Tonight, dozens of Lawrence children will be forced to sleep in cars, cheap motels or outdoors. Without housing, they are vulnerable, friendships are difficult, school is challenging, health is endangered and self-esteem is fragile. Surrounded by all the beauty and comfort that this community offers, their lives are bleak.
Half of these children are under 7 years old. They are children of the working poor who have suffered setbacks that have left them, often for the first time in their lives, homeless. They once lived in a neighborhood where they went to work, shopped, paid taxes, voted, and sent their children to school. But a lost job, sickness or injury, fire, or transportation breakdown has put them on the street.
Unlike the chronic or transient homeless populations, they are not street-smart. Embarrassed by their condition, they mostly stay out of sight. It is a sad fact that every public school in Lawrence, from K through 12, has children who will have no secure place to sleep tonight. Some of your children have them in their classes - and likely don't know it. No child brags about homelessness.
Fortunately there is a solution to this problem: Family Promise. Now located in 140 communities around the country, it is a proven system that gets families back on their feet and into their own homes to stay. Through a network of faith congregations, families are provided with food, shelter, transportation, counseling and training. In turn, families agree to follow rules for behavior and work every day on solving their problems, improving income, and planning for permanent housing. Those with jobs must put 80 percent of their take-home pay in a personal savings account.
The director and the screening process for admission are keys. The director is a full-time trained professional who manages the program, enforces rules, coordinates supporting congregations, and gets families into permanent housing. The stringent screening process has proven to be effective in keeping out those who might be a risk to children, volunteers, or our neighbors. No one with a drug or alcohol addiction, history of abuse or violence, or criminal background can be admitted. The director has a vested interest in weeding out risky persons, as she spends 40 hours every week with them in the day center.
Each host congregation houses and feeds the families one week every quarter. Providing refuge has been a mission of faith communities around the world for centuries and is a First Amendment right.
Families are transported every morning to a day center where they shower, do laundry, look for jobs and housing, get counseling and training and store their belongings. Children are bused to school. Day centers can be found in a variety of venues, including residential areas, where they have proven to be good neighbors. They are well-maintained, quiet and unobtrusive. Checks around the country indicate that neighbors experience no problems and often serve as volunteers. City officials we have contacted love Family Promise. The mayor of Las Vegas recently gave Family Promise a house for $1 a year in recognition for 10 years of success!
We expect no such largesse from the city of Lawrence. In fact, we ask for no city funding. The host congregations provide the bulk of resources in food, shelter and volunteers. Funds for the director's salary, van, day center, insurance and operations are being raised from private sources.
Family Promise has proven itself for 20 years. Over that time, 120,000 volunteers from 5,000 faith congregations have served more than 220,000 people in 39 states. Their success rate is phenomenal; 80 percent of families who enter the program graduate into permanent housing! The average family remains in the program less than 90 days. This is clearly not a program that enables people to remain homeless. Instead, it transforms their lives and blesses congregations and volunteers, who repeatedly describe Family Promise as the best ministry they have ever served.
So far, 11 congregations from all over Lawrence have agreed to serve as hosts; another five will provide additional volunteers, food and/or funds. Individuals have pledged more than half our $120,000 first-year budget. After volunteer training, we will be ready to open our doors to displaced children and their families in November. The remaining obstacle to this ministry is approval from the city on zoning. We trust that Lawrence will not keep us from bringing its children in out of the cold.
With the help of faith communities, volunteers, and private funds, Lawrence is finally poised to effectively address this growing problem. If you want to learn more, e-mail us at lawrencefamily promise@yahoo.com.
Comments
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consumer1 (anonymous) says…
This sounds very promising. My only request is, if you are asking the city/county for funding, which you may not be from the start, (but eventually will) then we must close down the "infamous Drop in Center". Let's take that money and put it to a good use that supports famiies trying to get back on their feet and throw out the useless individual who do nothing but take advantage of this city's generosity, while breaking into houses in the neighborhood, panhandle money everyday downtown. The Drop in center which has changed its name, (trying to hide its dubious image).
consumer1 (anonymous) says…
As I read this article, I noted they seem to be mingling national statistic about homelessness. What do you have to represent local homelessness? Facts? We know about the national averages, how many children exactly are homeless in Lawrence. Please don't try and bait us with ambiguous data.
yellowhouse (anonymous) says…
dozens of kids??? Why are these people that are not providing food and shelter for their children not being turned over to SRS so they can be taken care of by foster parents?
