Insight With Sylvia Maus 051423 Family Promise

“Family homelessness is a serious issue in the Harrisburg area. Susan Ryder, Community Outreach Associate and Stacey Coldren, Program Coordinator of Family Promise of the Harrisburg Capital Region explain why prevention, providing vital services and making sure families stay together keeps them on track.” www.familypromisehcr.org

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hi, I'm Sylvia Moss and thisis inside a presentation of iHeartMedia, where
we really do care about our localcommunities and all our listeners who live here.
And that's the same for so manyof the people who do live in
Central Pennsylvania. They do care,but it still surprises me when I talk
to them about the real issues thatothers are facing in our area, and

(00:20):
sometimes they just can't believe it.One of the major issues is that of
homelessness. It's no longer the pictureof a single man or woman living on
the streets. Homelessness now greatly impactswhole families. I'd like to do something.
Picture this picture. You're a youngparent. There you are out in
the streets, nowhere to go yourchildren, you have small kids, you

(00:41):
have no place to eat. Imean, it's horrible, and that goes
on all the time here in CentralPennsylvania. Believe me, it's a nightmare
and it truly is a reality.It often angers me too when people say
all these homeless people have to dois get a job, Well, that's
another run of bologne, because whatthey don't understand is that the issue of
homelessness goes far deeper than just gettinga job. It's a complicated situation that

(01:06):
cuts across many other issues that mostof us are never going to have to
face. If all that I've justtold you doesn't convince you of the severity
of homelessness involving families right here inCentral Pennsylvania, think about this. On
a national level, more than fortypercent of Americans art four hundred dollars away
from financial distress. I mean,it's four hundred bucks and bingo. They

(01:27):
don't know where to go. Buthere in Central Pennsylvania, the local chapter
of a national organization who's done amazingwork to help support people, young people
not young people, that are familiesthat are homeless or with us today.
They provide vital services to these familiesand most importantly, they make sure that
families stay together and that's what's goingto keep them on track. From Family

(01:49):
Promise of the Harrisburg Capital Region,our Susan Rider Community Outreach Associate and Stacy
Couldron program Coordinator. You know,I gotta tell you guys something. I
don't know if I could do whatyou do. You know, I have
a mouth, I'll stand up forpeople, But what you guys do,
it's really tough. Could you explainand it please, unless I direct the

(02:12):
question to somebody specifically, just jumpin. Could you explain to us how
you do You have a network,that's the basis of what your whole organization
is about. Talk to us aboutthat. Sure, So, we have
a network of congregations who provide housingfor our families. What they do is
during the day, the families cometo our day center, which is like

(02:35):
the hub, and they take careof the things that families take care of,
laundry, getting kids off to school, heading off to work. Then
in the evening they head off toone of these congregations and they spend the
night there. In the congregation givesthem a nice hot meal church folk like
to cook, and they spend theevening there and then in the morning they

(02:55):
are transported if they don't have theirown transportation, are van takes them back
to the day center and they starttheir day all over again. Okay,
well, let me ask you this. I think when you think about homeless
system, the main thing you dois you think about no place to sleep,
no place to stay. But ithas that's been something you've been working

(03:16):
on for a long time. Canyou tell us, like where these hosts
come from that support, no placesfor people to stay. Yeah, it's
mostly just getting out in the community, local events and things like that that
we just make these really great connectionswith the congregations in our area. So
we have some that are in Hershey, Dyllsburg, camp Hill, Mechanicsburg,

(03:38):
Harrisburg. So so these are peoplethat belong to these churches open their homes
to or any proper they may have. That's a wonderful thing to do.
You know. I wanted to askyou also what area that are you serving?
What counties or a specific area thatwe serve just the capital region,
So we aren't restricted to particular countieslike many or organizations are. So it's

(04:00):
typically Perry Dauphin Cumberland, Northern York. Wow, that's a large area.
Two part question. First of all, where do these families come from?
And what do you guys consider afamily. While we consider a family whatever
you call your family, whoever's livingin your household, that includes maybe an

