(York, PA) The national non-profit Family Promise announced formation of a new affiliate designed to help combat growing family homelessness in York, Pennsylvania. The new chapter lead by Chris Hamme aims to reduce the number of homeless families with children by providing emergency short term housing and transitioning families into permanent housing solutions.
Family Promise has received widespread acclaim for its highly effective intervention model which relies predominantly on volunteer support from local faith based communities. Each affiliate enlists a minimum of thirteen local congregations committed to housing between 3 to 5 families for one week periods at least four times a year. A centralized day center allows family members to connect with social service providers, seek employment and offers educational assistance to youth. The organization provides transportation to and from the day center and host congregations.
The national website indicates that 80% of Family Promise constituents are placed in permanent housing within eight weeks. Due to its reliance on local volunteers Family Promise affiliates effectively mitigate local homelessness without the need for additional capital investment.
The new York affiliate is currently in development and is seeking build support for its programming. The goal of new affiliates is to become financially self-sustaining within a three year period.