May Program Update

In mid-March, all of our host congregations closed due to the pandemic, thus suspending normal operations of our Emergency Shelter program. All families in our Emergency Shelter program at the time were transferred to available space in our Transitional Houses or to rental housing for the duration of the stay-at-home order. We are not accepting new families into the program at this time.

We are currently supporting 18 families (71 people) - this includes the families in the program, as well as graduate families who are at risk of falling back into homelessness due to sudden job loss and lack of income. The job loss, food insecurity, and housing instability we are seeing is devastating. We are helping these families cope by providing essential services and helping to supplement the over $40,000 of lost income per month they are experiencing. Support includes help with rent, car payments, car repairs/smog checks, and providing groceries, freshly prepared meals, grocery gift cards, gas gift cards, cleaning supplies, toiletries, diapers, and paper goods.

All families receiving support are currently meeting staff on a weekly basis at the office in Anaheim for socially distant distribution of donated food, supplies, and gift cards. These weekly distributions will continue until it is safe for our regular Emergency Shelter rotation to resume.

As we all adjust to this new normal, our thoughts are with everyone in the Family Promise family, and we hope you're all staying safe and healthy. The last several weeks have been emotional and trying for all of us, but we continue to be inspired by the goodness in people and the genuine acts of kindness, large and small, that we are seeing every day. These gestures of warmth and caring give us the confidence that in time, we will emerge stronger than ever before.

For ways that you can help the families of Family Promise of Orange County during the pandemic, please see our Current Needs page.