To the Homeless

Family Promise

Family Promise of Monmouth County has been established to sustain a community-wide effort through the religious community to provide shelter, meals and comprehensive services to homeless families.

The Network is made up of a host of churches and synagogues in Monmouth County who have pledged the use of their facilities and the participation of volunteer members in a nationally affiliated and recognized program aimed at service for homeless families. Other local congregations will provide additional volunteers and financial support.

Family Promise of Monmouth Couny will enable volunteers from congregations to do hands-on mission work to help homeless families as they put their faith into action. The congregations participating will interact with each other and with other community agencies, strengthening the bonds of the religious community.

The Parish of St. Anselm has become an integral part of the Family Promise network of Monmouth County.

This is how the Network operates and how the Parish of St. Anselm participates:

  • The Program is a cooperative endeavor between the religious community, congregations, volunteers and social service agencies.

  • Each church or synagogue, as a host congregation, takes turns providing meals and overnight sleeping accomodations for three to five homeless families for one week every two to three months.

  • St. Anselm's participation in Family Promise (formally Interfaith Hospitality Network) began in August, 2001.

  • Families will be spending the day at a day facility - There they will be helped by social service agencies with job searches, housing searches, etc.

  • In the evening, guests are transported by van from the day facility to the host congregation.

  • Volunteer hosts remain at the congregation overnight with the guests. Dinner and breakfast are provided by the volunteers.

  • After breakfast, the guests are taken back to the day center.

  • Guests will stay on our classroom area. Family Promise provides beds and other necessary things for the week.

Volunteers are the key to the success of this program. The interaction of church volunteers with people who are in distress, alienated from family and friends and worried about their future and their families is vital.

Volunteers will help prepare meals, serve meals, help with children, and in general show love and support. We need many volunteers.