How do we help Homeless Families in Facing Homelessness?
The Family REACH Alliance brings shelter, meals, and support services to families who lose their homes. It is a cost-efficient, effective community response to family homelessness. Because the Family REACH Alliance program makes use of existing community resources, it can be implemented quickly, without major start-up costs. The basic components of the program:
1. Host Congregations Each host congregation provides a private or semi-private space for each family, one week at a time on a rotating schedule. The Host Congregation provides the needed volunteers, supplies & resources including meals, fellowship, and hospitality.
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2. Day Center Our Guest Families use a local Day Center from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM, where our Case Manager provides case management services. At the Day Center our guests pursue employment, tend to their pre-school children, shower, and do laundry. The day center provides guests with a mailing address and a base for housing and employment searches. Many guests are employed during the day, while older children attend school.
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3. Transportation The Family REACH Alliance has a van to transport our Guest Families to and from the Day Center. Family REACH Alliance also uses its van to carry bedding and luggage to the next Host Congregation, and collect any donations made to the organization.
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4. Social Services Family REACH Alliance works in collaboration with other Social Service agencies. Local social service agencies refer families to Family REACH Alliance and may also help guests find housing, jobs, and other needed services.
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5. Volunteers Volunteers are an essential element of the program's success & provide a wide range of services like: preparing and serving meals; playing with children or helping them with homework; interacting with guests with respect and compassion; and providing overnight security. Family REACH Alliance success is 100% dependent on its many volunteers.
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6. What we need... Family REACH Alliance literally runs on the kindness of strangers. By the grace of God we have been blessed with generous benefactors, welcoming churches & very giving volunteers, but we're always looking for that missing element... YOU.
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