(04:21):
extended extended family like grandma, it'stwo moms, two dads, single moms,
single dads, whatever you call yourfamily. Uncle Joe that lives with
you, maybe that's what we calla family, because we want to keep
that group together. When they arethey referred to you by agencies or do

(04:41):
they just walk in off the street. How does it work both. We
don't have a referring process, soif they are in need of help,
they're more than welcome to give usa call, or some people stop in
if they just google us and lookup the address. But you do not
need to be referred. We willhelp anyone that might need help, even
if they don't have a family andthey're just a solo. We can still
provide case management for them. Okay, So I know this family, okay,

(05:05):
and they had no way to getto you. There is an application
process, there's background and all thatbecause you want to make it safe for
everybody. What should they do?Um, Well, they're more than welcome
to call in and we can helpthem through the application process. It's all
online. It's online because most ofthe clients that we serve don't have transportation
and it's hard for them to tryto figure out the buses to get to

(05:28):
us. So everything is online,or we can help them over the phone
zoom. If we have to goto them, we'll drive out and help
them out. But most of thetime. Doing it online has really helped
the barrier of trying to fill outpaper applications. And oh yeah, and
it's very responsive. So doing ona phone is it's pretty easy, dude,

(05:48):
on your phone, so they don'thave to have a laptop. Yeah,
when you when you get in therefrom and correct me if I'm wrong
about this. A lot of theynot only the generous Vaunkiers and people to
support you in so many ways.But the thing I think I recognize in

(06:08):
finding out as much as I couldabout your organizations because they had had members
from your staff had been in acouple of years ago, is that you
credit most of it of the successto case management. Can you explain to
our listeners what case management is andhow it works? Oh, case management
is fun. It never looks thesame for any family. Every goal is

(06:30):
different for every family. So that'swhat that case management would look like for
that family. But case management wouldn'thappen if there wasn't collaboration with other resources
in the community. And I thinkthat has grown. The collaboration and these
communities working together has really helped allof I mean not just our clients,
but other clients and situations if saywe have a wait list and we're not

(06:55):
able to bring a family in,we still work with that family and find
the resources and connect them to wherethey can go. So's they're just not
sitting there like a duck on wateror whatever they say. Yeah so,
um, but no, case managementis intense. It's messy, but it
is bittersweet. And all the hardtimes that you might see with the client,

(07:18):
um, the day that they graduateand they have those keys in their
hand, they are happy as anythingand that is what makes it all work.
Well, you all right, theprogram coordinator, but you were also
on in time when those clients.Would you be willing to share your story?
Yeah? Sure, I'd be wonderful. Oh wow, Um, it's

(07:38):
been eight years now. Myself andmy four kiddos were in a rough situation
and I called CIS and no onelikes to call CIS and I understand that,
but that was the phone call thatsaved us. They gave us family
Promises information. Um, we wereliving in hotels, our van, we
would have blankets over the windows.Was just a really rough situation and we

(08:03):
found Family Promise came in and Ihonestly, I know people always say I
don't think I don't know where Iwould be if it wasn't for this.
I honestly do not know where Iwould be if it wasn't for family promise
that UM we made the connection.When we did UM, I was in
there for about three months, Ifound a job, got my kids in
childcare. UM, I graduated theprogram, and then I moved out of

(08:28):
the state for a little bit.UM and I moved back and I volunteered
for the longest time, and thena case management positioned opened and I said,
oh, this is how I cangive back, this is what I
want to do. And I haven'tleft and we're going on five years and
bought the company. Yeah, andthen not as much money. Well,

(08:48):
how the kids doing, Oh,they're great. My oldest just turned eighteen,
and he turned nine in the programand now we're talking about college,
UM in the school and all thatfun stuff. But they're doing really great.
They they're their own little happy individualsthat make my life around sounds wonderful.
Well, you know, I'd liketo ask both of you, as

(09:09):
I mentioned, when I tell peopleabout like I did a program with Franchardo
who at that time back in thefall told me they had. He was
working on forty cases at that pointwith this task force because there were people
who were selling children online in DauphinCounty for sects and you know who those

