The Story of Homelessness
Family Promise of Greater Phoenix just put together this beautiful video showing the face and the impact that Family Promise makes.
Everything you do to help makes a difference. Thank you!
The Story of Home
When we talk about homelessness, we tend to focus on finding a place to live (and for good reason). Having a safe place to call home matters. A lot.
But after years of working alongside families at Family Promise, I can tell you that getting the keys is only part of the story. There’s a job to get to and childcare to figure out and medical bills to be paid…
Life doesn’t magically get easier just because you finally have a place to live.
That’s why our work goes beyond shelter. We walk alongside families as they work toward stability, whether that’s finding housing, getting a job, or figuring out how to make all the pieces fit together…because a home is more than four walls. It’s the chance to breathe a little easier, make plans for the future, and stop feeling like you’re constantly trying to keep everything from falling apart.
It takes a community to help make that happen.
That’s what makes this year’s Fam Jam theme, Harmony for Home, so meaningful to me. Harmony doesn’t mean everything is perfect. If it did, I think we’d all be in trouble! It means bringing the right pieces together to create something good.
At Family Promise, that means families, community partners, volunteers, and donors all playing a part in helping families build a future.
As we look ahead to Fam Jam 2027, we’re celebrating what happens when a community comes together around something that matters.
Because every family deserves a place to call home. And sometimes, having the right people in your corner makes all the difference.
We hope you’ll be part of the harmony!
The Story Hosting
Where will you sleep tonight? Thankfully, most of our readers have a quick answer to that question. Thanks to local congregations, families experiencing homelessness know where they will sleep tonight, too. It’s not in their car, in a friend or family member’s living room, or in a hotel they can’t afford. They’ll spend the overnight hours at local congregations. You heard that right, and you may be a little confused. It’s called a rotational shelter.
Families spend the day at the FPHCR Day Center, go to work or school, take care of laundry, receive case management, and hang out. Then families ride the FPHCR van, with volunteer drivers, to the congregation which is hosting that week. The congregation provides hot meals, hospitality, and private sleeping areas where families can sleep in comfort and safety (mattresses and bedding are provided by FPHCR). Empty rooms like a Sunday School room, library, or office turn into cozy sleeping spaces.
At about 6 a.m. families board the van once again to head back to the Day Center. Wash, rinse, repeat, as they say.
Our congregation partners provide so much to families experiencing homelessness. We hear the same message over and over again from our families…that they haven’t felt safe in a really long time, but they feel safe in our program. That has so much to do with our partners.
Any congregation, regardless of religion or denomination, can become a host site. We need more partners for our program to be at its best. Please share this information with friends or family members! We’d love to talk with any congregation wanting to make a difference in the lives of struggling families so they know where their children will rest their heads tonight.
The Story of Transportation
“I want to take a moment to sincerely thank you for all the support you’ve provided in getting a vehicle. From the very beginning, your team has gone above and beyond — even now, with having to get another check cut for CarMax, everyone has stayed patient, responsive, and genuinely supportive throughout the process.
“This vehicle means a great deal to my family, and I’m so grateful for the extra effort it took to make it happen. Thank you for being there every step of the way.”
