Hosting Family Promise of Greater Cleveland Families
There are five key components to hosting within Family Promise of Greater Cleveland:
1. Hosts
Hosting rotates weekly among the host congregations in our Network. Each week two churches or synagogues in Greater Cleveland host families. Each host congregation hosts up to 5 families (maximum of 14 people) 2 to 4 times each year. In turn, each host congregation provides comfortable accommodations (usually converting classrooms to bedrooms for each family), three meals daily, and compassionate hospitality.
2. Tremont Family Center
Families use our Tremont Family Center from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, where we provide case management and other services. There, families pursue employment, tend to babies and pre-school children, shower, and do laundry. They also have private, locked storage, a family room, kitchen, play areas and supplies. The Family Center is each family’s home base for housing and employment searches. Some parents work during the day or attend a school or training program.
3. Volunteers
Volunteers are the heart of the program. They can share their time and talents in many ways, usually just for a few hours every three months. Volunteers:
- Cook and serve meals
- Play with children and help them with homework
- Stay overnight with guest families
- Provide specialized services, like resume writing or apartment search assistance
- Offer companionship to children and their families, showing them compassion and respect, and sharing a sense of community
4. Social Service Agencies
We partner with other social service agencies to help families find housing, jobs, and benefits.
5. Transportation
A Family Promise of Greater Cleveland van transports guests to and from the host site and the Tremont Family Center. We also take each school-age child to their own neighborhood school so they don’t need to transfer schools and can maintain academic and social stability during homelessness.