(09:31):
people are, caretakers and parents,and people are like, oh my god,
not here in central Yeah, guesswhat the same story with you?
You guys, is it? Yeah? You guys. It's like people don't
believe it when I say not here, no, no, no, no,
just that comment about all they needsto do is get a job.
Please tell us something, send ithome to let us know how serious this

(09:54):
is. Well, we I wasjust reading a book by a homicide to
get called pat La March. It'scalled Still Left Out in America, and
she was saying that people don't wantto believe that an eight year old child
is the picture of homelessness because thenthey have to believe it will happen to

(10:16):
them. Yeah. Well, it'seasier to believe that it's some old guy
for lack of a better word,and then they can say, well,
that's not me. He doesn't havea job, so I'm sure there's a
reason he deserves to be homeless.But you know, one story comes out.
We had a gentleman who had singleparent, had a job, and

(10:37):
had a divorced, rough life situation. You know, that's how it starts,
right, And he ended up.He came to family promise and the
reason was just he couldn't find somebodyto rent to him. And it's because
he had a complicated financial background.And many of us do that, but
I do. But if we haveour own home, we don't have to

(10:58):
worry about that. But when you'rerenting, you do, and your life
can become very precarious or you needyou know, three what is it three
times your monthly rent in the bankbefore someone will rent to you. Now
I understand, um, we're notat odds with landlords. You know,

(11:20):
we need landlords, um uh.And they need to pay their bills.
Also, it's just difficult for people. And so he used up a lot
of his money. He had savingstoo. And they stayed in hotels because
if you had a choice between stayingin your car and also risk losing your
children, um, or staying ina hotel, you stay in a hotel.

(11:41):
And even the cheapest hotel, let'ssay forty dollars a night, will
just suck your money away. Ohyeah, And it takes their savings away,
and that that was a man whohad a job, and you can
happen to anybody. Yeah. Andnow I have a very dear friend that
uh does a lot at the foodbank, she rents bank, and she
was telling me that, still,you'd be surprised the people that are coming

(12:03):
in here. Now. It's notthese poor people who never had anything.
It's people who have lost their jobsand kids in college, they lost their
house because they couldn't pay their mortgage. It's like it's getting closer and closer
to normal Middle America. And yeah, and something else what I think people
forget about is like sometimes people movein with other people to help out,

(12:26):
Yeah, and then that person diesand they lose their housing or there's a
fire. Every time now I seea fire and it says like seven families
displaced, I'm like, where arethey going to go? Yeah? Right,
Yeah, And usually they get referredto us in one way or another.
Right, You've had quite a fewfamilies from local buyers in Dauphin County
that have come in to into ourshelter or to at least receive services.

(12:50):
Well, you know what, Iunderstand. I totally understand why you try
to keep families together. Tell usfor anybody who might not get why,
well, why would you want tobreak up your biggest support? Yeah right?
I mean I know myself coming intoa shelter with four kids. They're

(13:11):
my breath, They're the reason I'mstill here, So I wouldn't want anyone
to rip us apart. So thatis exactly why family is making that promise.
Family promise is making that promise tokeep them together. You know,
one of the things that's a hugeepidemic in the nation. But you I'm
want to talk about something because youguys are always coming up with new and

(13:33):
innovative things. One of the thingsyou do is called heads up. And
I don't think people realize the averageperson realizes that when you mother, father,
children are in this situation, whatit does to mentally I mean mental
illness. People are so embarrassed bythat. And I look at the people
who realize there's a situation, gethelp. Those are the brave people,

(13:54):
you know. So what tell meabout this heads up program? I love
heads up program thing. I mean, homelessness is trauma no matter how you
look at it. So there istrauma. There was trauma coming into the
situation. There's going to be traumain this situation. Even though they're in
that safe place, it's different.It's not their home. They're with a
bunch of other people rotating. Yeah, and this program is to give them

(14:18):
that peace of mind. It isnot a long term mental health program,
but it is there in place untilthe wait lists clear up, because I
mean some weightless for mental health orlike nine plus months. That's crazy.
And you can't just leave it alone. I mean the glass half full.
You can't be half full and expecteverything just to work out. So you

