Family Promise Success Story: Joshua, Ann, Allysa and Billy

How temporary housing, meals, life skills, education and wrap-around services helped this family.

Joshua and Ann along with their children Allysa and Billy, ages 14 and 2, were evicted from their home because of a job loss caused by an illness. Their only form of income was Ann’s disability check. They lived in a motel for 13 months and continued to fall behind in their bills. They were forced to live in their car because a shelter would separate the family. After a couple of weeks, an agency referred them to Family Promise of South Palm Beach County.

The family was assessed, met criteria and entered our program the same day. The Road to Independence program provided them with temporary housing, meals, life skills education and individual wrap-around services. During Billy’s assessment, he showed signs of developmental delays. Through our partnerships with other agencies, we were able to get Billy his much needed therapy. Joshua and Ann’s case manager empowered them to find employment. Allysa was able to go to her same school using the Day Center as her home base through the McKinny- Vento National Act, which provided transportation to her home school.

Joshua found a job in his area of expertise. Ann, a former Marine, found a full-time position. Billy continues his therapy and has improved his language skills to be fully understood. Allysa entered the Honors Program and maintains a 4.0 GPA. The family graduated in 60 days and now lives in a townhome with a goal of homeownership.

Advocating to End Homelessness in South Florida

Homelessness and the issues that stem from it are a pressing issue in our nation and our county. Learn more about how you can become an advocate for ending homelessness by joining our cause.

Hidden Crisis

Homelessness has always been a problem in most developed countries. As of 2018, more than half a million people sleep on the streets any given night. However, this number usually doesn’t take into account families that find themselves in unsustainable living situations. Homelessness may not always be what some officials call “unsheltered homeless.” More often than not, homeless families are sleeping in their car, in an overcrowded home belonging to a friend or relative, or any other type of situation that is not conducive to a good home life.

There are more than 2.5 million homeless children in the United States every year. To put that into perspective—that’s 1 in 30. These unsustainable situations lead families to have to move often, and they increase domestic issues such as physical and sexual abuse. In order to give these children an opportunity at a good life, we must tackle this problem at the root and provide them with sustainable homes.

Quick Facts

• More families experience homelessness in the United States than in any other industrialized nation

• 85% of providers have seen family homelessness increasing in recent years throughout the country

• Families account for 37% of the overall homeless population

Palm Beach County

In Palm Beach County alone, between 19-25% of families are living in situational homelessness due to unemployment, divorce, or other problems. Palm Beach County has the second highest number of homeless children, which is why this issue is of great importance here in our community.

Our Impact

At Family Promise of South Palm Beach County, we have dedicated ourselves since 2008 to help end homelessness and the various issues that stem from it. Our program helps families find sustainable living situations, obtain any mental assistance they need, find secure employment, and learn about budgeting and finances in order to maintain a steady living situation for their children.

For instance, Joshua and Ann found themselves homeless after a job loss. We provided them with temporary housing, meals, life skills education and individual wrap-around services. Today, the family is on track toward owning a home. These are the types of changes we want to make in people’s lives, especially people who are a part of our community.

Advocacy

Being an advocate and helping as much as you can to end homelessness is one of the most important ways people can contribute to the solution. Unfortunately, many people feel advocacy is overwhelming—there’s a lot to do and many ways to do it.

One of the most important reasons to get involved is that your voice matters. Writing to your congressmen or senators about this issue will help them realize this is important for their constituents. Use this resource to find your representatives, and show them you care about this issue. Also, there are organizations like ours who provide avenues for those who would like to get involved in ending homelessness in Palm Beach County in sustainable ways. We have events and opportunities for volunteering. Of course, a lot of what we have been able to accomplish comes from donations. Anything you can supply—whether it’s your time or resources—can help us give every child the home they deserve.

Family Promise Success Story: Barbara

Although there is a stigma associated with homelessness, most people experiencing homelessness are unable to find permanent housing due to lack of resources, funding, or support. Here at Family Promise SPBC, we pride ourselves on helping those who want to have a better quality of life, for themselves and their children.

How Quickly a Family Can Become Homeless

We are often taught that homelessness is uncommon or farfetched, but in reality homelessness can happen quickly for some families. This is what happened with Barbara and her family.

Barbara was juggling her job and being a single mother, and though it wasn’t easy, she was up for the challenge. One day, Barbara got into a car accident. She was unable to work due to her injuries and was subsequently let go. Barbara and her two children survived on her savings for a while, but her savings didn’t last forever. When she ran out of money and was unable to pay her rent, she and her two children were homeless.In just a few months, Barbara and her family went from having a job and a roof over their heads to being homeless.

An Opportunity To Bounce Back

Barbara called Family Promise SPBC, and she met the criteria for our program: she’s a mother with minor-age children, has a solid work history, and has proven she’s able to become self-sufficient.

Barbara was a great addition to our Family Promise SPBC program. Due to her self-motivation and willingness to learn, she landed a new job in a short period of time.

Barbara followed the Family Promise SPBC guidelines and within less than two months she was readying her family for a successful exit from our program. The average stay in our program is 54 days, so she was well under the average. We were able to provide her with transitional housing, which is a huge advantage for her since our families often report finding safe and affordable housing in Palm Beach County is one of the greatest challenges they face.

A New and Better Path

Recently, Barbara and her two children moved into their new home: a transitional housing unit. Due to her determination, strong will to succeed, and the skills she gained by following the Family Promise SPBC program, she is now on her journey to long-term sustainability.

Barbara and her children are appreciative of everyone associated with Family Promise SPBC who has helped them on their journey. Through our program, Barbara learned how to become self-sufficient, obtained a better job, and practices her life skills training from Family Promise SPBC.