MKT and Family Promise

Family Promise returns to Midbar Kodesh Temple in early April when families in the program, who seek temporary housing and meals while actively trying to finds jobs and permanent housing, stay supervised, over night in houses of worship. Midbar Kodesh Temple families provide meals, entertainment and supervision for the parents and children who stay each night for one week. Midbar Kodesh Temple has been hosting a few times each year for many years.

Many of the families are temporarily homeless because of a job loss or illness. They have no other family resources to draw upon, but with help from religious congregations, who provide temporary space in their buildings, are able to transition from homelessness to having permanent housing. Family Promise Las Vegas has a Day Center that offers numerous resources, including by job and credit counseling, welfare and legal advocacy,individual and family therapy and other services. The Day Center offers the opportunity for meals, showers, preparation for job interviews and day care for the children.

Family Promise is a national organization that was started by one woman and her family to help people understand what life in poverty is like. It has grown into a national organization with more than 170,000 volunteers helping more than 50,000 children and their families each year. Family Promise changes lives and giving those who are unfortunate by circumstance, the ability to realize their true potential. The organization builds a greater understanding of problems and solutions, helping a large percentage of the families find long-term permanent housing within nine weeks. Family Promise's approach of keeping families together, identifying their strengths, and partnering with the community for solutions means that families are at much lower risk of returning to homelessness.

For more information on how to help Family Promise at Midbar Kodesh Temple please call the synagogue at 702.454.4848. For more information on how to provide programming and volunteer support for Family Promise Las Vegas go to: http://familypromiselv.com/.

Look for this article in the March 25, 2016 edition of the Las Vegas Israelite.