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Coming Up at Family Promise - Get the latest on how we're helping families experiencing housing insecurity in Aiken

info374930
Oct 14, 2024
3 min read

Greetings!


We hope this finds you well and safe after Hurricane Helene. We have a few timely updates to share with you about the work that Family Promise of Aiken County is doing to help families regain stable housing.


In this newsletter:

  1. Our Rummage Sale is back! And it's this week!

  2. We've launched a new online form for families needing help.

  3. The Charitable Foundation of Aiken selects Family Promise as 1 of 2 beneficiaries for their '24-'25 campaign.

  4. We're partnering with Aiken County Public School district for a mini version of our Keys to Good Tenancy course.

  5. Planning for year-end giving.



Rummage Sale - This Week Only


Our Rummage Sale is BACK! This year, we've added a preview sale Thursday, Oct. 17 6-8 pm ($10 entry fee) for those that want to shop early! The free, 2-day event opens Friday, October 18 @ 8 am in the St. Paul Lutheran gym. We spent Sunday filling it with a massive stock of goods that we'll be sorting by category and pricing to sell all week.


This sale provides essential funding for our operations. We hope to see you there!


For questions or to volunteer to help with set up or work the Sale, email info@familypromiseofaiken.org.


Did you know?

The 2023 Rummage Sale provided over half of our case management funding for the entire year.


New Online Form to Get Help


We're constantly trying to make it easier for families needing help to understand how we can help and provide us with key information needed to process their request. Learning from other Family Promise affiliates, we launched a new Get Help Form on our website in August.


In less than 2 months, we've received over 65 requests for assistance.


If you or a family you know is facing housing insecurity, please direct them to the Get Help page on our website to learn how we can help.



We are thrilled to announce that The Charitable Foundation of Aiken has selected Family Promise as 1 of 2 beneficiaries for their '24-'25 campaign!


The Foundation was formed in 2021 as an offshoot of Women of Woodside, Inc. (W.O.W) to complement and expand W.O.W.'s impact in the community. Its mission is to pledge its resources to organizations that create life-changing opportunities for Aiken County residents.


We hope you will consider joining us at the Foundation's kick-off celebration on November 7. Please email info@familypromiseofaiken.org for more information.



We are equally excited to share our continued partnership with Aiken County Public School District (ACPSD).


Under the federal McKinney-Vento Act, ACPSD is responsible for identifying and sharing resources with students that do not have fixed, regular, or satisfactory place to live. This includes any student without a permanent place to live. (Learn more from the SC Bar here.)


In the '23-'24 school year, ACPSD identified over 330 children as homeless in Aiken public schools.


ACPSD's dedicated staff regularly refers families to Family Promise for our Eviction Prevention and Shelter Diversion programs. For the second year, we are also partnering with them to offer a mini version of our Keys to Good Tenancy course on November 7.



It's hard to believe it's mid-October, which means the end of the year is just around the corner. As we start to see some signs of fall in the air, Family Promise is planning for year-end giving.


As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, we rely on the generous support of individuals and organizations within our community. Your financial aid provides essential, whole person support to stabilize families, helping to keep them in their homes or identify new housing. As we've shared before, we are also working to add a missing component, a long-term shelter for homeless families that cannot be successfully diverted.


For every family we help, our goal is simple: long-term financial independence and housing stability.


If you are planning to financially support local charities this holiday season, we hope you will consider adding Family Promise to your "list."


Your donation will make a difference in the life of children at risk of homelessness.


There are two easy ways to donate:


1. Donate online using the button below:


2. You can mail a check, payable to Family Promise, to PO Box 622 Aiken, SC 29802.


We are a registered 501(c)3 charitable organization. Our Federal Tax ID is 83-4412353.


Posted October 14, 2024.

 
 
 

A Growing Need and more - April Update from Family Promise

info374930
Apr 11, 2024
2 min read


Family Promise of Aiken County is participating in a nationwide Giving Day today. Giving Day is a 24-hour online campaign to raise awareness and funds to support families across America experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.


This year, low-income families need our help more than ever. Together, we can prevent children from experiencing the trauma of homelessness.


1 in 3 individuals experiencing homelessness in 2023 did so as a family, a 16% increase from the prior year. In Aiken, there was a 20% increase in the number of homeless students during the last school year.


More families than ever are turning to Family Promise, and you can help.


