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July 2021 Update

Save the Date for the 5th Annual Family Promise SSC DREAM WALK on November 6th, 2021 to help struggling families remain housed or become housed.  At this time we are planning to do an in-person event but will continue to watch the situation and pivot and adjust accordingly.  

Meet the newest family in our Bridge Housing Shelter Program.

Catherine is a young mom with a baby boy, Jedidiah, who is 8 months old. They were living with family until recently, and in a motel for about a week before coming to Family Promise SSC. Catherine is employed and says that she likes to relax by going on walks with or playing with her son and reading. Her goals are to keep a steady job, save enough for a place of their own and keep her son happy and healthy. She is grateful for the opportunity to be in the Bridge Housing Program and work toward her goals. 

The American Rescue Plan offers unprecedented assistance to prevent renters from losing their homes.  See link below

Step 1: GET INFORMED

Learn about your rights.

Check to see if your state or local government has extended the eviction moratorium. (The federal moratorium ends July 31, 2021.) 

Step 2: REACH OUT

Write a letter to your landlord with this free tool.

Call your local 211 and/or your local Continuum of Care.

Get advice from a local housing counselor.

Step 3: APPLY FOR EMERGENCY AID

Find Emergency Rental Assistance in your area and learn how it works.

Apply for help paying other bills (utilities, phone, medical).

See if you’re eligible for food assistance.

Request help from a mutual aid group in your community.

Step 4: CLAIM YOUR PANDEMIC RELIEF 

The federal government issued three Economic Impact Payments. Make sure you got all three.

If you have children and didn’t automatically receive the Child Tax Credit, sign up for it.

Landlord Losing Income? Apply for Emergency Rental Assistance in your area on behalf of your tenant.

From the Director

Across Florida, there is a shortage of rental homes affordable and available to extremely low income households (ELI), whose incomes are at or below the poverty guideline or 30% of their area median income (AMI). Many of these households are severely cost burdened, spending more than half of their income on housing. Severely cost burdened poor households are more likely than other renters to sacrifice other necessities like healthy food and healthcare to pay the rent, and to experience unstable housing situations like evictions.

This coupled with loss of employment and wages is causing severe issues for local families who are here doing jobs that support and serve the rest of us.  I know many people are saying "Why don't they just get back to work" but it isn't that easy in some cases.  Many of these families are unable to go back to work due shortages of childcare and/or loss of transportation. 

We had one single mother client who is a nurse and just got back to work after being off for more than a year.  She wanted to work, but the childcare she used for her 5, 3 and 2 year old's closed because of issues coping with COVID.  She was left without childcare and could not find an alternative.  No other childcare has space for 3 kids due to a childcare shortage.  This mom finally got back to work but only because she found 3 separate childcares located 5-20 minutes apart to take her children to.  This mom is trying and doing the best she can.  She did not want to stay on unemployment but had no choice.

Current Needs
The Day Center and our families are currently in need of:

• Hurricane kits (can be purchased online from $60 up)
• Emergency Flashlight/Radio (online from $30 up)

• Flashlights and batteries

Thank you so much to everyone who has made donations of goods from our needs list. It is much appreciated and necessary for our clients! We could not do what we do without all of the support from our community!

FPSSC Stats 2020

162 families stably housed: 296 children safe at home

Bridge Housing & Keeping The Promise - 10 families: 14 children

Pathways Home - 1 family: 1 child

Access Point - 6 families: 15 children

Diversion & Early Intervention - 41 families: 58 children

Emergency Shelter - 18 families: 34 children

Rent Assistance- 71 families: 155 children

DCF Access Partner - 9 families: 12 children

Other Services - 6 families: 7 children

To learn more about these programs, please visit our website at www.familypromisessc.org

Dates to Remember

Volunteer Training: 8-10-2021 at the Day Center, 3:30-4:30 PM - All volunteers must go through training.  Please RSVP to Marie at mmead@familypromisessc.org to ensure adequate space is available.  

Coordinator Meeting: Tuesday 8-10-2021, 5:30-6:30 PM Meeting in-person at our new offices at 850 Cockrill Street, Venice 34285. A zoom link will also be available for those not able to attend in-person.  This meeting is for Coordinators at the Host and Support Churches to stay up to date on what is happening. 

Dream Walk 2021: Saturday 11-6-2021, 9am-11am.  Save the date for 5th annual Dream Walk.  At this time we are planning an in-person event but will monitor the situation and pivot and adjust accordingly.

Special Thanks for funding support in 2021 for our programs to:

Action Air of Sarasota
Belk
Boca Cares Fund
Caithness Construction, LLC
Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation
Christ United Methodist Church
Community Foundation of Sarasota County
Doris M. Carter Family Foundation
Emmanuel Lutheran Church
Englewood United Methodist Church
Evalyn Sadlier Jones Foundation
First Baptist Church of Venice
First Christian Church of Venice
Fisherman's Net Community Church & Revival Center
Grace United Methodist Church
Gulf Coast Community Foundation
Harold C. & Jacqueline F. Bladel Foundation
Heron Creek Community Foundation
Junior League of Sarasota
Louis & Gloria Flanzer Trust
My Blessing Circle
Pinkerton Payroll & Insurance
Plantation Community Foundation
Sarasota County Government
St. David's Jubilee Center
St. Mark's Episcopal Church of Venice
Suncoast Cathedral Metropolitan Church
The Patterson Foundation
Truist Charitable Fund
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Venice
United Way of South Sarasota County
Venice Golf & Country Club Community Foundation
Venice Presbyterian Church
Venice Presbyterian Women
Venice Yacht Club Charitable Foundation
Venice-Nokomis United Methodist

Our programs supported in full or in part by:

Bank of America Client Foundation

Jerome & Mildred Paddock Foundation

Venice/Nokomis Rotary

Wells Fargo Foundation

Family Promise of South Sarasota County

941-497-9881

info@familypromisessc.org

www.familypromisessc.org