MOBILE, Alabama — For families in Mobile and Baldwin counties who lose their housing, a local nonprofit called Family Promise of Coastal Alabama is often the first stop on the way back to stability. The organization works closely with area schools, which refer many of the families it serves.
A network of churches steps in
Family Promise relies on a rotating group of roughly two dozen participating congregations, known as the Interfaith Hospitality Network, to house families for a week at a time before they move on to the next church in the rotation. Host churches typically take a turn sheltering families several times a year, providing beds and home-cooked meals in the process.
During daytime hours, family members who are not working or attending school gather at a day center based at Central Presbyterian Church. There, they can shower, do laundry, meet with a case manager and search for jobs. Two unmarked vans operated by the agency shuttle parents to work and children to after-school programs, with a case manager coordinating routes and schedule changes with drivers throughout the day.
Serving the whole family
Local social workers say the program stands out because it keeps entire families together rather than splitting up parents and children, which can happen with some shelter placements. Case workers who partner with the agency describe it as a resource for families dealing with domestic violence, job loss and other financial emergencies, as well as teenagers who have left home because of abuse.
Families accepted into the program agree to a drug screening and a set of house rules before moving in. Organizers say keeping children engaged in normal routines, whether that is soccer practice or an after-school club, is treated as a priority rather than an afterthought during the 14-week stay families are typically allowed.
A local nonprofit with local roots
The Mobile program traces back to 2003, when it launched with a $100,000 start-up grant from Government Street Presbyterian Church. A companion branch serving Baldwin County opened two years later, in 2005. Together the shelter effort helps roughly 17 families a year move through temporary housing, while a broader case-management arm assists about 50 additional families annually.
Staff say the ultimate goal is helping families reach stable, long-term housing rather than simply providing a short-term bed. For some, the next step after the shelter program is transitional housing such as an apartment at Sybil H. Smith Family Village, where families can stay for up to two years while they get back on their feet.
Organizers describe the resilience of the families who come through the program, noting that even young children quickly adjust to the routine of moving between host churches each week, so long as they know they will have a hot meal and a safe place to sleep each night.