In our first 2 full years in operation, we made a difference by helping 82 families and 179 children in Aiken County. We can do so much more if we come together as a community to support families in need.


Family Promise of Aiken County successfully stabilizes families, helping to keep them in their homes or identify new housing. We are also working to add a missing component, a long-term shelter for homeless families that cannot be successfully diverted.


For every family we help, our goal is simple: long-term financial independence and housing stability.


We walk beside each family to tackle their housing, financial management, employment, and other needs to make this goal a reality.


Your donation will make a difference in the life of a family at risk of homelessness.


Donate online today using the button below!



You can also mail donations to PO Box 622 Aiken, SC 29802. We are a registered 501(c)3 charitable organization. Our Federal Tax ID is 83-4412353.



Family Promise Featured in Aiken Standard


Family Promise spoke at a recent Rotary Club of Aiken meeting, sharing the increasing challenges of housing insecurity facing families in Aiken.


"In 2023, 6 in 10 families were already homeless when we began helping them. In 2022, it was 2 in 10," shared Kendall Buchanan, Board Chair.


Following the meeting, The Aiken Standard printed an article highlighting the many ways Family Promise of Aiken County is working to bring a holistic solution to empower families into lasting independence.




We completed our latest Keys to Good Tenancy course in March, with 11 class participants and 3 children. This course, which anchors our educational programming that is focused on preventing homelessness and housing insecurity, was created in partnership with the National Association of Realtors. Participants learn the tools to budget for, find, maintain, and keep an apartment or home.


We are pleased to welcome any individual in Aiken County to participate. In the past, we have had teenage children participate with their parents, representatives of organizations that serve the homeless, and even some repeat attendees!


Since this program's launch in Fall 2021, we have provided over 45 hours of free training to prevent homelessness in our community.


Our next course will be held in June, beginning Monday, June 3rd. Please consider joining us and share this opportunity with others. Find out more here.


Special thanks to the City of Aiken and the Aiken Association of Realtors for their support of this training.

 
 
 

Rummage Sale, New Grant, and More - September Update from Family Promise

info374930
Sep 21, 2023
2 min read

Come shop with us Friday and Saturday to help Aiken County families break the cycle of housing insecurity!
We are counting down to our first large fundraiser that kicks off in less than 24 hours! We have had an outpouring of support from individuals donating items large and small to include in our sale. Our Rummage Sale Committee and a team of volunteers have been working all week to organize and price every item for sale.

Cash, checks, and major credit cards will be accepted for purchases. We will also have food trucks, including SuzieQ's coffee, Nothing Bundt Cakes, and Outlaw Dogs hot dogs.
Sale proceeds will allow us to offer holistic services that help break the cycle of housing insecurity for families with children in Aiken County.

We hope to see you there!

We are excited to announce that Help Us Move In, Inc. has awarded us a Homeless No More Challenge Grant for the next 2 years (total of $20,000)!

This grant will allow us to provide additional direct financial assistance to families in our Prevention and Shelter Diversion programs. This financial assistance, coupled with our case management and focus on long-term stabilization, will:

  1. Help families avoid eviction to stop homelessness before it happens; and

  2. Help homeless families move into stable housing.


To access the first year's funding under this grant, we must first raise $10,000. If you are interested in learning more or donating, please contact our Board Chair, Kendall Buchanan, at 803-716-8643 or buchanan@familypromiseofaiken.org. You can also mail donations to PO Box 622 Aiken, SC 29802 or donate online at familypromiseofaiken.org/donate.
Our next Keys to Good Tenancy course kicks off on Monday, October 2nd. This course, which anchors our educational programming that is focused on preventing homelessness and housing insecurity, was created in partnership with the National Association of Realtors. Participants learn the tools to budget for, find, maintain, and keep an apartment or home.
If you know of someone that would benefit from this free course, please connect them with Laura Johnson (ljohnson@familypromiseofaiken.org or 803-443-5625) to register or get more information.

We rely on our volunteers to offer the free meal and child care for class participants. If you are interested in volunteering to help prepare and serve a meal or play with the children during the course, please contact John Lohman (jlohman17@gmail.com or 919-368-4647).
Special thanks to the City of Aiken and the Aiken Association of Realtors for their support of this training.

Want to learn more about how Family Promise helps families facing housing insecurity in Aiken? Watch our Board chair speak at First Presbyterian Church below.




 
 
 
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