This month I’ve not the time to pour my heart out. I would, however, like to share with you how the strength of belonging improves lives and how you can help. As we work alongside families experiencing homelessness, our goal is never simply to help them find housing.
At Family Promise, we are committed to helping parents and children build the skills, confidence, relationships, and support systems they need to achieve lasting independence and, hopefully, never experience homelessness again.
This month, I've been reflecting on Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development and how they relate to the journey our families take toward stability. Two stages are particularly meaningful in our work.
The first is Identity vs. Role Confusion, which involves clarifying personal values, strengths, and goals. For many parents who have experienced homelessness, this means rediscovering who they are beyond the crisis they have endured and envisioning a brighter future for themselves and their children.
The second is Intimacy vs. Isolation, which focuses on building meaningful relationships. We know that true independence is not about facing life's challenges alone. It is strengthened through healthy social connections, supportive friendships, mentors, faith communities, and engagement in the broader community.
That is why we place such importance on helping families connect with opportunities beyond our programs, especially with our church partners. Lasting success is built not only through housing and employment, but also through belonging.
Scripture reminds us of this calling: "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17), and "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:31). When we invest in one another, we all become stronger.
If you are retired, have life experience to share, or simply have a heart for helping others succeed, we invite you to get involved. You may feel called to mentor a parent or become a positive role model and trusted connection for one of the teens in our program. You might also have practical skills or life experiences to share during one of our monthly Program Nights, covering topics such as budgeting, cooking, job readiness, home maintenance, wellness, healthy relationships, or other lessons that help families navigate everyday life.
You do not need to have all the answers. By sharing what you know, offering encouragement, and investing a little of your time, you can help a family build confidence, strengthen community connections, and create a foundation for long-term success.
Thank you for being part of a community that helps families not only regain housing, but thrive.
God’s Peace & Promise,
Madeleine |
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WHEN THE NEED FINDS THE PARTNERSHIP
Sometimes a partnership begins before you even know why you’re going to need it.
Stephanie Haskins, Founder & President of The Children’s Collective of Florida, reached out to Family Promise and came by our Family Center for a tour. We loved learning more about their mission and talking about ways we might work together—but at the time, we didn’t have an immediate need.
And then, as God would have it, the need came.
We received a call from grandparents caring for FIVE grandchildren who needed clothing and personal hygiene items. We reached out to Stephanie and The Children’s Collective—and they jumped in to help.
Then, not even a week later, another need surfaced: a mama with a newborn baby who didn’t have a car seat or stroller.
We asked. Two days later, they arrived.THAT is community.
It’s organizations getting to know one another before the crisis. It’s knowing who to call when a family needs something you can’t provide. And it’s having partners who respond with, “How can we help?”
We are SO THANKFUL for Stephanie an The Children’s Collective of Florida—and the best part is, we’re just getting started! We’re already brainstorming more ways our organizations can work together to support local children and families.
Sometimes you don’t know where a new connection will lead. You just open the door—and then watch what happens. |
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| Every month, Family Promise receives countless calls from families in need. While we can't share every story, we want to take a moment to celebrate some of the incredible wins made possible through the support of our community. (Be sure to ask us about our Wins Board the next time you visit our office!) |
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- A new beginning! We recently welcomed a single mom with a teenager and 2-year-old into our Shelter Program. After couch surfing with her children in an already crowded home, the arrangement became unsustainable—and put the family they were staying with at risk of eviction. Now, she and her children have a safe place to land while Mom works toward her next goal: securing full-time employment within 30 days. During the day, she is utilizing our Family Center as her home base to job search, complete applications and take the steps needed to move her family forward.
- Moving on up! This month, TWO FPMC families are moving into homes of their own! One is a single mom, a nurse and mother of four who spent just over a year in our Almost Home Transitional Housing Program. With stable housing and continued Case Management, she was able to prepare for the next step—and now she and her children are moving into independent housing! Our second mom has been working with FPMC for more than two years. A single mom of three and an Assistant Manager at a local retailer, she spent a year in Almost Home before progressing into our Next Step Transitional Housing Program for another year. An eviction on her record made finding a landlord willing to give her a chance especially challenging, but she kept going.These moves don't happen overnight. They are the result of families working, saving, setting goals and continuing to move forward—even when the path isn't easy.