(14:39):
have to take care of yourself also. So and that is how our mental
health program is. We started itwith just in house families and it's worked
out really really well, and thenwe're like, well, why not just
extend it? So, oh,that's what we did. I thought I
would consider that one of your bestyes programs. Can I think that's my
favorite program we we talked about gettingthere. What's wheels up. Wheels Up

(15:05):
is a permanent solution to temporary transportationproblems. So it's not like buzz passes
or uber or lyft um. Sayyou have a vehicle that's not going to
pass inspection, and it needs somework and you need to get back and
forth to work, so you knowthat needs done. So with the Wheels
Up program, you do need areferral. Um, so we have to

(15:26):
have a case manager, but FamilyPromise can also be your case manager for
that. But they can fill outthe application and the couple receive some financial
classes and things along that line,and um, we will help them with
their car whatever that might be.But it's not just giving them money.
We want them to support themselves andlearn how to budget, so we ask

(15:50):
for half back. So that alsohelps the next family in line that goes
from there. But it helps themfeel that they did something for themselves.
It's not just oh thanks, yougave me this handout. It's oh thanks,
I'm helping someone too when now thatI'm okay, So it's just this.
And it also helps with like gettingyour driver's license. I don't I

(16:11):
mean people get their driver's license anddon't even think about the cost of getting
a driver's license. People don't havean act at Bucks and if it's real
ideas, oh you know, youknow, and so people people do that
they write the check or they handtheir credit card over and don't even think
about it, and people just don'thave that kind of disposable InCom that's right,
So we'll help with that too.You were we were just talking about

(16:33):
housing. Let's move up about moveup UM. That is one of our
newer programs. So I'm sorry ifI kind of stumble over. We're just
getting started with that UM. Butit's inn to assistance UM, and it's
the same aspect of what wheels upis. We will help you with that
rental assistance, but you still payhalfback UM. And if it's like through

(16:56):
a credit bureau or not a creditbureau, UM, I'm trying to think
I'm being no help. I'm sorry, Like UM members first like kind of
things, if you have something throughthere, UM, we just we try
to we want to help that personwhere everyone's always okay, give me,
can I have this? I wouldlike this, but we're like, okay,

(17:18):
we will gladly help you, butwe want you to help yourself.
So that's kind of what move up. And it's nice too because it also
helps with like first and last month'srent UM and security deposit. Because I've
had many people call me excuse mebecause I answered the phone a lot and
they have a job. They theyhave this apartment, but they don't have

(17:41):
the security deposit, and so itwould be nice to be able. Um,
it's nice now to be able tosay, hey, we might be
able to help you with that,um, from from my end, from
answering the phone, because up untilthen I didn't really have any place to
be able to tell them to go. Yeah, but through collaborations though learning
about some other things that are goingon. I mean, there's nothing so

(18:03):
I'm the outreach person, right,There's nothing I love better than collaboration.
And too, I would say mostof the organizations out there they want want
to collaborate. And I wanted toclarify something too that who's the churches when
we talk about churches hosting or notjust churches but congregations. Yes, they
stay at the church. They don'tstay at people's homes. So the church

(18:23):
hosts them for the night and turnsit turns there they're building into a little
house for these peoples. And seethat's what that's how America started. Yeah,
you know, and when I hearpeople why and I think, oh
my gosh, one of the you'retalking about collaboration the United way you work
with them and there are a lotof things that we don't talk about employment.

(18:47):
Some people don't have the skills.And what I've learned from doing other
programs is a lot of these thingsare generational things and if the children don't
if the parents are in situation anddon't do anything to change it, the
kids are going to see it andthey're going to repeat that same behavior.
It's you know, am I right? Yeah? So you have through these
different agencies, there's childcare, whatelse to help support them? Ski teaching

(19:11):
them skills? Yeah, this isthat's through the Road to Success program.
Okay, go ahead, take it, take your gig. Okay, so
yes, Road to Success with UnitedWay Um. I wish this was around
when I first got out of FamilyPromise. It is an incredible program.
UM. They can help with transportationlike bus passes, up to three months,

(19:33):
childcare, um, finding a job. They have roughly thirty different employer
partners, and if you get hiredwith an employer partner, you get even
more incentives. So of course I'mgoing to push Road to Success employer partners.
But if they don't find something theylike, of course I'm going to
help them find something else. I'mnot just going to be like pushing things
they don't want here. But um, it is soft skills. You can

(19:56):
do drivers du second Chance through CareerLink. Like there's just so much going
through it, yes, um,and they just they need to want it
just as bad as anyone else.I mean, I know there's a dime
a dozen jobs out there. Um, and the clients that come in,
they're so smart and so sharp,but they just don't believe in themselves.

