Help End Family Homelessness

For the Hill family, their first night in the Family Promise of Brevard program is one they will never forget. David vividly remembers the sense of relief that washed over him from knowing his family was safe and all together. Through the Family Promise Program, his family was able to stay together as they rebuilt their future. After only a month, the Hill family was able to move out on their own. But the promise made to families within the program doesn’t stop there. David continued to meet with counselors on a monthly basis for guidance and financial coaching. Though he joined the program to keep his own family together, David says he gained a second family in the Family Promise staff as well.

We went to the North Brevard Sharing Center and they told us about Family Promise of Brevard. l've never wanted a hand-out, and I had so many negative images of what homeless looked like, but at Family Promise of Brevard we were never called or treated as homeless. Instead, we were treated like family. In our time there we stayed at host churches during the night and the host churches provided all of our meals! Family Promise coordinated everything. We had nice, warm, safe, and loving places to stay. Our meals were prepared and served by folks who simply loved us. People who we'd never met loved us, wrapped their arms around us, provided for us, and helped us get back on our feet.

A few years ago, Rebecca’s mother was in the ICU. When she was released, it was on a condition that someone would always be home with her. Rebecca and her family moved in with her mother and stayed with her for about four months. When it was time for the family to get a place of their own, their former landlord did not give a good reference (even after explaining the difficult situation).  

Stephen and his three boys, 12, 15 and 18, found themselves homeless after Hurricane Irma. Within two weeks of entering our emergency shelter program, Stephen found permanent, sustainable income. Just two weeks after that, he found an apartment on Merritt Island, and with the help of VOA's SSVF program and furniture from Viera Builders, his family is HOME!

My name is Jovet and I am a mother of two beautiful girls. I learned the hard way that life, in general is not easy, let alone being a mother. In 2016, life was especially not friendly. I ended up being homeless that year. I had a full time job and a vehicle, yet I couldn’t afford a place on my own with my girls. Plus, at that time (and now) my ex-husband was keeping my elder daughter from me.

"My daughter Mariah and I would like to Thank You very much for all your help! Being a single father can be a challenging but rewarding job. I manage the best I can but changing jobs right when school was about to start, getting behind on rent and electric while also having to go school clothes and supply shopping became overwhelming. Asking for help is a very hard thing to do, but with some communication you made thinks a lot better. People fall on hard times and its awesome to know that there are people who not only care, but can and will help. Thank AGAIN!"

Adonius and his family just graduated from our aftercare program, Keeping the Promise! After one year of intensive financial coaching, tenancy education, resource linkage and building self-sufficiency, Adonius is a graduate. Mike Hoenick, Family Services Specialist, has seen an incredible growth in Adonius’ self-confidence and ability to advocate for himself. According to Adonius, “It is just a blessing to have you guys here helping me through this. I appreciate you guys sticking by me. You are just like family. I know that whatever I needed that you would be there for me. You were there from me if I needed someone to talk to if I was frustrated. I called and you never once turned your back on me or put me down about anything. I now know how to budget and better myself for my kids.”. When asked how our community can help, Adonius responded, “You guys have helped so many people move into housing. Everyone out there that supports you helps a family move into housing. How cool is that? Why wouldn’t you want to be a part of that?”.

“For 8 years, my family and I struggled to make ends meet. We were always stuck wondering how we could come up with the extra money to pay the bills. We bounced around from house to house not knowing where we were going to live next. Everything seemed to happen all at once and anything that could go bad, did. We got to a point where we were finally able to afford rent, but were told ‘no’ when we applied for housing due to our prior evictions. For three years, we literally could not find a place to live.

“As soon as I got here, it was like a breath of fresh air. It was kind of like a burden was lifted. We actually had a place to go. We didn’t know what to expect but it was totally different and beyond my expectations. Everybody made me feel comfortable and at home. They asked me if there was anything I needed and it was overwhelming. You can’t really explain that moment. There was a plethora of people who cared about my well-being more than my friends or family members did. The first couple nights I cried because I never met as many people that didn’t know me that cared about me. That’s what I felt when I got to Family Promise. I felt love.”

Michelle and her children, ages 2-13, were left with 33 cents and spent the first few nights in her shop, motels, and with friends. Once she found Family Promise of Brevard her priority was to find new housing. Within days the family and their beloved dog were in their new home, a pet-friendly rental home in a safe neighborhood. Michelle’s life went from being upended to subsequently righted so quickly it still amazes her. “Most support services require so much before they’ll meet you – advance appointments, time-consuming paperwork. In an emergency, you don’t have the luxury of time,” Michelle says. “All of a sudden I had nothing, but Family Promise helped me right away.”

“Our family has almost always had trouble with money and finding a place to live. When we went in to the [emergency shelter] program, we were living out of our car. Finding this program was the best thing that ever happened to us. Jaxson has his own room for the first time since he was born. We are so grateful for the hospitality of the churches and all the people who helped us get on our feet. Thank you to all the churches who opened their doors, and people who opened their hearts to my family and myself. I am not sure where we would be...”