Family Promise
Family Promise
An interfaith Delray nonprofit gives hope to struggling families in their time of need.
I
n the same way it takes a village to raise a child, a local organization believes that sometimes it takes a community to rescue a family. Hidden behind St. Vincent Ferrer Church in Delray Beach is the headquarters of Family Promise, an interfaith charity that provides shelter, food, necessities and life skills for homeless families in our area. To serve those in need, the organization relies on some 1,100 volunteers representing more than 20 host and supporting congregations in Boca and Delray—from Advent Lutheran to St. Paul’s Episcopal to Temple Beth El.
“They know when they come in that it’s not a free ride. It’s a group effort. We’re here to empower you. We’re not here to do it for you. We’re going to do this together.” —Kokie Dinnan “Our goal is to keep our families together,” says Kokie Dinnan, executive director of Family Promise, which launched locally in 2008 (the national organization began in 1988). “In a time of crisis, they need one another more than ever.” Most shelters separate men and women, but Family Promise’s unique program keeps families intact by calling on hosting congregations (churches and synagogues with enough room and staffing) to house the families. Congregations alternate to provide families with private rooms and meals for a weeklong stretch; no more than four guest families are in the program at a time. The location change is a minor inconvenience for those receiving when U want to know
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everything from transportation to school to access to a Day Center facility (with computers and phones) to strategy sessions for becoming self-sufficient. “We strive to give our families life skills that, in some cases, were never even introduced,” Dinnan says. “We offer parenting classes. We have financial advisers that come in and do budgeting with our families.” Each family must outline weekly goals and, with the help of a personal caseworker, work to meet them. “The structure empowers them,” Dinnan says. “It [allows] them to do what they need to do to take care of themselves. That’s our goal: not to enable, but to empower.” In addition to working with families from low socioeconomic backgrounds, the organization has seen a proliferation of former middleand even upper-class families suddenly in need of help. Dinnan says that Family Promise receives an average of 70 new inquiries a month. After a family is referred to the organization, a preliminary phone call is made to collect basic questions about the family’s history. “One thing that we ask is what their goals are,” Dinnan says. “If a person has goals, that shows motivation—and that makes them a high candidate for us.” Candidates for the program are required to provide a background check from the sheriff’s department; there also is drug testing. Families are screened for domestic abuse, violence and mental illness. “We are a volunteer-based organization,” Dinnan says. “We are not a halfway house. We are not a shelter. We have to be cautious.” As selected families continue to get back on their feet, they can receive assistance for up to a year after graduation. Dinnan is thankful for the congregations and volunteers; she is continually looking for new agencies to help community members.
Aaron Bristol
Hometown Heroes
Kokie Dinnan
“Without one piece, the rest of it wouldn’t work,” she says. “We all come together as a community and make a difference in people’s lives, that’s what I love the most.” For more information about the organization, visit familypromisespbc.org.
Inside the Numbers
90 days
Average length of stay for a family
12
Local hosting congregations
4 times per year
Times a congregation can host
1,100
Number of volunteers
80%*
National success rate
85%*
Local success rate * Based on families that are sustainable for more than a year after graduation.
[ bocamag.com ]
165
3/26/12 3:58 PM
An interfaith Delray nonprofit gives hope to struggling families in their time of need.
I
n the same way it takes a village to raise a child, a local organization believes that sometimes it takes a community to rescue a family. Hidden behind St. Vincent Ferrer Church in Delray Beach is the headquarters of Family Promise, an interfaith charity that provides shelter, food, necessities and life skills for homeless families in our area. To serve those in need, the organization relies on some 1,100 volunteers representing more than 20 host and supporting congregations in Boca and Delray—from Advent Lutheran to St. Paul’s Episcopal to Temple Beth El.
“They know when they come in that it’s not a free ride. It’s a group effort. We’re here to empower you. We’re not here to do it for you. We’re going to do this together.” —Kokie Dinnan “Our goal is to keep our families together,” says Kokie Dinnan, executive director of Family Promise, which launched locally in 2008 (the national organization began in 1988). “In a time of crisis, they need one another more than ever.” Most shelters separate men and women, but Family Promise’s unique program keeps families intact by calling on hosting congregations (churches and synagogues with enough room and staffing) to house the families. Congregations alternate to provide families with private rooms and meals for a weeklong stretch; no more than four guest families are in the program at a time. The location change is a minor inconvenience for those receiving when U want to know
ourtown2 mj12.indd 165
everything from transportation to school to access to a Day Center facility (with computers and phones) to strategy sessions for becoming self-sufficient. “We strive to give our families life skills that, in some cases, were never even introduced,” Dinnan says. “We offer parenting classes. We have financial advisers that come in and do budgeting with our families.” Each family must outline weekly goals and, with the help of a personal caseworker, work to meet them. “The structure empowers them,” Dinnan says. “It [allows] them to do what they need to do to take care of themselves. That’s our goal: not to enable, but to empower.” In addition to working with families from low socioeconomic backgrounds, the organization has seen a proliferation of former middleand even upper-class families suddenly in need of help. Dinnan says that Family Promise receives an average of 70 new inquiries a month. After a family is referred to the organization, a preliminary phone call is made to collect basic questions about the family’s history. “One thing that we ask is what their goals are,” Dinnan says. “If a person has goals, that shows motivation—and that makes them a high candidate for us.” Candidates for the program are required to provide a background check from the sheriff’s department; there also is drug testing. Families are screened for domestic abuse, violence and mental illness. “We are a volunteer-based organization,” Dinnan says. “We are not a halfway house. We are not a shelter. We have to be cautious.” As selected families continue to get back on their feet, they can receive assistance for up to a year after graduation. Dinnan is thankful for the congregations and volunteers; she is continually looking for new agencies to help community members.
Aaron Bristol
Hometown Heroes
Kokie Dinnan
“Without one piece, the rest of it wouldn’t work,” she says. “We all come together as a community and make a difference in people’s lives, that’s what I love the most.” For more information about the organization, visit familypromisespbc.org.
Inside the Numbers
90 days
Average length of stay for a family
12
Local hosting congregations
4 times per year
Times a congregation can host
1,100
Number of volunteers
80%*
National success rate
85%*
Local success rate * Based on families that are sustainable for more than a year after graduation.
[ bocamag.com ]
165
3/26/12 3:58 PM