(20:17):
Most of the time something knocked themdown and they're just like, I can't
do this. Yeah, well that'syou really get that. Yeah, that
really doesn't number on. Yeah,it doesn't. Like you like that young
mother with those kids who the pastorreferred, Yes, yeah, and I
still work with her. She's great. Great. Oh well this is so
encouraging, you know. I likeany organization yours, the power behind you

(20:40):
comes from your volunteers, and thereare volunteers for all kinds of things going
on. But I was snooping aroundand I saw on your website you're looking
for people, and like a maintenanceperson and a dinner What could a dinner
provider do? You get invited somebody'shouse for dinner. So at the UM,
the congregations provide a meal and sosometimes and we also partner with UM,

(21:07):
thank you. We need each other. Um. So when we don't
have a congregational host, we partnerwith Medical House, which is a youth
center in New Cumberland, and wehave folks who provide meals on those nights
and so we'll have we make whatthey call sign up genius and people can
just sign up to make a meal. Um. We have van driver positions,

(21:30):
evening hosts, the evening host mowingour grass planting. We just had
thirteen kids from Capelaria Christian School's network. I'm getting the name wrong, but
they came and they we did forus. They planted, they mulched,
and now we need somebody help.What are those plants? You know?
So all the kinds of things thatyou need around a house that we don't

(21:52):
always have time to do. Welook for volunteers and you're flexible. I
mean that's the best part because Iknow a lot of people went to volunteer
so well, I can only giveso many hours go here. Yeah,
oh yeah, Well I had awoman call me today and she's gonna come
in, we're gonna talk and shegoes, will make me a list,
and I said, okay, I'llmake you as go. That's fine.
On any given day, what weneed done changes, um, and so

(22:17):
I just we just had a womanwho like organized our whole downstairs for us,
and we needed it so bad andwe're so happy. Where your office
located fifty six Orford Road, Okay, okay, right across the street from
sheets out my window and right youknow. As far as supporting yourself financially,
I know you have some wonderful sponsors. You like everybody else goes after

(22:41):
go after grants, and we allknow about grants as everybody went to the
same amounting. It's money and it'sa toss up. But you also,
um have an event coming out.We do very short like can you talk
to mount? It's your first event, isn't it? Sure? What's our
first event of this type? It'scalled our first annual Spring Jam. It's
an Englewood it's May twenty first.It's gonna be a musical event, very

(23:03):
kid friendly event. Also, theMartini Brothers are gonna be there, yea,
and Shine is gonna be there.So we're just so looking forward to
the music and great gonna have foodthere, we're gonna have events for the
kids, and it's just gonna bea really fun afternoon and it's open to
the public. Where do you gettickets. You get tickets on our website
at www dot Family Promise hcr dotorg, right on the homepage. It's

(23:29):
a pretty inexpensive afternoon. For asingle, it's twenty dollars, but for
a family it's forty, So youcould come for a family. Yeah.
I have a large family and fortybucks for an afternoon that's DERs and fun
and music. I'm there. Yeah. Yeah, So we're gonna have out
on the lawn. There's gonna beface painting and big bubble making and it's
it's just gonna be a really funevent. We're stoked. We're gonna dance.

