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Family Promise spurs homeless empathy with Box Car City

 
Susan Raines participated in the Family Promise of Greater Brandon's 2016 fundraiser, Box Car City, which was held inside due to weather. Photo courtesy of Edwina Reddick.
Susan Raines participated in the Family Promise of Greater Brandon's 2016 fundraiser, Box Car City, which was held inside due to weather. Photo courtesy of Edwina Reddick.
Published April 26, 2017

BRANDON — On the night of April 28, the grounds surrounding the First Presbyterian Church of Brandon will be lined with boxes.

Some of those boxes will be decorated with papers and streamers, others will represent a favorite sports team.

All of the boxes, however, will be home for the night to participants in Family Promise of Greater Brandon's fourth annual fundraiser, Box Car City, which gives guests a glimpse into the hardships of homelessness.

Not only will they experience what it's like to have no safe place to sleep, coping with variable temperatures, noise, humidity and bugs, but they will pay $25 to do so.

The funds raised will allow Family Promise of Greater Brandon to further assist homeless families.

"Since we started on May 4, 2014, we have served 168 people of which 99 of those individuals were children," said Edwina Reddick, executive director of Family Promise of Greater Brandon. "It may not sound like big numbers, but take into consideration that our program is a 90-day program and we've graduated 30 families from that who have moved into safe and affordable housing, and have jobs."

In addition to the program, the nonprofit has provided 10,413 beds through connections with local churches.

"We focus specifically on family homelessness and children who are involved," Reddick said.

Reddick, who has served as executive director for a year and a half, experienced homelessness herself after a divorce left her to struggle while raising five daughters.

"The community in Oklahoma where I was living at the time, kind of picked me up," Reddick said. "Individuals in one church I attended said to me 'you have no choice but to make it, you have five kids.'

"I'm proud today that all of the daughters are employed."

Now, Reddick is the one providing support in her position, through events such as this, with the help of host coordinators like Carrie Simmons who has attended Box Car City for three years.

"You don't get much sleep and you're achy all over," Simmons said. "It's very humbling to wake up that morning, go back to your own house and shower. If it was true to their life, they would still be sleeping in their cars, figuring out where to get their next meal and probably wouldn't be able to shower."

Box Car City will kick off at 6 p.m. on Friday at 121 Carver Ave. with speakers and performances including a new speaker this year. Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Deputy Joshua Boyer who will address homelessness in Hillsborough county.

A Christian dance troupe will also make their debut.

Guests are encouraged to attend the presentation even if they do not wish to sleep in a box. They can also donate through virtual box.

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For more information, visit familypromisebrandon.org.

Contact Arielle Waldman at awaldman@tampabay.com.