Family Promise of Sacramento is the local affiliate of the National Family Promise program, a human service organization that began 25 years ago in New Jersey to help homeless families regain their housing, self-sufficiency and dignity. Currently, there are more than 207 affiliates across the country, with 180,000 volunteers in more than 6,000 congregations. In the 15 years since our program's 2005 beginning in Sacramento, we have served and successfully "graduated" - into stable housing - 262 families with over 535 children (as noted) and referred over 2,600 other individuals to appropriate services with our human service agency partners.
During this time, all of our participating family members have received mentoring about their health care, wellness education, about life skills, all of our school-age children have attended school, received regular tutoring, often returning to proper grade level, and had access to after-school activities. Nearly 90% of our families have obtained permanent housing, after the transitional shelter in our program, and all able-bodied parents who have sought jobs during their stay have been successful, and many more have trained for employment. Besides securing housing, able-bodied adults who seek jobs get them or the requisite job training and all school-age children regularly attend school, most often reclaiming the grade-level they have lost while homeless. And, most importantly, we keep the family together as a unit, as well as assisting parents and children to obtain adequate health care, something they have not been able to do while homeless.