Confrontation (anonymous) says…
"Tonight, dozens of Lawrence children will be forced to sleep in cars, cheap motels or outdoors."Please remember, Lawrence doesn't care. Lawrence has kitties and puppies that are cold and hungry, and they are the first priority. Let's keep funding the Humane Society with our tax dollars. The children don't matter.
Father_Barker (anonymous) says…
What Joe Reitz fails to mention is that he seeks code changes from the city to allow for homeless shelters in every residential neighborhood in Lawrence. If you live in a residential neighborhood, you had better be weary of the code changes Reitz and Family Promise seek. There are many ways to accommodate the homeless that don't involve putting shelters into residential areas. Also, Family Promise is not bound to help Lawrence families alone, and would import homeless families to Lawrence. Good for Family Promises' intentions, but they are going about things in the wrong way -- and have misrepresented themselves to the politicians and the public in many areas. Oh, and if you disagree with them in any way they brand you as lacking compassion. What a load.
repndem_natives (anonymous) says…
Wow that is a good idea, if Lawrence really cares for those with out, then why does everyone seem to look down on the homeless.
tangential_reasoners_anonymous (anonymous) says…
Barker: "There are many ways to accommodate the homeless that don't involve putting shelters into residential areas."If I understand the situation, these people are *home*less, not *shelter*less.Eh?
yoornotmee (anonymous) says…
How about we ditch the drop in center, stop feeding the good-for-nothing, intentionally homeless and use that money to help those who actually need and deserve help to get back on their feet? Lawrence is a destination for those who know they can live off the naive goodwill of others; they know we'll take care of them. So let's stop pampering them and start providing temporary assistance to people who honestly do want to be healthy members of society.Not in a residential neighborhood though.
Solutions101 (anonymous) says…
An example of success for the community without the government "help" that's forcing taxpayers to pay for programs for the drug abusers and DUI offenders. This is the type of program you receive through generous congregations (yes, faith and churches!) while the support is given to those who want and need the help to live a sustainable lifestyle. Imagine what could be accomplished with LESS government intrusion and control of our money. I hope this program continues its expansion and help for the community while refusing unnecessary taxpayer money and accepting donations. I also hope to see more of these progresses in the future. This is a step in the right direction, enriching America's optimism.
Solutions101 (anonymous) says…
repndem_natives:"Wow that is a good idea, if Lawrence really cares for those with out, then why does everyone seem to look down on the homeless."Easy: the City of Lawrence does not. Homelessness is an example of the City's contribution to society and the taxpayers, not the congregations. They are actually helping those who need it with having their standard. Lawrence thinks the taxpayers need to take care of the ignorant, lazy and provide $20+/hr jobs with benefits for those with an IQ of 75. Equality, right? Punish the heart surgeon and praise the #1 doughnut shop customer. Heck, they'll even provide the free transportation.I would like to be on a road without having to dodge a 2 ft^3 pothole for my life as I ride my bike with oncoming traffic because there are NOT enough decent, if any, sidewalks. Gov't, taxpayer money needs to go to the roads, not buses for those who don't want to walk or ride their bike that also tear up the roads and endanger public safety. Roads are the #1 Priority. No one can provide an logical argument against it because it is true.
hunziker1 (anonymous) says…
cusumer 1 i think u need to go and work with the the people at the drop off center for just one day you would see that the people there are not just a bunch of ussless people useing up our generosity there are hole familys there also we have alot mentel illness that the state will not take care of ,so do we realy want to plow down the building and make the lives of people that already have it ruff and make it eaven harder. remember there are alot of people that are just a paycheck away from being there.