Throughout each year, several churches in the Raleigh area host homeless families that are part of the Family Promise of Wake County program. The program serves to help families who are struggling financially get back on their feet. It also aids adults in finding jobs, going to secondary school and supplying them with information to manage money. Each church hosts the families for one week at a time and provides food, shelter, and clothes for its guests.
Asbury United Methodist Church is one of the churches in the Raleigh area that participate in the Family Promise of Wake County program. The program is run strictly by volunteers; it relies on people from the community to keep the program going.
Being a member of Asbury Church, I regularly volunteer whenever the program brings families to the church.
Volunteers help supply the food, cleanup and entertainment for the young kids in the program. Dinnertime meals are supplied by the volunteers each night; every volunteer is responsible for buying or cooking a part of the meal. Before the families arrive, the volunteers do any necessary food preparation, and set out the food for the families when they arrive at the church.
Claudia Kennedy was a regular volunteer for the Family Promise of Wake County program during her high school years. As a current college student at NC State, she still finds time to participate. “I love just interacting with the children and making an impact on their lives by showing kindness,” said Kennedy. The program has an impact on both the volunteers and the families within the program.
Angel Stephens is one of the leaders of the program at Asbury church. She helps organize the food set up and recruit volunteers for the program. Most of the people that volunteer attend the church; however, anyone can volunteer for the program.
“We have people from outside the church volunteer with the program because we always need help with cooking meals, childcare, or washing sheets,” said Stephens. The program welcomes anyone who is willing to help.
If interested in volunteering for the Family Promise of Wake County program, you can visit their website for more information.
