The Transformation of Our Shelter
In 2020, COVID-19 changed our program significantly, however, the option to close our doors was never considered. The previous rotational schedule of overnight hosting in faith community buildings came to a shrieking halt. Seacoast Family Promise purchased of a building known as the Joshua House in Greenland, New Hampshire, from Bethany Church.
Guided by trained overnight staff, our families enjoy individual family rooms and a home-like setting. There they receive home-cooked evening meals prepared by hundreds of community residents and prepare for the following day.
The families embark on their daily routines, leaving the Joshua House at 7:30am and utilizing the day center, where our professional staff provides case management, financial planning, education and employment search, resume writing, and referrals for medical, dental, mental health resources and individualized care.
DOUBLING OUR IMPACT
The number of the “hidden homeless” has grown annually with no end in sight. Family homelessness is one of the fastest growing segments of the homeless population nationally. In New Hampshire, family homelessness grows on average of 19 – 21% a year.
Thanks to a grant obtained through the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery (GOFERR), Seacoast Family Promise purchased the building known as the Joshua House in Greenland, NH, which provides safe, overnight shelter and individual family rooms for privacy. And now our story continues as we expand the existing building into a larger facility to accommodate demand.
Census for the expansion will allow for double the current capacity and maintain a CDC approved quarantine space. Seacoast Family Promise will serve twice its current census and provide rehabilitative services to families with children who might otherwise be living in vehicles, campgrounds, or doubled up with friends and family.
The newly expanded facility will include larger rooms to meet the needs of larger families who often cannot find shelter due to their size, capacity to serve double our current census, a safe, fenced play area for children and adults, new water/HVAC/septic systems, and much more.
Stability
The first step in the journey out of homelessness is finding sure footing. With your support, The Joshua House Expansion will double the capacity of Seacoast Family Promise to provide shelter and services to more families and children - and help them begin a new chapter.
Hope
Seacoast Family Promise provides pathways to financial security. The Joshua House Expansion will double these opportunities so more families can develop the skills they need to generate savings, gain employment, and create a bright future for their children.
Success
When families thrive, the community thrives. The Joshua House Expansion will greatly expand Seacoast Family Promise’s proven services to help families and children become active, contributing members to healthy communities for generations to come.