(23:49):
Yeah, we have our dance andshoes already. Oh my gosh.
Let me everybody listens. Well,heck, anybody that knows me knows that
if John bon Jovi shows up,you call me baby. I remember dancing
to him on MTV. I wassix years old. I'm sorry, you,
frag. I remember hearing a storyabout Pink. She had a crush

(24:14):
on him, and her mom wasbringing her home from a dance lessons or
something. It was on the radiothat John bon Jovi Mayor got married.
She was so depressed. Well,he finds out about this years later,
ends up sending her flowers and someof his clothes or something. But yeah,
he's a remarkable person, not onlyas a as an artist. But
I'll look what he's done for Ohmy goodness. But anyway, what I

(24:37):
also want to ask there were thingscalled gifts and kind tell us I know
what, Well, you can explainwhat this is and what do you need
so far? This is something that'sa continuous thing. Yeah. Um,
so gift cards okay, Yeah,gift cards are gift cards are easy.
Um. At the day center thereis a lot of moving and shuffling and
changing, so ace is not alwaysthere. Okay, So gift cards or

(25:03):
paper products things like that, I'massumable. I call it assumables. Okay,
things that you know, those swiftfor wet jet I'm always asking for
those. Yes, I get thanksfor reminding me. I got to go
to start. Yeah, right,it's just the easiest way. Um.
For the families are responsible for keepingthe day center clean and so um,
the swift for wet jets just theeasiest way. So that's solution. I'm

(25:25):
always begging solution from people. Um. Yeah, that's and we have a
list on our website of different things. People can call us and we can
give them suggestions as to things thatwe might be low on at any given
moment. Toilet paper is always agood one. UM paper towels, um
baby wipes. Yeah, thankfully.We have a collaboration with the Healthy Steps

(25:48):
diaper Bank and we get diapers fromthem. See that's that's all about.
Yeah, I love that. Ilove that. I'd love nothing better than
good collaboration. It loves its legalLet me ask you this. I know
because of doing this for so longand doing my research that your organization is

(26:11):
one of the most successful one inthe whole country for doing what you do
as far as getting people families together, finding out their needs, supporting them,
helping them, keeping together, putsending them down that road a little
bit at time so they get stronger. The mental health issue and everything else.
What do you guys when you Imean you work on this every day.

(26:33):
What do you see is the mainthing that makes you so successful.
We treat them like a human there'sno judgment. Yeah, thank you.
No judgment. You can never judgea book by its cover. It's just
like seeing the homeless individual out onthe street panhandling. That's homeless, you
would think, But it's not thesingle mom with the four kids that's going
to work and her kids are inschool. Well it's hard to think about

(26:56):
that, isn't it so? Butno, the day to day interactions with
them, so like I'm I'm thecommunity outreach person, but I'm also in
the front front office area, soif they need things, they come in
all the time, and I seethem all the time, and the kids
and the parents, and you justget you just get to know them,
you know, and just how's yourday, how are you doing? And
they get to know you too,because I was There was a day when

(27:18):
um, I was upset. Ihad gotten a phone call somebody that we
weren't really able to help, andI was crying at work and one of
the families made me a cup oftea. One of the moms made me
a cup of tea and brought itin and and so we allow them that
they have, you know. Theone little boy came in, He's like,
can you want a piece of gum? I'm like, I would love

(27:41):
a piece of gum. Yeah,so um yeah, it's it's just that.
And one one gentleman motor grass becausehe had time, he hadn't found
a job yet, he mowed thegrass for us a couple of times,
just just you know, letting themgive back. Guys, I'm so glad
you came in and to my listeners, I hope today you not only believe,

(28:02):
but now you're starting to understand thatthere are indeed families here in our
region and they have small children andthey run, as I said earlier,
they run a risk if they don'tget the support that you can support this
organization. If they don't get thatsupport, these children are going to repeat
the same behaviors and we're not goingto make it anywhere. So please,
anyway you can support the work ofFamily Promise of the Capital Region and Susan.

(28:26):
What again is that website and contentnumber? Family Promise hcr dot org
Stace. Yes, congratulations again,Way to go. You guys are awesome.
We're going to keep in touch.Thank you, And to my listeners,
don't forget if you can't catch thisprogram when it airs on our many
iHeart stations, you can find itanytime by going to your I Podcasts app

(28:49):
and several other apps. I'm SolviaMoss. This has been insight Thank you
so much for listening to see younext week.