Faith & Homeless Families Initiative Giving the gift of hope through housing

With the help of shelter case managers, trained mentor teams, congregation leaders, and our staff, the Faith and Homeless Families team has matched seven families with congregations!

Why Develop the Faith and Families Initiative? 

Due to current economic and housing hardships, more families are becoming homeless in our community and local shelters are unable to provide assistance due to funding deficits and lack of space.  Many of these families would greatly benefit from short-term services to help them avoid the steep financial and social consequences of homelessness.  The Faith and Families Initiative was developed to target families that find themselves in need of housing assistance and do not require intensive services.

History and Philosophy of the Program

The Faith and Families Initiative will be launched in early 2009 as a pilot program with the support of City Councilmember Rob Fong to help families avoid or escape homelessness.  Patterned after successful programs in Denver, Colorado and Boise, Idaho, the initiative provides temporary housing assistance, financial planning and education provided by mentor teams, and other supportive services to families through a partnership between faith congregations and service providers.

The philosophy of the program is based on developing relationships between families and groups of volunteer mentors from the faith community.  All types of faith communities are welcome and encouraged to participate in the program. 

Faith and Families Initiative’s Goals

• Recruit volunteers from the faith community to help homeless families and families at risk of becoming homeless by providing support and encouragement as well as financial management and goal setting advice through a mentoring relationship.
• Deliver short term rent assistance and seven mentoring sessions over six months to families.
• Develop a Faith Leadership Council comprised of a diverse group of leaders from the faith community to oversee and advise the mentoring program.

What are the characteristics of the families being assisted?

Families targeted are newly homeless, who need short-term assistance to get back on their feet, and do not have significant problems with mental illness or drug/alcohol addictions.  

How to Get Involved

Faith and Homeless Families has successfully transitioned from Sacramento Steps Forward to Lutheran Social Services. If you have questions about the program, please contact: FHFI c/o Lutheran Social Services, 3734 Broadway, Sacramento CA 95817, (916) 281-6930 or (916) 453 6930 x0

If you or your congregation or community would like to be involved, please contact Nora Benavides at n_bb@comcast.net.

Linked below is an invite letter from City Councilmember Rob Fong and Ending Chronic Homelessness Director, Tim Brown that includes information about the Faith and Families Initiative and can be used to approach a Faith Leader about getting involved with the initiative.    

 Faith-based Invite Letter