Family Promise is looking for a volunteer van driver to drive families from the Day Center in Middletown to the church where they’re staying on Friday evenings (5:00-6:30 p.m.) on a regular basis, and occasionally from the church to the Day Center on Friday mornings (7:00-8:30 a.m.).  The driver must be at least 20 years old, have a valid NJ driver’s license, and be comfortable driving a 14-passenger van.  If you can spare 1½-3 hours or so each Friday, and would like to volunteer to help families in need in our community, please contact Mike Siciliano (732-495-1050) at Family Promise for more information.

HELP WANTED: Volunteer Bookkeeper for Family Promise

Family Promise of Monmouth County is looking for a volunteer bookkeeper to provide bookkeeping and payroll processing services. 

 When: Beginning on or before June 1, for at least 6 months

 Where: Day Center located at 121 Kings Hwy, Middletown

 How much time: Approx. 12-14 hours per month; flexible--can set own schedule

 Job description:

            -Record bills and other entries in QuickBooks

            -Pay bills

            -File statements and receipts

            -Prepare deposit slips

            -Using Paychex, submit payroll for 4 employees (bi-monthly)

            -Run QB reports for board meeting (monthly)

 Skills needed:

            -Must have good working knowledge of QuickBooks Non-Profit

            -Accounting background useful but not required

 Reward..what you get:

            -Joy associated with giving and making a difference in the lives of others

 If interested, please call our office at 732 495 1050 or email carol(at)familypromisemc.org.

Calling all families!

Are you looking for a way to share your many blessings?….would you consider participating in  a family activity that is community focused, one where your family can learn the importance of giving back and helping those in the community who are less fortunate?

Family Promise of Monmouth County is proud to present our 1^st annual Cardboard Box City event on Friday, September 24, 2010. Event participants will spend the night in boxes at Monmouth Church of Christ in Tinton Falls to raise money and awareness for Family Promise, a support agency in Monmouth County that keeps homeless families together while providing them with services to assist them back into homes of their own.  Did you know that on any given day in Monmouth County there are 242 children who are homeless?  A recent report by the National Center on Family Homelessness estimates that New Jersey is home to 7,557 homeless children.

Family Promise is a communitywide program that provides transitional shelter and comprehensive assistance for families in Monmouth County in a manner that offers hope, preserves dignity and promotes self-sufficiency. Family Promise of Monmouth County opened its doors in 2001, and has since served more than 130 families.  For more information on how you and your family can participate, please visit www.familypromisemc.org or call the Family Promise office at 732 495 1050.  CLICK HERE to view the PDF of this update.  Thank you!

Dear Members and friends,

Message from Doug Eagles at ASLAN

We're gearing up for six weeks of day camp and we still have a bunch of days where we need help with lunches. Would you please see if you can get a contingent of volunteers to make lunches for the Aslan day camps. Please see the below to see if any work for MUMC. If MUMC would commit to every Wednesday, that would be a tremendous blessing!

Here's how it would work. MUMC would be responsible for preparing enough bagged lunches for 50 - 60 kids. Each lunch should consist of a sandwich, a piece of fruit, a bag of chips, and a boxed drink. The lunches would need to be dropped off at the day camp the day of. We do ask that none of the sandwiches include pork products as many of the Aslan kids don't eat pork.

Second, we're in the process of collecting hygiene kits for an upcoming trip to Haiti. If MUMC would commit to making 10 kits, that would be a wonderful blessing to the kids we're going to work with in Haiti. Here's what a kit consists of:

• 2 unbreakable combs (no sharp handles)
• 4 toothbrushes (packaged)
• 1 tube of toothpaste (6-8 oz., no pumps)
• 2 hand towels (new towels, approximately 15" by 25".  Please do not use dish towels or washcloths.
• 20 Q-tips
• Assorted Band-Aids
• First aid cream

Place items in a heavy-duty, one-gallon seal-able bag. Remove all air before sealing.

Family Promise of Monmouth County will support the Family Fun Races, part of the NJ Marathon weekend of events on May 1-2, 2010.   The NJ Marathon raises money for several charitable causes and has generously donated to FPMC over the past years.  The Family Fun Races will be held on May 1, 2010 from 8-11am at The Great Lawn (by boardwalk and Ocean Place Resort), Long Branch, NJ.

