October 27, 2008; South Florida Sun-Sentinel; Churches unite to help homeless families in south Palm Beach County; by Lois K. Solomon.

Religious groups unite to help families get back on their feet, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Delray Beach.

A coalition of religious congregations has promised to feed and shelter displaced families, filling a gap in Palm Beach County's limited network of assistance to the homeless.

The Family Promise of South Palm Beach County program is set to open Sunday at St. Gregory's Episcopal Church in Boca Raton. It offers housing on its campus for four families or as many as 14 people.

Seven other religious congregations in Boca Raton and Delray Beach will house the families on a weekly rotation, each assembling a cadre of volunteers who will cook, buy supplies and offer friendship.

The homeless families will sleep at the congregations each night and head for the Family Center at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in Delray Beach during the day. The second floor of a former convent there will serve as a place to get counseling and lunch and look for apartments and jobs.

Executive Director Kokie Dinnan said the families will sign agreements to abide by strict rules, such as abstaining from violence, keeping their living spaces clean and earnestly seeking to get back on their feet. Families can stay in the program for four weeks, but there will be flexibility if they need more time.

"We are not giving them a fish; we are teaching them how to fish," Dinnan said. "This is not a program for everyone. It's for those who are motivated to take action in their life."

The families will be referred to Family Promise by local social service agencies and the Palm Beach County School District.

Dinnan expects a deluge of itinerant families because of the nation's current economic challenges, and the congregations say they are ready.

It took 18 months to assemble housing and coordinate the jobs of 60 to 80 volunteers at each site.

Volunteers and money to support the host congregations are being provided by 12 additional churches in Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Highland Beach, as well as community groups such as the Junior League of Boca Raton.

"This has struck a nerve with so many people," said the Rev. Kathleen Gannon of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, a host congregation in Delray Beach. "There is so little in the county to help the homeless. We have put people in hotels because there is nowhere else for them to go."

A federal housing report stated 6,200 people were homeless last year in Palm Beach County, which has no county-operated shelter.

Reasons cited in a September report to county commissioners included the loss of affordable rental units, the general decline in the economy, and high property taxes and insurance.

Commissioners last month approved a 10-year plan to help the homeless, but allocated no funding.

A shortage of shelters forces many homeless people to seek assistance at churches and synagogues. The frequency of such visits in Palm Beach County spurred the congregations to research and join Family Promise, a national interfaith network with 126 affiliates that host homeless families and use community resources to help them become independent. Florida has several chapters.

At Advent Lutheran Church in Boca Raton, volunteer coordinator Bob Dornblaser said each family will sleep in a classroom that has been converted into a bedroom. More than 75 volunteers are assigned tasks such as serving food, sleeping over with the families and gathering supplies. Organizers also have recruited the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, he said.

"We'll make a small dent in helping south Palm Beach County's homeless," Dornblaser said. "We know it won't solve the problem."

Lois Solomon can be reached at lsolomon @SunSentinel.com or 561-243-6536 .

Copyright © 2008, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Sun-Sentinel website this story of 10/27/08 by Lois Solomon.