Statistics show that 40% of those experiencing homelessness in our city are children. In fact, over half of the homeless children in our city are under the age of 6! As a church, we feel called to step into this issue and are excited to announce that Crossroads Bible Church is teaming up with Family Promise to host a rotating family emergency shelter. This shelter moves week to week to various churches throughout the Grand Rapids area, providing dinner and overnight accommodations to families experiencing homelessness.
Family Promise does a fantastic job providing families with the stabilization services they need to move from crisis to a place of secure housing and thriving as a family. They provide emergency shelter for families as they work together to find stable housing. Not only is case management given in the early days of shelter, it is provided to families for one to three years depending on the needs at hand.
The support Family Promise provides is working. After an average stay of 66 days in emergency shelter, 90% of families find permanent housing solutions. In 2020 alone, 469 families were served by Family Promise of Grand Rapids. It is our great joy to link arms with Family Promise and seek to bring an end to family homelessness.