FAMILY PROMISE UPDATE FOR OCTOBER 2021

Our October host week will be held off site at the Family Promise Day Center at Arlington Congregational Church. Hosting off site will provide for a safer experience for both the families we are assisting and our volunteers. St. Johns will continue to provide groceries and meals for this week, but guest families will be residing at the Family Promise Day Center instead of our church campus. Thank you to everyone for their flexibility and dedication to this ministry. If you have any questions, please click on the button below to contact Christine Hughes and Allison Stanly .

ST. JOHNS PARTNERS WITH

FAMILY PROMISE

WHAT IS FAMILY PROMISE?

Family Promise is an organization that offers hope to homeless families through temporary shelter and holistic case management.   

FAMILY PROMISE OF JACKSONVILLE AND ST. JOHNS PRESBYTERIAN

Family Promise partners with 17 local multi-denominational church congregations and hundreds of volunteers to help homeless families move to their own homes and become self-sufficient. St. Johns Presbyterian is one of those 17 congregations and is a host church for Family Promise. Three weeks each calendar year – St. Johns invites up to three families into our church.

Our guests sleep in the Loft and/or Kirk house on air mattresses. Church volunteers provide meals, groceries, and clean linens for their stay with St. Johns. St. Johns began this partnership in 2019 and is currently in its third year of welcoming families. In 2021, we have hosted a total of six families over two host weeks (January 31-February 7 and April 11-18). Our final 2021 host is October 3-10. The impact our church is having on these families is huge. To give you a glimpse into this work- we have attached a note from one of our April guests. Frances and her teenage son recently moved into their own home. While she was with us, we provided a safe, clean space to sleep – as well as all their meals. God gave us the opportunity to participate in her story in a real and personal way. St. Johns acted as the hands and feet of Jesus, demonstrating our love for Christ, by loving others in our community.

Family Promise is an organization that offers hope to homeless families through temporary shelter and holistic case management.   In 2021, St. Johns will be a host church for Family Promise of Jacksonville for the third year in a row! We will host families for three weeks. St. Johns will offer meals, overnight accommodations, and other hospitality as we pour out God’s love into the people of our community. There are so many ways to get involved….big and small. Please consider joining us as we strive to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

WAYS THAT YOU CAN HELP

  • Would you like to prepare dinner and eat with these families?
  • Would you like to cook a hot weekend breakfast for our guests?
  • Would you like to purchase groceries to be used by our guests during the week at the downtown day center?
  • Would you like to launder linens after their stay with us?
  • Would you like to contribute a specific set-up item (e.g. personal and health supplies)?
  • Would you enjoy being an on-call weekend volunteer?

Would you like more information on volunteering?

Already a volunteer?