Newman Center: Keeping a promise to homeless families

Intermountain Catholic

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Richard Green cleans the counter before starting to serve dinner for the guest families at St. Catherine of Siena Parish. ?Anything you do to help those in need...will bless you,? said Green. IC photo by Priscilla Cabral

SALT LAKE CITY — The Saint Catherine of Siena Newman Center is a vibrant campus ministry for the students and community of the University of Utah, and others who join the parish. It is enveloped by a youthful spirit that is especially conspicuous in the songs and hymns chanted by the choir and parishioners, and in the noted homilies of Dominican Father Daniel Rolland that might include a magic trick.

However, the parish is particularly enchanting three weeks a year, when the real magic takes place. Around 100 community members offer their time and effort to host homeless families as part of Family Promise, an interfaith alliance that helps them achieve lasting self-sufficiency. Others donate bags of food for the meals of the guest families. St. Catherine of Siena is the only Catholic Parish in this program.

"We’re just a wonderful group of people," said Wayne McCormick, one of the two coordinators of the program at St. Catherine. "The parish, probably because of its connection to the university, has a rapid turnover; therefore, we always have new people willing to help and get involved."

Family Promise serves four families at a time. It offers them a Day Center that is arranged as a house and in which they can do their laundry, shower, access computers, and have their meals. The Day Center also provides them transportation services, and a fixed address and phone number to use in housing and job applications, to receive mail, and to enroll children into area schools. The Day Center is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

When the Day Center closes, the families are transported to one of almost 20 participating congregations, which hosts them for two or three weeks a year during evenings, weekends, and holidays. There, the hosts have rooms for the families with beds and linens, serve them meals, and prepare activities.

"But we do not proselytize. We let the families know they’re welcome to attend services, but are not required," said Tony Milner, program director.

For Barbara Sullivan, her work as a volunteer for Family Promise at St. Catherine is an opportunity to demonstrate her faith with actions and practice compassion. "We have to understand that they are not homeless because they want to be. I heard most of us are two paychecks away from being homeless," she said.

Other volunteers for the program agree that Family Promise has changed the way they think of a homeless person.

‘They’re expecting what they see on TV," said Milner. "The homeless who are disheveled on the streets make up only about 10% of the homeless population."

In fact, families with children are the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population in the United States. About 60% of the guests of Family Promise are children. "It breaks my heart," said Sullivan in regards to this information. "As adults, we have the responsibility to take care of the kids in our community," she added.

"This is a very unique program because we try to maintain the family as a unit," said Milner. "It’s a hands-on justice approach to an issue and it’s so in line with the basic tenants. Mary and Joseph could be said to be homeless; they were looking for shelter," he said.

The beneficiaries from this program not only include the guest families, but those who serve them as well. "Anything you do to help those in need and who are in a hard situation will bless you," said Richard Green.

Green and his family have been evening hosts on and off for the last six years. His children share time with the guest families’ children. "I enjoy being a friendly face and the fellowship with the families," said Green.

"This is a great program because you get to share with families who have had one traumatic experience in life, and you can provide them at least three months of stability, comfort, and counseling," said McCormick.

Guests of Family Promise participate in an intensive and personalized case management program that helps them set employment, life-skills, budgeting, and housing goals to attain independence. After the shelter experience, Family Promise keeps supporting these families through a mentoring program.

"The mentors are trained volunteers who will be a positive influence in their lives and will keep us in touch," said Milner.

Family Promise says that 38% of renters in Utah are unable to afford two-bedroom housing at the fair market rate (approximately $585 a month). To help families who have "graduated" from the program, Family Promise has three low-cost apartments in the same building of the Day Center.

"I love (the program) because we try to make everything comfortable, safe, and welcoming to help them," said Milner.

"I think we are all happy to help those who want to help themselves," said McCormick. "I don’t worry whether we’re going to have volunteers; I just expect there will be. I know the community it’s going to do it."