We're encouraging people to participate in this fun-filled event.  Please click on the links below if you wish to help promote this event.  If you're interested or for more information please call Laurie Kraus at 732 261-4657 or email her at lauriekraus(at)gmail.com.

SATURDAY FAMILY FUN EVENTS          SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION          SPONSORSHIP FORM

Thank you for your support!

Hello Everyone,
Good News! Chuck, Kelli and Travis have moved into their own place. We wish them the best of luck in their new living situation. They have expressed their gratefullnesss to all of the volunteers who have been extremely supportive to them during their stay at Family Promise. The volunteers have made such a huge impact on their lives, that once they are settled in they want to come back and volunteer! Thank you for all the hard work you do.
Please pass this on to your volunteers!

Thank you! Shanna

As the 2009 school year approaches, our children will need to get their hair cut. Would anyone be willing to provide hair cuts to our children? I believe that most of our kids start school on or around September 3rd.   Please contact the office directly, if you are able to help!

I would just like to thank the individual (not sure of her name, sorry) who came out a few weeks ago and cut the children's hair.

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It is that time of the year again! We are in need of gift cards for back to school clothes for our families. Gift cards to Target, Walmart, JC Penny, Payless shoes, Kmart would be greatly appreciated to help our families get ready for school.  Any questions please call the office 732-495-1050.

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We have a couple little children in the program now and could benefit from some toys (coloring books, building blocks, board games etc.) for the day center to keep them occupied on days it is to hot to go outside. Please call the office 732-495-1050 if you have something you could donate. Thank you

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FPMC is looking for any volunteers to provide educational classes, such as resume writing, basic computer skills, knitting/crochet, arts/crafts (just a few ideas) or any other talents that you would like to share.   Please feel free to call me directly at (732) 259-9636.  Our families have expressed interest in learning new skills.  Thank you!

Katie

Dear Family Promise Supporter:

I am writing to you in my role as President of the Board of Trustees for Family Promise of Monmouth County with information about some important events and changes for our Family Promise network.

Our new home base

Most of you know that although local congregations like yours are at the heart of our program, we need a base location from which to operate the network on an ongoing basis.  This location is generally referred to as the day center and is used not only as our staff office, but is also where Family Promise guests take care of personal needs such as bathing and laundry.  It is also where guests can receive mail, look for a job and permanent housing and receive other kinds of counseling or professional assistance they may need.  Since the inception of our network in 2001, we have been fortunate to have use of the former rectory at St. Mark’s church in Keansburg.  At this time, we need to move on to another facility that will suit our program as it changes.  Our long-term aim is to occupy space at Fort Monmouth following the conversion of Fort Monmouth from military to civilian use.  The earliest we can expect that space to be available is 2012.  In the meantime, we are pursuing options to relocate our day center to either the Salvation Army headquarters in Lincroft or to a space owned by the Church of the Holy Communion in Fair Haven. 

Because neither of these is a sure thing at this point,  if you know of available space that would make a good temporary location for our staff and guests, please contact our office.

Our new leadership

Many of you may also be aware that Tara Maffei, who so ably served as our Executive Director, has undertaken a new professional opportunity with the United Way of Monmouth County.   We are grateful for all that Tara did while she was with us and wish her the best in her new position.  Our Board of Trustees has begun the process of finding a new permanent Executive Director and has appointed Katie Maier as our interim Executive Director.  Katie worked closely with Tara Maffei  as  an intern, and later as  a case manager.   We appreciate the excellent cooperation Katie is receiving from our congregations during this time of transition and know we can count on your continued support as we determine who will take on this important position on a permanent basis in the upcoming months.  If you know of someone who would be interested in the Executive Director position, please have them send a resume with cover letter to carol(at)familypromise.org

What all this means right now for our network

Due to the impending move of the day center, combined with our transitions in management of the program, our Board of Trustees decided it would be prudent to place a temporary moratorium on the acceptance of new families into the network.   We realize that this decision may be disappointing to our congregations, where scores of loving volunteers eagerly await each rotation to lavish delicious meals and attention on our guests.  I am hopeful that you can now appreciate why this temporary hold  is in the best interest of our network as a whole and I hope your congregation will take this time to thank your volunteers and take a moment to catch your breath along with us as we anticipate the challenges and opportunities our network faces in the coming few months.  Our host and support congregations are the main reason for our success over the past eight years and this is a wonderful time to look back and celebrate all that we have accomplished together.

