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What is Valley Interfaith Promise (VIP)?
Valley Interfaith Promise(VIP) is a sheltering program for homeless families with children.
VIP provides shelter, meals, and comprehensive support services.
Valley Interfaith Promise is a nonprofit 501(C)(3) and non-denominational organization and an affiliate of Family Promise®.
Family Promise®, established in 1986, is a national organization of over 150 networks across the United States. These networks utilize over 4,500 congregations and 110,000 volunteers each year.
Valley Interfaith Promise began serving homeless families in the Chattahoochee Valley in October 2006.
How does Valley Interfaith Promise work?
Homeless families seeking assistance from VIP must call the office to begin the application. The application process takes 2 to 3 business days because we conduct a nationwide criminal background check and drug test.
Since the VIP program is conducted by 99% volunteers, an in-depth interview is conducted. VIP will NOT accept applicants with violent felonies, outstanding warrants, drug or alcohol abuse, or acute mental illnesses.
A qualified homeless family will participate in our program for an initial 30 days. However, extensions are granted if progress is being made toward job and housing stability.
The average stay of a successful family is around 100 days.
The family will be seeking employment/housing from the VIP Day Center during the day and stay at a host congregation's facility overnight.
VIP is be able to serve up to three (3) families, consisting or no more than fourteen (14) people, at a time.
Valley Interfaith Promise provides the basic needs of families with the help of five important resources:
- Host Congregations
- Volunteers
- Fund Raising
- Day Center
- Transportation
HOST CONGREGATIONS
Host Congregations open their facilities to provide evening hospitality, overnight lodging, and meals, every evening for one week, four to five times a year. Host Congregations have a weekly rotation schedule for hosting.
All the VIP families are at one Host Congregation for the week. The families are at the Host Congregation facility from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. Families will spend the day at the Day Center. They will be transported to the next Host facility on Sunday afternoon of each week.
VOLUNTEERS
The volunteers are the lifeblood of Valley Interfaith Promise. Volunteers provide a variety of services: cooking and serving meals, playing with children or helping with homework, and staying overnight. Volunteers interact with the guests treating them with respect and responding with compassion.
Since this is done in the familiarity of the Host Congregation facility, it provides a great and safe, opportunity for volunteers with children to participate.
Volunteer opportunities are also available at the Day Center (see Volunteer page).
VIP DAY CENTER
Each day the guests are brought to our Day Center. It provides a place for our guests from 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The VIP office is also located here. The VIP staff consists of a full-time Director, a full-time Case Manager, and a part-time Driver.
During the day, guests will go to work or look for work. Some may be attending courses to make them more marketable. The children will attend either their school, a childcare facility, or summer programs.
The Day Center has a shower and laundry facility. Therefore, churches without these facilities can still participate in hosting the families.
TRANSPORTATION
Valley Interfaith Promise will transport guests from the Host Congregation to the Day Center and back. VIP owns a 15-passenger, minibus (no CDL needed). VIP may also provide transportation to employment interviews, housing searches, medical/dental appointments and social service agencies.
FUND RAISING
VIP always seeks donations (both material and monetary), grants, and fundraising opportunities. If you can be supportive in any of these ways, please contact us. You can also make a safe and protected monetary donation on this web-site.
Each year, VIP hosts the annual Bed Race and Parade on the last Saturday of February. Every Fall, we send out request letters for funding toward next year's budget.
Why Valley Interfaith Promise?
Because all of the Family Promise Network Programs are successful. Nationwide, 70%+ of the families who participate find permanent or transitional housing. Guests without jobs usually find them or enter job training. Some may even enroll in further education.
Valley Interfaith Program is reaching out to those in need in Columbus/Phenix City and the surrounding areas. The current local school statistics show over 1,000 homeless students live with relatives or friends, in cars, in hotels, vacant buildings, etc.
Nationwide, 1 out of 50 children are homeless.
Volunteers have been emotionally rewarded within our Network as they care for the families in a loving way.
VIP can make a difference and YOU can too!