to all of our clients to help them retain the stable housing they obtain after they graduate from our program.
We also address food insecurity in eastern Montgomery County with our Family Promise Food Pantry, located in Abington, PA, which served 2,287 individuals in FY2023.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
To fulfill our goal of making homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring, we connect families to multiple services and resources. Through partnerships with 20+ congregations, nearly 1000 volunteers, and 35+ foundations and corporations, we offer:
• Emergency shelter (90 days) through the Interfaith Hospitality Network (20 families/year).
• Transitional shelter (2 years) at Hope Gardens (8 families/year).
• An affordable housing option in the form of a two-family home with fair market rent through our Supportive Housing Program at Hope Forest and Hope on Fifth (4 families/year).
• Healthy food options through the Family Promise Food Pantry (2,000 individuals/year).
• Essential household items through the Basic Needs Program.
• Educational classes that fill residents' skill gaps through our Educational Program.
• Limited case management, financial assistance, and holiday programs through the Aftercare Program (25 families/year).
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Family Promise Montco PA (formerly Inter-Faith Housing Alliance) has mobilized volunteers and cultivated resources to prevent and resolve homelessness and hunger for more than 40 years. During this time, we have proven very capable of meeting the needs presented by families experiencing homelessness in the Montgomery County region. Our experienced staff offer emergency shelter, transitional housing, supportive housing, a food pantry, case management, educational enhancements, aftercare services, and a basic needs program, all of which provide families with services and supplies essential to improving their current state of homelessness.
We also partner with Montgomery County's Your Way Home, 20+ congregations in the faith community, and receive numerous grants from various corporations and foundations to ensure the continuance of these programs and services that offer help to families in crisis.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
During the 2023 fiscal year, the following outcomes were achieved by families residing in housing programs at Family Promise Montco PA:
• 97 individuals were served in our housing programs
• 10,334 bed-nights of shelter were provided in our three housing programs
• 2,287 individuals received food from the Food Cupboard
• 80 graduates received aftercare
• 13 households received rental assistance to divert them from homelessness
• 100% of families who completed our housing programs found stable homes
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We act on the feedback we receive
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Family Promise Montco PA
Board of directorsas of 02/28/2024
Ms. Lisa Miller
LAM Consulting Services, LLC
Charles Quann
Bethlehem Baptist Church
John Armstrong
Armstrong Supply Co.
Wanda Lewis-Campbell
Temple University Ambler
Sherry Shoemaker
Voice of Assurance Life Coaching
Mark Whaley
Community Volunteer
David Zimmerman
Community Volunteer
Kewin Gales
Prometrics LLC
Shelia Carter
Merck
LaDon Marsh
Community Volunteer
Deidre Patterson
R.O.S.E. Foundation
Tom Wynn
Community Volunteer
Bill Martin
Gateway Search Associates
Madison Gindea
Community Volunteer
Karen Sanchez
Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP
Lesley Greene
Long & Foster
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/28/2024GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.