FAMILY PROMISE OF HUNTERDON COUNTY INC
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Mission Statement
Our mission is to advocate for homeless families and individuals and guide them to self-sufficiency and permanent housing by mobilizing the community to provide compassionate care, services and professional support.
About This Cause
In 1990, a group of Hunterdon County residents recognized that there were no housing services for the homeless population in the area and decided to take the initiative to create a new organization to address this problem. As they considered the best approach, they looked to the model of the existing Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN). IHN was founded in Union County NJ, in 1986 and went national in 1988 as an innovative model to address homelessness in local communities. IHN of Hunterdon County opened its doors in October of 1990 with several hundred volunteers and 23 participating churches. Each host-church housed guests for a week, after which time the guests moved by van to another of IHN’s sites. Much of the cost of initial operations was in-kind from the local congregations in the form of donated food and shelter space, but the costs of staff, insurance, supplies, and other basic expenses were covered through the creative fundraising undertaken by board members and other supporters. In 2012, following the lead of the national organization, IHN of Hunterdon County changed our name to Family Promise of Hunterdon County (FPHC) In 2019, we moved from our original host office of Flemington Presbyterian Church to our current location at 8 Bartles Road, also in Flemington. For thirty years, FPHC provided shelter based on this model until the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. Instantly, churches shut down and multiple families sharing a single space was no longer considered a safe option. FPHC quickly pivoted to providing shelter by using local motel rooms, enriched by services provided largely remotely. As the years passed and the pandemic eased, FPHC began to plan for a more sustainable housing model in which families would have private bedrooms and not be required to move between facilities on a weekly basis. Calvary Episcopal Church in Flemington stepped forward and offered their Annex and following renovations funded largely through state grant sources. The Promise Center, a four-bedroom residential support center for families experiencing homelessness, opened in October 2024. While having a sheltering program available to provide families with a safe and stable place to live is a critical service, all research supports the idea that avoiding or minimizing periods of homelessness is optimal for families, and especially children. Consequently, FPHC began offering eviction prevention and diversion services in 2009 in which local residents facing situational financial hardships may be eligible for assistance with rental or utility arrears or short-term rental payments, and/or help with other emergent needs threatening housing stability. Despite these services, some individuals lack sufficient personal, community, and financial resources and are forced to live in their cars, tents, and other areas not meant for habitation. In response to the growing unsheltered population in Hunterdon Conty, FPHC initiated Hope Restored, a mobile Outreach and Engagement in 2024, Hope Restored. The Promise Center is the only family shelter/transitional housing program in Hunterdon County, NJ and the first fixed state licensed shelter facility for any Family Promise affiliate in New Jersey. The Promise Center has the capacity to house a total of up to 14 individuals, approximately four families, at any one time. We anticipate serving sixteen (16) families, an estimated 64 individuals, each year. An estimated 48 of these individuals will be children. Other services provided by FPHC in support of our mission include: Homelessness Prevention: The Homelessness Prevention Program provides up to three months of assistance to pay past due rent to households in imminent danger of eviction due to temporary financial problems as a result of an unexpected emergency expense or temporary loss of income. The goal of this program is to provide housing stabilization services to households in need. Sustainable Housing: The Sustainable Housing program allows us to assist former shelter residents with rental subsidies for up to one year so women with children can pursue higher education. This program helps families move toward long-term sustainability. Neighbors in Need Fund: This invaluable case management tool allows us to assist clients currently in or recently graduated from the Promise Center, as well as other community members in need (i.e. older adults and students) with emergency expenses that will allow them to remain stable in their homes. Mental Health: We provide all clients with free counseling services to help them achieve psychological stability and process the trauma of homelessness. We have recently expanded our offerings to include grief counseling, art and play therapy, as well as parenting seminars from licensed mental health practitioners. Homelessness is a traumatic event, and our goal is to help all clients feel supported as they work towards attaining permanent housing. Hope Restored- Outreach and Engagement: We reach and support Hunterdon County’s unsheltered population by utilizing trained mobile Case Managers that develop trust with individuals sleeping in their cars, tents, or completely without shelter. These individuals are often wary and suspicious, and it takes time to build trust and engage them in services. FPHC helps meet immediate needs by providing gift cards for food, hygiene items, clean clothes, and blankets for warmth.