FAMILY PROMISE-GREATER PHOENIX

Every child deserves a home. Sadly 1/3 of all homeless families will either surrender their children to foster care or have them removed from their custody. Our goal: keep families together as they journey from experiencing homelessness to sustainably housed.

Family Promise is expanding our capacity to serve more families each year. We are also testing out a small shared housing program for graduate families to give them additional time, support, and padding before returning to independent living. We are steps away from rapidly building a small-scale affordable housing community.

It is our desire to redefine family homelessness here in Maricopa County. We must focus on the kids and how we can impact their lives, forever changing the course of their future.

Lastly, Family Promise not only impacts the lives of the families we serve...we provide a way for the community to live out their desire to help others. That is mostly achieved through our nightly shelter model. It lets volunteers provide food, friendship, and lodging in their faith congregation's empty classrooms and fellowship halls.

Family Promise - Greater Phoenix has a proven and efficient model of partnering with the faith community. Over 50 congregations (all faiths/Valley-wide) open their hearts and their doors to welcome our families into their places of worship for overnight hospitality.

Passionate volunteers prepare an evening meal and break bread with our families and their children. A special, private area has been prepared for each family, as they will be provided safe overnight shelter...right their at the congregation.

All food and shelter is provided by the community...along with hope and healing.

Our dedicated Social Work Team provides case management and resources to assist our families in attaining employment, housing and financial self-sufficiency.

In order to meet the growing need for family shelter, Family Promise has expanded to offer four staffed sites across the Valley. Our Graduate Program journeys with families another two years to further help them out of poverty.

Family Promise treasures the over 50 congregations who nightly host our families, as well as the nearly 3,300 volunteers who lend their time, talents and treasures to serve our families. We have a dedicated team who recruit, train and steward new congregations and volunteers.

The organization has a diverse fundraising strategy including: individual donors, tax credits, grant writing, events, and foundation and corporate support.

We also have an active Board of Directors who are also some of our largest donors.

Family Promise served 37 families with children from one site in 2000. In 2022, it served 143 families out of four sites and reached a lifetime total of rescuing 1,700 families from homelessness.

The definition of "family" expanded in 2012 to include pets. All it took was seeing one family refuse shelter in order to not have to surrender their pet. The on-site pet sanctuary has since sheltered over 300 pets with their owners maintaining care and cleanup of their furry, feathery, or scaly family member.

Family Promise doubled its capacity in 2011 and opened a new Family Day Center in Glendale in early 2019. Headquarters moved to a second south Scottsdale facility later that year. This also opened up additional shelter space.

A fourth Family Day Center opened in Mesa late in 2020 with annual capacity for another 38 families. The Glendale Family Day Center moved to expand capacity in 2021. That free up its original space to pilot a shared housing program for shelter graduates. It will give families additional time to build savings while balancing light rent and a budget before transitioning to independent living.

Family Promise is making concrete strides in opening its first affordable housing community in 2023. This will be a visible sign of moving families from homelessness toward self-sufficiency.