Advertisement

Interfaith groups form rotating shelter for homeless families

 
Volunteers John Colbert, left, and Mike Conrow set up a bed at Central Christian Church in St. Petersburg. The church is the first host in the local Family Promise program that will shelter homeless families.
Volunteers John Colbert, left, and Mike Conrow set up a bed at Central Christian Church in St. Petersburg. The church is the first host in the local Family Promise program that will shelter homeless families.
Published April 16, 2015

ST. PETERSBURG — Several years ago, a local pastor tried to put together an interfaith coalition to offer homeless families temporary shelter at congregational facilities and help them find jobs and permanent housing.

That attempt to launch a branch of the nationwide Family Promise program, which requires a network of more than a dozen willing congregations, struggled to get off the ground.

Now a new push, benefitting from $25,000 raised from that initial effort and the cooperation of close to 20 St. Petersburg congregations, is under way.

Central Christian Church, 6161 22nd Ave. N, will be the first host. Church members recently unpacked cots for their guests, the first of whom are expected to arrive in a few days.

Debbie Nash, a member of Lutheran Church of the Cross, another Family Promise congregation, is spearheading this latest effort. She said 14 congregations are committed to hosting a maximum of four families, or 14 people, once every quarter, for a week. About five other congregations will help in other ways, she said.

Hosts will provide families with a place to sleep, and give them breakfast, a bagged lunch and an evening meal. At each location, volunteers will cook, eat with the guests and tutor or play with the children.

"Food, love and fellowship," is how Nash, a stay-at-home mom who decided to organize the program about a year ago, explains it.

Even with donations, which have included computers to landscaping to volunteer time, there have been a few setbacks. Last week Nash announced a parting of the ways with the program's first executive director. She and another woman, Teresa Guy, will function as interim co-directors.

Rhonda Abbott, chief executive officer of the Pinellas County Homeless Leadership Board, praised Nash's efforts.

"We are very excited about Family Promise and we are so pleased that it is about to get up and running," Abbott said. "It's just one more solution to addressing family homelessness in our community. Low income housing is what we really need for our families who are working two and three jobs to make ends meet."

According to the "point-in-time" count on Jan. 23, 2014 — when the yearly survey was conducted — Pinellas County had 1,105 adults and 29 children without any shelter that night. There were 2,117 adults and 2,497 children in shelters that night. Figures for 2015 are still being analyzed, Abbott said.

Family Promise will augment shelter and meals with assistance at its day center, which will offer showers, phones, a computer lab, a place to receive mail, laundry facilities and help to find jobs. Adults will learn budgeting and be required to save 80 percent of their income. It's where children will be picked up for school.

The program is working with the Juvenile Welfare Board, the Pinellas County School District, the St. Petersburg Free Clinic and 2-1-1 Tampa Bay Cares to connect with needy families, Nash said.

Keep up with Tampa Bay’s top headlines

Keep up with Tampa Bay’s top headlines

Subscribe to our free DayStarter newsletter

We’ll deliver the latest news and information you need to know every morning.

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

"We also take direct phone calls. All families are brought in and screened," she said, adding that there is a policy of drug, alcohol and criminal background checks.

The program is dependent on donations and will apply for grants. Central Christian Church is donating space for the day center and Habitat for Humanity volunteers will help to enclose a carport for offices and to enlarge a bathroom. A Lakewood United Methodist Church bus will transport families to the center and to their congregational hosts.

"One of the most beautiful experiences for me is to see the community coming together to change the lives of people right here, our neighbor," Nash said.

Contact Waveney Ann Moore at wmoore@tampabay.com or (727) 892-2283. Follow @wmooretimes.