The holidays aren’t all about the materialistic gifts or how much you get; the holiday season is all about the gift of family.
My family is the definition of a loving family. The holiday events are always extravagant, with my parents’ families driving from all over Ohio to meet at our home. Grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins that you rarely see are gifts that make the holidays joyful. These connections give the season that joyful, warm feeling that everyone looks forward to at Christmas.
To assist in these events, it was important to have a wonderful home. Our home has always been a gathering place, shelter, and sanctuary, providing escape from the busyness and intrusiveness of the world. When I found out that there were members of the local community without a home, I knew immediately that I wanted to help, and which is why I chose to donate $100 to Family Promise of Lima Ohio.
Family Promise is a faith-based agency working with various community partners, dedicated to helping homeless families achieve and sustain independence by providing help, hope and a safe haven as they seek suitable employment and housing.
The heart of the program is the churches that have focused their mission efforts locally. Participating churches provide temporary overnight accommodations for the families giving them a warm place to sleep, a nutritious meal in the evening and the tender mentoring of volunteers to insure them someone cares about them.
Annually, Family Promise serves 16 plus families which includes adults and children. They provide more than 2,500 shelter nights, more than 8,000 meals with more than 8,400 volunteer hours. The positive housing outcome is 83.5% and about 75% find employment while at Family Promise.
I am proud to support this wonderful organization in its efforts to ensure that families spend their time focusing on what matters most, each other.