The Rotary Club of Morristown grants funds to a non-profit organization that fights homelessness

MORRISTOWN, NJ – The Rotary Club of Morristown has provided funding to Family Promise of Morris County (FPMC) to benefit the Our Promise Drop-In Resource Center.

Our Promise, located in First Baptist Church in downtown Morristown, is a beloved and vital community resource serving homeless and low-income residents. By providing a mailing address, phone and computer access, benefit verifications, case management and referrals to housing services, Our Promise fills a gap in community services.

The Rotary Foundation of Morristown supports various local organizations each year through their grants and sponsorship programs, with the goal of sustaining activities and comforting community members in crisis.

The Rotary Club has a long-standing relationship with Family Promise, through which they have helped hundreds of community members over the years. In 2016, The Rotary Foundation provided funds for much-needed upgrades to OP, such as the purchase of cellphone charging stations, computers, and other equipment.

The pandemic has dramatically increased Morris County’s need for Family Promise outreach and housing services in 2020. About 70 percent of New Jersey renters are extremely cost-stressed, paying more than half their income in rent, leaving little or no room for necessities such as nutrition, transportation, health care and childcare, FPMC said.

To meet increased demand, Our Promise staff served 203 people and made 1,787 face-to-face contacts in 2021.

For more than three decades, Family Promise of Morris County has relied heavily on the support of community partners and a volunteer network of more than 1,600 people.

Help from partners such as the Rotary Club of Morristown is more important than ever, said Anastasia Arvanites, development and community relations associate for FPMC.

The Morristown Rotary Club, founded on May 1, 1922, funds service projects that address pressing issues such as poverty, disease, hunger, illiteracy and pollution. Morristown Rotarians volunteer their time, talent, experience and resources to make a difference in the community.

FPMC is a non-profit, non-sectarian organization committed to ending the crisis of homelessness and housing insecurity faced by families and individuals in Morris County by working with public and private agencies, religious congregations and community volunteers to provide shelter and mentoring services that lead to independence.

“All the staff I met at Family Promise and all the volunteer hosts helped me get back on my feet. I’m so grateful for all the support and kindness. Now I have another job and I’m working again, which will help me in my goal of finding a place where I can call home,” said Family Promise guest Nancy.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, FPMC has currently transitioned to a motel accommodation model for the safety of our guests and staff. “Since March 2020, we have placed several homeless households in the temporary and safe shelter of our local partner motels,” FPMC said.

The dedicated community of over 1,600 volunteers demonstrates that a motivated community can help solve the problem of homelessness while creating a “home” for those who have nowhere to go.

To learn more, visit www.familypromisemorris.org.