Welcome to Family Promise - Salt Lake
Buy One, Give One
"The Company Store is working to give comfort to homeless children in America." Buy One, Give One; it's that simple. And...they're offering a 20% discount to friends of Family Promise! If you'd like to participate in this awesome opportunity, use BOGO20 when asked for the discount code! Visit The Company Store for details!
Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable, Interfaith Month, Youth Service Project
February 3, 2012, Friday
Youth Service Activity: Interfaith Youth Community Project for the Homeless Families
Family Promise Day Center, 814 W. 800 S. SLC (4-6p)
Details: The youth (ages 8-17 yo) will be lead in a brief discussion of local interfaith partnerships that serve the needs of homeless families. Afterwards, the youth will perform a cleaning service project of the Family Promise Day Center. This project is limited to 30 individuals. We would like to have 6 faith groups represented, with 1 adult supervisor and 4 youth for each faith group. To sign-up your group, or for questions contact Family Promise, Executive Director, Tony Milner at 801-792-7395, or visit www.fpsl.org.
Please Join us on Wednesday Oct. 26, 2011 to celebrate the Family Promise Mission
We are honored to have with us this year, Founder and President of Family Promise, Karen Olson as our special keynote speaker. Karen will share her amazing story of how a compassionate hospitality idea of hers in 1982 grew and transformed into a national movement that now shelters and assists into housing thousands of homeless families each year. This event is not to be missed! Wednesday October 26th, 2011, 8:00-9:00 a.m. at Little America Hotel 500 South Main St., Salt Lake City, Utah. Please RSVP to laney@fpsl.org or 801-961-8622
Moving Mountains: FPSL Hosts National Family Promise Conference
We were so excited to host our fellow affiliates from across the country for the 11th National Family Promise Conference, "Moving Mountains," September 23rd-25th, here in Salt Lake City. We were delighted to show off our beautiful city, line up local expert presenters, coordinate a memorable interfaith worship service and offer fun goodies and activities. Overall, the Conference was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who helped make it such a successful conference.
"What an amazing conference!...It may have been the best conference yet...It was Superb! It couldn't have been better on any account." - Karen Olson, President, Family Promise
The New Face of Homelessness: Young Children and Young Families
Families with children constitute the fastest growing segment of the homeless population nationwide. According to The National Alliance to End Homelessness over 100,000 families are homeless on any given night. Every year, more than 600,000 families with 1.5 million children experience homelessness. These parents and children comprise over 50% of the homeless population.
Utah's Point-In-Time Count (annualized) in 2010 reports that there are 15,642 homeless men, women and children. Families comprise of 46% of the homeless population.
Using the Department of Education's broader definition of homeless children, there were an estimated 11,928 homeless school children on January 27, 2010m an incrase of 14.8% from the previous year
Most of Utah's homeless are from Utah: 74% of individuals and 88% of families reported Utah as their last address before becoming homeless.
The average time a homeless person spends in a homeless shleter is 43 days, and the average time a family spends is 45 days
67% of the homeless population is only temporarily homeless and many never become homeless again
What's Causing This Trend?
The main cause cited for this alarming rise in family homelessness is the increasing disparity between wages and the cost of housing. Low-income renters or even homeowners, are often one paycheck, or calamity, away from homelessness.
The loss of a job, an increase in rent, a sudden illness, or the absence of family support can each turn children and their parents out on the street. From there, families may be divided because some programs serve only single men, or mothers with young children; at a family's darkest hour, they are often forced to separate in order to secure emergency shelter. Imagine the fear and humiliation felt by both parents and children.
The Family Promise - Salt Lake mission is to help homeless families achieve lasting self-sufficiency.
Family Promise - Salt Lake is an affiliate of Family Promise.