A year ago, St Vincent Martyr was honored to kick off the first week of the new Motel Shelter Program at Family Promise. The first families sheltered were deeply touched by the chance to rebuild their lives in such a caring, supportive program. Family Promise was thrilled with our generous contributions to provide the families with food and other essentials.
This summer, we are excited to announce our participation in a new program for single women, Promising Solutions (PS), a collaboration between Family Promise of Morris County and Homeless Solutions. PS is a campus of safe, shared, affordable housing, renovated in partnership with Morris Habitat for Humanity, to provide safe, stable housing for up to 32 single women experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. Last year, women comprised 40% of Morris County’s homeless population. Promising Solutions meets this need by offering a safe space for women experiencing homelessness to focus on maintaining employment and improving their overall health and wellness outcomes. A new addition to the PS campus addresses the unique needs of women veterans transitioning to civilian life.
To see how you can be part of this innovative solution to homelessness during our June 19 Family Promise Host Week, please see www.svmnj.org/housing below or contact Nancy Romain at 973-865-8346 or nerdmr@optonline.net. If you would like to donate specific items to make this a reality, please contact Kathy McCormick at kathmacsee@yahoo.com.
For the past 2 years St Vincent Martyr has been part of the motel sheltering program at Family Promise. Local motel rooms provide emergency shelter to a families in need, including a full sized kitchen for meal preparation and desks for students. Families also receive individualized social services and counseling to facilitate their move to permanent housing.
During our 2022 Host Weeks, we will provide “contactless” support to the families and single women, including meals, groceries, and other essential items. We will also have the opportunity to help furnish the group residences for women in Promising Solutions program
This summer we also have the opportunity to support Promising Solutions: a collaborative partnership that offers a comprehensive, community-based approach to increasing overall health, economic, and housing outcomes for single women in the community. Promising Solutions has housed 20 single women to date and is the only program of its kind serving single women in Morris County. Additional housing for 16 women is scheduled to open this summer.
You can help by making donations toward the purchase of the following:
• Gift cards for families in the Motel Shelter Program to cover essentials including food, clothing, gasoline, transportation, and car repairs.
• Readying houses for women in the Promising Solutions Program with furnishings for common areas and small appliances for kitchens.
• Purchase of new mattresses and linens to outfit the individual bedrooms to welcome women to their own safe, secure space in the Promising Solutions Program.