Family Promise of Gainesville

11/06/2026

Just wanted to say THANK YOU to our amazing donors! We ask and you deliver! Remember not only do we accept diapers and wipes in times of need but we also have an Amazon wishlist AND we are close to opening both Cold Night Shelter and breaking ground on The Promise Center renovations. Gainesville has gone 7 months without a place for families to go and Family Promise is at the heart of finding the solution but we will need YOUR support - you can donate here! Every penny goes to supporting families in need and the team helping them! https://www.familypromisegvl.org/donate

11/05/2026

Hey everyone - we need diapers and wipes STAT! At Family Promise Gainesville- diapers size 3-5, lots of ‘em and wipes (also lots of ‘em) We are running dangerously low for families in need! Drop off donations M-Thu 9a-4p 229 Sw 5th st GNV💕💕💕💕 (this is my lil pumpkin of a granddaughter Birdie)

11/05/2026

Spots filling up fast for Saturday volunteer orientation!! There are 2 this month - Saturday 11/7 and Saturday 11/21 - If you are a church, org, student that needs to fill community service hours or just want to be a part of the solution - it all starts HERE - https://pointapp.org/orgs/11690 Remember - this is the first step in getting shelter services back up and running. Cold weather season is approaching FAST and Family Promise is working behind the scenes to create space for families with nowhere to go when the weather gets below 45 degrees - but we need YOU!

11/04/2026

Attention all incoming Family Promise volunteers!! Whether you want to volunteer in general, make meals for our shelter project, help out for the Bed Race in February or be an overnight host - it ALL starts with volunteer orientation. We have one this Saturday 11/7 at 9am and Saturday 11/21 at 9am. And you can sign up HERE - https://pointapp.org/orgs/11690

11/03/2026

We’ve gotten a TON of messages since last week from folks looking to help in some way so I want to direct you to how we are funneling it all in one direction. Please take a moment to fill out our Community Resource Survey-

Family Promise of Gainesville is expanding our emergency housing solutions, returning to our signature Church Rotational Shelter, and preparing for severe weather through the Cold Night Shelter Program. To make this possible, we are mobilizing our broader community around basic needs such as food, s...

11/02/2026

Just wanted to let everyone know - we have a BIG volunteer orientation this Saturday at 9a 229 Sw 5th street. This is for general volunteering but it’s also to discuss next steps for being an overnight volunteer for our shelter program. If you or anyone you know is willing to stay overnight this will be your first chance to get on the list and talk about our trainings. Come join our team and let’s get family shelter back up and running. Sign up HERE - https://pointapp.org/orgs/11690
Or Email me to RSVP [email protected]

10/28/2026

Heartfelt thanks to everyone who came out to our interfaith meeting Monday night! Please read and take the survey! We have SOOO many people emailing, calling, texting to see how they can help OR get support. So we want it all to live in one place and have created this amazing community resource survey!! This is going out to a vast network of local leaders, business owners, faith-based community, government officials and community members so please take it and share as well!!!

We are deeply grateful for our local faith-based community and for every pastor, congregation member, and volunteer who showed up to listen, reflect, and lean into this work. We see your hearts, and we know so many of you truly want to help solve the family homelessness crisis in Gainesville.

As we look toward the upcoming cold weather, we want to share an honest update on where things stand.

Over the past 7 months of dedicated advocacy, our goal was to secure solid commitments from 10 to 12 churches to host unhoused families on a rotating basis. As of Monday night, we only have 3 churches fully committed to opening their doors.

While we are profoundly thankful for these 3 congregations stepping up to lead, 3 churches cannot sustain a full-year shelter rotation on their own. With winter approaching, we have to adapt quickly. We simply CANNOT, in good conscience, leave babies and young children out in the cold.

Our immediate goal is to ensure no family is left on the street when temperatures drop. We are trying to focus on:
A) Cold night shelter - this is THE most pressing issue
B) Shelter regularly for up to 4 families at a time that are in our program. This can run hand in hand with Cold Night Shelter or rotate if we have at least 10 churches participate in opening their doors for one week at a time OR it can just all live under one roof
C) Renovations on The Promise Center - Our building can safely house 9 families at a time and renovations have resumed but we will need all hands-on deck (pun intended) to make it all happen. We have lots of exciting new to share and people to thank but that will come soon.

How you can help right now: Even if your congregation isn't able to open its doors to host overnight, we need your hands, your resources, and your support to help this succeed.

👉 Please fill out and share our Community Resource Survey here: https://forms.gle/rF3UWkK7pub6PrwD8

Whether you can provide hot meals, volunteer overnight shifts, help another church, donate supplies, assist with laundry, or help fund operations—every single contribution gets us closer to keeping children warm and safe this winter.

Thank you for standing with our unhoused neighbors. Let’s rally together as a community and get this up and running before the cold sets in! 💛👇

10/27/2026

Thanks to Family Promise very own Erin for decorating her little pumpkin of a car for Trunk or Treat with GFR Community Resource Paramedicine program last week! We will be back at it again this Friday from 6-8p with Grace Presbyterian 3146 Nw 13th street with lots of candy and fun!!

10/26/2026

Tonight’s THE night when Gainesville changes! We feel it in our Family Promise bones (which are old and rickety and a little achy but still goin)
Gainesville hasn’t had a family shelter in 7 months. That’s 7 months of families getting up and heading to work every day and then heading back to a vehicle, a tent, a hotel room. 7 months of having to give up your kids so you can stay at Grace or have your kids sleep at grandmas because the car is too hot. Our hope is tonight we have a clear path for Family Promise Church rotational shelter and Cold night shelter programs to begin!
Come be a part of the conversation- leave with the solution! Snacks provided!

10/25/2026

A quick reminder about tomorrow (Monday) at 5:30 PM at First United Methodist Church! ⛪️
At Family Promise of Gainesville, we are seeing the reality on the ground for far too many unhoused families every day. We are ready to organize our amazing faith community around immediate, tangible solutions—specifically, restarting the Church Rotational Shelter and Cold night shelter
If you’re at church today, talk to your leaders and let them know! No RSVP is required, but feel free to drop a comment so we can make sure we have enough snacks.
A quick note on what tomorrow is—and what it isn't:
We’ve been in discussions for six months, so this isn't a passive interest meeting or a brainstorming session. We are meeting to walk away with set calendars, firm commitments, and action items. This meeting is for anyone serious about rolling up their sleeves—whether that means opening your congregation's doors, hosting, cooking meals, staying overnight, or providing support.
Come ready to make decisions and take action.
Tomorrow Night’s Agenda (5:30 PM @ First United Methodist):
5:30 PM: Welcome & Overview — Where we stand, who is committed so far, and what’s in place.
5:45 PM: Family Homelessness Overview — Brandy Stone, Director of Community Health Initiatives (City of Gainesville).
6:00 PM: What It Takes — Requirements to launch Rotational Shelter and what Cold Night Shelter operations entail.
6:15 PM: The Sticky Note Match-Up — Hands-on mapping: matching host churches with volunteer teams, meal makers, and overnight hosts to build our active network!
If we hit roadblocks, we’re going to address the "why" together in the room and solve it. We will also unveil our Community Resource Survey for anyone that has someone who wants to help but isn’t in the space. Let’s get this open! See you tomorrow at 5:30!