- Through our Eviction Prevention: HUMI (Help Us Move IN) and HUS (Help Us Stay In) programs, we helped families remain safely housed or move into stable housing by investing more than $3,300 in September. Every request is carefully reviewed—including income, expenses, and supporting documentation—to ensure assistance is part of a sustainable plan that helps families achieve long-term stability, not just a temporary solution.
- Support beyond housing! Finding housing is a huge step—but a roof alone doesn’t erase the trauma, stress and uncertainty families may have experienced along the way. Thanks to generous grant funding and our partnership with Mangata Wellness, we are able to connect parents and children with mental health counseling. This month alone, we referred four parents and three children for services. We are so thankful for grantors who understand that true stability means supporting the whole family and addressing the barriers that can make moving forward difficult. Because our goal isn’t simply to help families find housing—it’s to help them heal, grow and thrive.
- Program Night WIN! Each month, we bring families from across all of our programs together for an educational Program Night— covering everything from car maintenance and financial planning to healthy meals on a budget, health and wellness, and more! This month, Peace & Clean joined us to talk about keeping your space clean and organized—and making it a family affair. They shared simple strategies and inexpensive supplies (all from Dollar Tree!) that families could use right away. And they did! TWO families have already implemented cleaning charts and incentives for their children—and they’re LOVING it! A huge thank you to Peace & Clean for giving our families practical tools that make a difference at home.
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| Pictured above: Luisa Piano and Joao Pellegrino, owners of Peace & Clean |
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More Than a Sponsor
You may have seen the big news: Eberst Law Firm – Car Accident Attorneys is the first-ever Title Sponsor of our Bed Races! But what you may not see in a social media post is just how much this relationship means to us.
The Eberst team isn't new to Family Promise. They are landlords to our families, coffee mates, community coaches, supporters of our mission—and genuinely good people. Born and raised in Martin County, they care deeply about this community and believe in rooting for families who are working hard to build a better future for their children.
That's why having them step up as our first-ever Title Sponsor feels pretty special. They're not just putting their name on Bed Races—they're showing up for the families behind it.
And this year, they're REALLY showing up... they're entering a team, too! We can't wait to see what they bring to the starting line!
Thank you, Eberst Law Firm, for believing in our families and investing in the community you call home. And if you ever need a car accident attorney, we hope you'll remember the people who continually show up for ours. |
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Program Night -- NEW ADDITION!
Each month during Program Night, our adults and teens participate in educational programming while our youngest guests stay at the Family Center with vetted volunteers for games, crafts and FUN. This month, that fun got a serious upgrade!
Abby with Little Art Bus joined us for the first time, bringing her “Art Without Rules” philosophy to our kiddos—and she has volunteered to come back every month!
While parents learned from Peace & Clean about keeping their homes clean and organized, the kids created and decorated their very own toy storage. Talk about perfect timing!
But Abby didn't stop there. ❤️ She and Little Art Bus are sponsoring Bed Races AND entering a team, and she has already recruited friends to prepare a home-cooked meal for our families at our next Program Night!
We originally met Abby through one of our local landlord partners, Shannon from Riverside Group, and we had no idea what a gift that introduction would become. This is what community looks like to us: someone learns about our families, believes in what we're doing, and keeps finding ways to show up.
Abby, we are SO incredibly grateful for you. Thank you for bringing your creativity, your friends, your time and your HUGE heart to Family Promise. We are so lucky to have you in our corner! |
| Pictured here (from left to right): Abby from Little Art Bus, Paige Cortes from Family Promise, and Shannon from Riverside Group |
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🏁 BED RACES NEEDS YOU! 🏁
The 7th Annual Family Promise Bed Races is coming November 14 — and the race is on to fill our lineup! So far we have 10 teams and 18 sponsors, but the more the merrier! Right now we have $40,000 in sponsorships!
HELP US REACH OUR GOAL OF $60,000!!!
Join us as a TEAM and/or SPONSOR!
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Our goal at Family Promise of Martin County is to help children and their families experiencing homelessness transition to a home of their own. In order to help maintain housing stability, we provide shelter, meals, transportation, case management, financial training, and education through a network of congregations, volunteers, and donations.
Donations are gratefully accepted, either online or by clicking the link, or may be mailed to:
Family Promise of Martin County
P.O. Box 1919 Stuart, FL 34995
772-266-9327 info@mcfamilypromise.org |
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| A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free (800-435-7352) within the state. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by the state. #CH59005 |
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