CHARITY

For the last 25 years, Family Promise of the Coastal Empire (FPCE) has provided a safety net for families experiencing housing instability in our community, serving over 6,000 families. We utilize family-centered strategies and mobilize community support to competently and effectively increase equitable access to housing for the Coastal Empire’s vulnerable families.

In addition to providing shelter, meals, transportation, showers and hygiene products to support households’ immediate needs, our programs also provide comprehensive support services such as housing navigation, case management, rental assistance, financial literacy, emotional and educational support and community referrals to meet each household’s unique needs. Our holistic approach to the crisis of homelessness includes prevention, diversion, shelter, housing and stabilization services, which are as follows:

Prevention helps families avoid a traumatic loss of housing and employs a solution-seeking approach to case management. Our prevention strategies include providing short-term emergency funding to address short-term family income fluctuations. Poverty alleviation and the reduction of debt are long-term goals to re-establish stable housing. 

Diversion helps families on the verge of eviction. We assess their housing options to keep them out of “traditional” homeless shelters, which potentially separate the family unit. At its core, the practice is trauma informed, client-centered, and sees homelessness as a crisis that needs to be mediated. Case management and financial assistance are central to Shelter Diversion. 

Interfaith Hospitality Network/Shelter Program. FPCE provides emergency shelter in static locations including apartments and motels. Meals and transportation are provided through our IHN network. Case managers work with families in our day center, where guests can access computers, child care, laundry and shower facilities, as well as referrals to other needed agency supports. Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rotational shelter model is currently discontinued until we can redefine its future implementation.

Stabilization is necessary to reduce the rate of returns to shelter by families. Family Promise helps families navigate secondary traumas: financial strains, employment barriers, unstable mental health, and previous debts. Family Promise cultivates relationships with landlords, community partners, faith-based communities, and employers to support stabilization for our FPCE families, and has developed some transitional housing dedicated to stabilization.

Learn more about them here.