HOST CONGREGATIONS:

Vertical Church 1607 SW Swan Drive - Bartlesville Disciples Christian Church 5800 Douglas Lane Bartlesville St. Lukes Episcopal Church 210 East 9th St Bartlesville Communidad Hispana 501 SW Cherokee Ave Bartlesville Liberty Chapel of Praise 1312 West Hensley Blvd - Bartlesville Adams Boulevard Church of Christ 3700 SE Adams Blvd-Bartlesville First Christian Church 520 SE Osage-Bartlesville Dewey United Methodist Church 618 N. Delaware St - Dewey

During our crisis, it was peaceful to come to a church and feel protected. Although our home moved weekly, we felt loved and that we would not be abandoned until I was able to secure a permanent job and affordable housing. Single Mother, age 26 Family Promise helped my family in lots of ways. They provided you with food, transportation and games for children. Everyday members of the church would come to spend the night so you and your children will have someone to talk to. Son, age 11

An Introduction To:

To learn more about us, visit our website: www.washingtoncountywellness.org/fam ily-promise-of-washington-county.html

If you would like to volunteer or make a donation, please write or call:

Family Promise of Washington County, Inc. P.O. Box 3172 Bartlesville, Oklahoma 74005 Office Phone: (918) 332-6495 Office Fax: (918) 335-3012 A member of the Washington County Wellness Initiative djenkins@health.ok.gov

A Community Response for Homeless Families

***MORE TO JOIN***

SUPPORT CONGREGATIONS:

Family Promise was a lifesaver for me and my family. It gave me the support I needed to get through this stressful time in my life. Single Mother, age 35

Who are the Homeless? People! Individuals, families, mothers, fathers, children and elderly. People just like you.
A spouse cannot cope with the responsibility of a family anymore and leaves a 14-year marriage. The remaining spouse, left with a teenager who is a mother of an 8-month old baby herself, has no money, no car and no job. Whats next? They must stay at a shelter. A low-income family has a house fire and loses everything. The little insurance they had may build a structure, but will not replace personal belongings. Rebuilding will take months. They end up living with a sister and her children in an already too small apartment. A family suffers from corporate downsizing. The household breadwinner is laid off. They have a little money in savings, but after four months of looking for work, the money is gone. One parent must stay home to attend to the three small children. They borrow money from family to last another month but then, where will they turn?

Programs vary from community to community, reflecting local needs and resources. However, there are basic needs for all programs: 1. Host Congregations 2. Volunteers 3. Day Center 4. Transportation 5. Fundraising 1. Host Congregations Three to four times per year, for one week at a time, Host Congregations provide overnight lodging, meals (supper, breakfast, and brownbag lunch), and hospitality. Housing rotates among the member Host Congregations (no less than thirteen) for three or four families (up to fourteen people) from 5:00 p.m. 7:00 a.m. the next morning. 2. Volunteers The volunteers are the lifeblood of the program, without whom Family Promise would not exist. Volunteers provide a variety of services: cooking and serving meals, playing with children or helping with homework, and staying overnight. Beyond these services, volunteers interact with the guests treating them with respect and responding with compassion. This is an opportunity for the whole family to volunteer on some level. 3. Day Center Each day the guests are brought to our Day Center, which provides a homelike atmosphere for our guests from 7:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. The FPWC and Network Directors offices are located here. Many of the guests are employed and will go to work. Other guests work with the Network Director on finding jobs and housing. The Day Center has shower facilities and washer and dryer to clean clothes. Children not old enough for school have a designated area at the Center.

4. Transportation A FPWC supplied van and volunteer or part-time drivers transport guests to and from the Host Congregation and Day Center. The van also provides transportation to employment interviews, housing searches, medical/dental appointments and to social service agencies. 5. Fundraising Since FPWC is self-supporting, it is very critical to open and maintain avenues of funding for the program. In the initial start up it is estimated that it will require $150,000 to operate the first year. Although many dollars are contributed through volunteer efforts, there is the need to employ a full-time Network Director, insurances, utilities, furnishings, and a number of other necessary items to make our program a success. FPWC will always be seeking donations (both material and monetary), grants, and fundraising opportunities. If you can be supportive in any of these ways, please contact us. Why FPWC? Because all the Family Promise Network Programs are successful. On average, 70%+ of the families who participate in Interfaith Hospitality Network Programs find permanent housing. Guests without jobs usually find them or enter job training. Others even enroll in school. FPWC has begun to touch many volunteers within our Network as they care for families in need in a loving and caring way. Washington County has a homeless problem that we are addressing. In 2008, Bartlesville did an affordable housing study and found 820 occupations that could not afford to rent or buy a home. The Bartlesville Public Schools reported 266 homeless children in 2013. There are many others who are moving or are hidden homeless (people staying with family or friends) that we have not recognized. Wont you please help?

Family Promise of Washington County, Inc. (FPWC) is a nonprofit and non-denominational organization for families in transition. The program is in the process of obtaining 501(C)(3) status. Part of a national network, Washington County is one of over 180 Networks across the United States. There are over 4500 congregations and 110,000 volunteers making up these Networks. Based on the support of volunteers and Host Congregations, Family Promise (formerly Interfaith Hospitality Network) programs are funded by donations, grants, and fundraising opportunities. Family Promise tries to build programs from existing resources so they can be implemented quickly, and without major start-up costs.