Help Family Promise of Martin County buy a “home” of its own

Emmanuel and Carmen, a former guest family that was served by Family Promise

The mission of Family Promise of Martin County, a non-profit, interfaith hospitality network, is to provide temporary housing, caring support, meals and a host of social services for families with children experiencing homelessness.

The housing takes place in local religious congregations that have joined in a consortium to support the guests who turn to – or are referred to – Family Promise of Martin County.

The heart and soul of the non-profit is its Family Center, which is open Mondays-Fridays from 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. An on-site Family Service Coordinator, April Young, works with guests to develop an individualized plan to help them regain permanent housing and self-sufficiency. The Center also has laundry and shower facilities, as well as phone and Internet access for employment searches.

It’s the hub from which transportation to work, school, job interviews and medical appointments is offered by the Family Promise driver and van or public transportation.

Now, in a stroke of almost divine intervention, the building in Stuart from which the nonprofit (which was established in 2018 and opened its doors in Nov. 2020) has operated is available for purchase.

Madeleine Bozone Greenwood, Executive Director of Family Promise of Martin County, says the building fits their needs in virtually every way. “It’s close to stores, transportation, parks, medical facilities, just about anything our guests may need, even if they don’t have their own transportation.”

Adds Cher Fisher, Director of Development & Community Engagement, “We’ve got a gathering place for families, two offices, two bathrooms, a reception area, kitchen, laundry, garden with kids’ playground and a storage room for our guests to use. It’s perfect.”

The current asking price is $350,000. Family Promise has $40,000 that has been donated towards its purchase and is engaging in its first Capital Campaign to raise the balance.

Naming rights are available if you’d like to direct a contribution towards a specific room or part of the Center and plans are being developed for opportunities like personalized brick pavers.

Family Promise, which is an affiliate of a national 501(c)(3) organization with a 35-plus year successful track record, is helping change lives every day. But as Bozone likes to assure people, “Every cent we raise stays right here in Martin County. As a matter of fact, the way the national organization is structured, they return funds to the local affiliates – the opposite of many similar non-profits.”

Since it’s opened, Family Promise has served 288 families.

If you’d like to find out more about Family Promise or how your contribution can help them purchase their own “dream home” from which to service guests, visit www.mcfamilypromise.org or call 772-266-9327.