Communication is key

Please help us get the word out about what is happening in the network so that people’s minds are eased that although a couple of major things are happening simultaneously, we are confident that Family Promise of Monmouth County will emerge even stronger and more effective once we accomplish our day center relocation and put a permanent management team in place.   We respectfully request and gratefully anticipate your continuing support in the weeks and months to come.  For more information about how you can become more involved with Family Promise, please contact your congregation coordinator.  If you have feedback for us or have an idea to share, you may contact me at carol(at)familypromise.org

Thank you for being part of Family Promise of Monmouth County!

Sincerely,

Carol Barnett
President, Family Promise of Monmouth County Board of Trustees

Hello everyone,

The New Jersey Marathon event is held annually at the Long Branch Promenade Great Lawn, to benefit local organizations and agencies.  Family Promise of Monmouth County is looking for corporate sponsorships and participants for marathon events.  Would you be able to forward this information along to your congregation?  Family Promise is also willing to provide additional information (and copies) or short presentation if needed.  Please feel free to contact me with questions.

In addition, an information session will be held on Saturday March 14th in the Community Room at the Long Branch Brookdale Annex which is on the 2nd floor of the building. There is a security guard stationed right inside the building entrance, and he will make sure visitors are directed to the room.  Applications and flyers will be provided during the information session.

All churches and congregations are welcome to have their own donation collection to be donated to Family Promise the day of the event, if you are unable to participate.

Your help is greatly appreciated,

Katie Maier
Case Manager
Family Promise of Monmouth
County Phone (732) 495-1050
Fax (732) 495-0400
Email: katie@familypromisemc.org

Last year I mentioned a wonderful and easy way to donate to Family Promise. If you shop online, like I do, as the holiday season approaches and we start to dread those long lines at the mall, don't fret! Simply go to www.igive.com and sign up. You simply register, you pick Family Promise of Monmouth County as your designated charity, and every time you shop online at one of their thousands of online stores, we get from 1-3% donation! Last quarter we made $18.70 just from people doing their regular shopping...you don't even need to write us a separate check to be doing a good deed!

If you want to see a list of all the stores they deal with, follow this link. It's just about everyone you would ever order from -
http://www.igive.com/shop/merchants.cfm?sort=name

What are you waiting for? How often can you do a good deed AND shop? Go stimulate that economy with a clear conscience - guilt free shopping delivered right to your doorstep, and to ours.

Tara Maffei

Thank you to all of you who participated in the Sept 21st Family Promise Bake Sale.  It was a huge success, raising $450.00 that is greatly needed for the operating costs at the DayCenter!  This is the only Family shelter in Monmouth County. I also want to thank all the trained volunteers who helped with our past hosting the last week of August.  I wasn't sure I'd fill all the spots needed but, as always, God provided, and a few of you stepped up and helped more than once during the guests' week at our church!!!  Thank you SO MUCH!

Our next hosting week is Nov. 16th - Nov. 23rd.  If you are not trained but want to help, we can always use more hands with setup and cleanup.  Our room setup and breakdown coordinators, the Kirby's, will be greatly missed!  If you would like to be trained so you can help with any of the other hosting jobs (there are 64 total host spots per hosting week to fill), let me know and I'll work around your schedule to get you trained.

Peace and blessings to all,
Joyce Johnson
Phone: (732) 936-9105 * Cell (908) 433-6898
Email: jjwaral(at)verizon.net

FAMILY PROMISE HOST WEEK AT MUMC

For more information on the next hosting week, please contact Joyce Johnson (732 936-9105) or George Lavigne (732 530-4273).  A Sign-Up Board will be situated in the Church Narthex to enable you to select the day(s) and time(s) of your choice.