Family Promise of Greater Denver

Ending Homelessness One Family at a Time.

About Us Family Promise began serving homeless families in 1997. Since then, we’ve helped more than 1,000 families, including 1,900 children. Today, 86% of families improve their financial future; 72% move into stable housing; and 71% of parents are employed or enrolled in a degree program!

Our Mission We’re part of a national network of 180+ affiliates that partner with faith communities to provide shelter and food for families. We also facilitate case management, transportation assistance and additional resources to help them succeed.

Thank you for your support!

Contact Us: FamilyPromiseOfGreaterDenver.org | 303.675.0713 | Hello@FamilyPromiseOfGreaterDenver.org

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers are the heart of our mission! Here are some available volunteer shifts … Driver (1 Volunteer/Van Shift) A volunteer drives a 15-passenger van (no CDL required) to the Day Site, leaving the host church at 7 each morning. The guests are picked up from the Day Site at 5 each evening.

Dinner Hosts (2-4 Volunteers) Guests will arrive at the host congregation at approximately 5:30 each day. Dinner hosts prepare and serve a hot, nutritious meal each evening. Dinner is casual and informal. Hosts socialize with the guests and assist parents with children’s needs. After the meal, everyone (hosts and guests) will help in cleaning up.

Evening Hosts (2 Volunteers) After dinner, (except when class is scheduled) guests relax and prepare sack lunches for the following day. Hosts will set out items for the lunches and the guests will prepare the lunches for themselves and their families. There are opportunities for children to do homework, play, watch TV (optional), or participate in supervised activities (crafts, for example).

Childcare (2-3 Volunteers) Volunteers provide daycare two nights per week while parents are in hour-long classes held at the host congregation.

Overnight Hosts (2 Volunteers) Two people will stay overnight with the guests each night at the host congregation. The hosts will have their own sleeping area and do not have to stay awake.

Other Responsibilities Breakfast hosts; Sunday set-up and clean-up; Donations; Laundry; Special activities.

Contact Us: FamilyPromiseOfGreaterDenver.org | 303.675.0713 | Hello@FamilyPromiseOfGreaterDenver.org

A Typical Family Promise Host Week:

Host congregations are the key component to Family Promise and our ability to serve families. We work with congregations of varying faiths and backgrounds to host up to five families a week four to five times a year. The congregations provide families with a safe place to sleep, breakfast and dinner, showers, laundry, and transportation to and from the Family Promise day site. Roll-away beds and pillows are moved between host congregations on Sunday. Volunteers set up private or semi-private rooms for each guest family and interact with the children and their families throughout the week.

During the week there are approximately 50 slots for volunteers. Some congregations have a different member for each slot; others have volunteers take on multiple roles. Volunteers come from the Host and Support Congregations and are assigned duties by the Coordinator, a member of the host congregation who oversees the week.

Sunday

A truck or van arrives in the afternoon with roll-away beds and the families’ personal belongings from the previous Host

Congregation to be set up in designated spaces.

A volunteer arrives at the Day Site to pick up the families and the Family Promise van.

Guest families arrive at the Host Congregation on Sunday evening between 5:30 and 6 p.m. The rooms for the families and the

common area have been set up prior to their arrival.

Each night of hosting

Families settle in, relax and meet the coordinators and the evening volunteers. At 6:00pm dinner is served family style. Guests

and volunteers share the meal together. Families are responsible for their children and help with clean up and chores.

After dinner, volunteers spend time with families. Hosts and their families play games, help with homework, watch videos, take

showers and do laundry. Twice a week, Family Promise staff teach Life Skills classes at the Host Congregation after dinner.

Food for lunch is available in the kitchen area and parents make sack lunches for their family for the following day.

Adults turn in around 10 p.m.; children at appropriate earlier bedtimes. Wake up is at 6 a.m. Two Volunteers will spend the

night at the congregation.

Breakfast is served around 6:30 a.m. during the week; typically cereal and other convenient foods. A volunteer van driver

transports the families to the Day Site, leaving the Host location at 7 a.m.

During the day (Families are not at the congregation)

The volunteer van driver takes guests to the Day Site. From there, children go to school and the parents to their jobs. In the

afternoon, the volunteer van driver picks up the families from the day site and takes them back to the congregation.

If the parents do not have a job, they work with the staff to seek employment, housing and other resources to help them

regain their independence. The Day Site has computers, phones and fax to assist families in their self-sufficiency plan. A play

room and nap room is also available for the children.

Everyone returns to the Host Congregation between 5:30 and 6 p.m. and the schedule repeats.

Saturday

Families can go back to the Day Site or plan another activity on weekends (see friends and relatives, take children to activities,

etc.). Host Congregations can also keep the families and do fun activities for the day (go to the zoo, movies, museums, etc.).

The next Sunday

On Sundays, the families pack their belongings and leave the facilities prior to Sunday services. They are transported to the Day

Site for the day until it is time to move to the next congregation. Families that want to attend services will usually do so at their

own congregations; some may choose to worship at a Host Congregation.

Supplies List

Non-Perishable Food Items: Juice boxes (1 box of 36) Chips (50 individual bags) Pudding cups (20 individual) Pop-tarts (2 large boxes) Cold cereal (2 boxes or large box of individual servings) Coffee (large ground Folgers or equivalent) Jelly (1 jar) Ketchup (1) Tuna (12 individual servings) Spagettios (3 cans) Ranch dressing (2) Applesauce (individual servings) (20) Mustard (1 jar) Mayo (1 jar) Cup-o-noodles (pack of 15) Peanut butter (2 large jars) Granola bars (24) Powdered lemonade or KoolAid Water bottles (24 pack) Paper lunch sacks Ziplock baggies – sandwich size

Additional: Sheets Blankets Mattress Pads First Aid Kit Alarm clocks (small, plug-in type) Nightlights Small lamps

Toiletries and Laundry: Laundry detergent Dryer sheets Razors (1 package) Shaving cream (male and female) Shampoo and Conditioner (large squirt bottles) Body wash (large squirt bottles) Baby shampoo (large squirt bottle) Diapers (all sizes) Wet wipes Toothbrushes Toothpaste Feminine Products Combs Tissues

Questions?

Contact:

Terri Harrington:

Council Member, Unity Spiritual Center Denver

Email: th@hbc-law.net

Cell Phone: (303) 915-0454

Jessica Nguyen:

Email: jessica_aman@hotmail.com

Cell Phone: (303) 956-4170

View Family Promise Website:

http://www.familypromiseofgreaterdenver.org/