Opening doors for homeless

The statistics are staggering, and they are escalating, according to Cindy Wood.

“In Kootenai County on any given night in January, there were 228 homeless people, 33 were families and 70 were under the age of 19,” says Wood, the new director of Family Promise of North Idaho.

Family Promise of North Idaho opened its Post Falls doors April 20 and is the 128th affiliate in the United States. Founded 20 years ago, the Family Promise mission is “to empower homeless families to become self-sufficient by providing temporary shelter, employment and housing assistance, as well as individual and family counseling.”

In a typical Family Promise shelter more than half of the guests are children, most of whom are younger than age 6. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that over 12 percent of the U.S. population lives in poverty. That’s more than one in every nine people and one in six children, according to Wood.

“Lack of affordable housing, jobs that pay low wages and offer minimal benefits, the high cost of child care and health care and inaccessible public transportation are factors contributing to homelessness,” says Wood.

Wood, who has degrees from the University of Idaho and Pepperdine University, moved to the Coeur d’Alene area from Bozeman, where her family served as hosts with Family Promise. Currently residing in Post Falls, she is waiting for the rest of her family to join her.

She had worked in Campus Ministry for eight years helping college students become adult leaders, and with developmentally disabled young adults, teaching them life skills.

Family Promise operates Interfaith Hospitality Networks that includes local host churches and two support churches. The churches alternate as hosts, providing lodging for families from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m..

Local hosts include Camp White, Community Presbyterian Church, Community United Methodist Church, First Presbyterian Church, Mountain View Bible Church, Trinity Lutheran Church, Post Falls Seventh Day Adventist, and Unity Church. Support churches include Calvary Lutheran Church and Lutheran Church of the Master.

“IHNs are a cost-efficient, effective and replicable community response to family homelessness, because they make use of existing community resources,” says Wood.

Family Promise staff and area social service agencies screen guests and refer families to the network. A group of women called the North Idaho Alliance prepares meals.

Future plans include offering family mentoring, which helps prevent homelessness by training volunteers to be advisors and advocates to low-income families.

Another program, Just Neighbors, is an interactive educational program which raises awareness of the causes of poverty and homelessness as the first step to establishing community-based responses. And Community Initiatives is designed to foster local IHN outgrowth programs such as transitional housing, job training, child care and literacy.

Guests use a day center from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., where the Family Promise director provides case management services. Guests can pursue employment, secure child care, shower and do laundry. The day center provides guests with a mailing address and a base for housing and employment searches. Many guests are employed during the day, while older children attend school.

Family Promise of North Idaho volunteer board members include Earl Kendle, Phil Cowan, Romer Brown, Melinda Butler, Lynne Downs, Gary Edwards, Bill Grolla, Jan Hilling, Jill Jurvelin, John Leyh and Bev Moss.

“Volunteers are the heart of our network,” according to Wood, “and provide services such as cooking, serving meals, transport services and staffing at night.”

Family Promise of North Idaho meetings are held the third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at Falls Christian Assembly Church in Post Falls.