UUCS has supported Family Promise since it’s beginning many years ago, providing shelter and meals on a rotating basis with other faith communities. During the COVID pandemic, Family Promise changed to meet the needs of both the families and the host churches. Families stayed at houses provided by Family Promise and, sometimes, in hotels. UUCS met its commitment by providing evening meals four days during our scheduled week. The Quaker community has provided one of those meals – leaving UU with only three meals to deliver.
Prior to the pandemic, UU was able to host families in the building. Many people volunteered their time and talents to make that happen. However, since the pandemic, it has been a struggle to get volunteers to cook and deliver three meals – four times a year.
Family Promise is moving back to sheltering families in participating churches during the warming center months, November to March. They understand that congregations are moving out of lock down on their own timetable. So, they have proposed several options.

• Continue providing 4 meals for our scheduled week
• Provide meals for the entire week (7 days)
• Open the church for sleep only (Volunteers will come from other churches and FP staff)
• Provide volunteers to staff a sleep only church
• As before the pandemic, provide shelter, meals, and volunteers

Based on the experience of the last two pandemic years, the UUCS Family Promise coordinators have elected to continue providing four meals for our scheduled week.
Our next Family Promise rotation is from November 27 through December 3. Starting after the service on November 6, and for the next two Sundays, we will have a volunteer sign up table in the Fellowship Hall.
We can also discuss options at that time with anyone who is interested.

If UUCS is going to continue being a participant with Family Promise, we NEED people to volunteer!

~Sara Shatto, Deborah Emeny, Roberta Robinson, UUCS Family Promise Coordinators