Morristown Rotary Club Awards Funds To Nonprofit Fighting Homelessness

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

Our Promise, located in the First Baptist Church in Downtown Morristown, is a beloved and vital community resource that serves those who are homeless and low-income residents. By providing a mailing address, phone and computer access, benefits screenings, case management and referrals to housing services, Our Promise fills a gap in community services.

The Morristown Rotary Foundation supports a variety of local organizations each year through their grant and sponsorship programs, with the goal of supporting activities and providing comfort to community members in crisis.

The Rotary Club has had 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 at OP, such as the purchase of cell phone charging stations, computers and other equipment.

The pandemic significantly increased Morris County's need for Family Promise's Outreach and Housing services in 2020. Around 70 percent of New Jersey renters are extremely cost-burdened, paying more than half of their income on rent, leaving little to no room for necessities such as proper nutrition, transportation, healthcare and childcare, FPMC said.

In order to meet the increased demand, the 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 over 1,600.

The assistance of partners such as The Rotary Club of Morristown is more important than ever, Anastasia Arvanites, Development and Community Relations Associate for FPMC said.

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

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

“All the staff that I came across at Family Promise and all the host volunteers have been helpful in getting me back on my feet. I am so thankful for all the support and kindness. Now, I have another job and I am working again, which will help me in my goal to find a place I can call home,” said Nancy, a Family Promise Guest.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, FPMC has currently transitioned to a motel sheltering model for the safety of our guests and staff. "Since March 2020, we have placed multiple unsheltered households into the safe, temporary shelter of our local partner motels," FPMC said.

The dedicated community of over 1,600 volunteers demonstrates that a motivated community can help fix homelessness while also creating a "home" for those who have nowhere else to turn.

To learn more, visit www.familypromisemorris.org.