In 2025 our goal is to continue the implementation of the Family Promise program to house homeless families. The activities to accomplish this will no longer reside just with the 5 members of the current New Ministry Team. It will be reconfigured to include additional people focusing on individual objectives. For example, it may redefine new ministries for hospitality, communications, building/facilities changes; grant administration and fund-raising, and so on. In this way, it won’t be a small group of people doing a project, but identifying and pulling in additional people to work in areas of interest. There is also an intent to draw people to service at Tabor, worshipping members or not.

Our first efforts in January included:

  • Stephanie and Deb attended the homelessness advocacy session at the Utah Capitol on January 24th hosted by FACE (Faith and Advocacy Coalition to End) Hunger and Homlessness.
  • Bill Tibbetts representing FACE shared his report which contains more detail about research findings about child and family homelessness and ends with faith-based reflections on shared responsibility to ensure that every child has a safe and warm place to sleep - READ HERE.
     
  • The dedicated space we explored for this new ministry is the entire 2nd floor of the existing building. The New Ministry Team and Duane Lee had meetings with two building contractors asking for bids on renovating the 2nd floor in two phases for transitional and emergency housing for homeless families in partnership with Family Promise (FP). The renovations of 9 existing rooms in two phases includes:
    • Two full bathrooms: toilet, two sinks, shower
    • ​One combined common room: full kitchen (all appliances), living and dining space
    • Seven separate bedrooms
    • Several additional upgrades as required to meet code requirements: window egress for fire code, lighting, electrical.
       
  • Phase 1 of the homeless family program provides a two bedroom apartment for a single family for 6 months in 2025. The identified family will have completed the FP emergency housing 3 month program, but is deemed not quite ready to go out on their own. 

    The designated Tabor apartment encompasses just shy of half the 2nd floor space. It includes a full bathroom with toilet, two sinks and a shower, a combined full kitchen and living/dining room area and two bedrooms with closet or armoire storage – parents (queen bed) and children (twins). The kitchen includes appropriate appliances etc. to prepare and store food in combination with living room, TV, couch, table and chairs.

    The case manager still works with them eventually helping to find housing. The goals of this transition period are for these families to build good financial habits and confidence to successfully manage their finances/housing on their own.  

  • Phase 2 of the implementation of our new homeless family program focuses on renovating the rest of the 2nd floor adding more bedrooms and another full bathroom. The 2nd floor will then be fully dedicated to the homeless housing ministry. This phase will move our homeless assistance with FP from providing an apartment for a single family in transition (6 months) to providing emergency housing for more families for a shorter time period (3 months) and in conjunction with another congregation. The new ministry team hopes to have this phase moving along by the end of the year. All renovations in Phase 1 will serve the Phase 2 model. All bedrooms will use the kitchen/dining/living room communally and two full bathrooms will serve the whole group staying there.
     
  • Family Promise currently has two churches supporting emergency housing, Christ United Methodist in Millcreek and Hilltop Methodist in Sandy. They also have 5 transitional apartments. 84% of their families remain housed 2 years after completing their program.

This new homeless housing ministry plans to engage the congregation in several ways over the year, including:

  • providing guided tours to the congregation of the 2nd floor to share the construction plans and implementation details.
  • involving interested congregation members to name the ministry and promote it through various communication media, eg website, newsletter, signage and local media outlets.
  • keeping the congregation apprised of the progress of the program through dedicated space on the website and links via the Trumpet newsletter
  • reporting immediately or at a minimum monthly to the Council and any changes either to the future programming or construction issues
  • inviting the congregation to participate in various activites generated by this new ministry endeavor. We anticipate them to include some light renovation projects, eg painting, flooring, stocking the kitchen (likely with some existing Tabor supplies not in use), furnishing the rooms with living, dining and bedrooms and hospitality engagements with new tenants.

The intent of the New Ministry Team in 2025 is to ensure that the implemention of the ministry continues smoothly and successfully and that the congregation and our designated partners are fully informed and engaged during this time of development and building renovations. Please feel free to contact any of us with questions and to express your interest in joining any of these new ministry activities.

Deb Elstad, Chair
Stephanie Wilson, Vice Chair and Secretary
Chris Jensen
Casey White
Dave Warren, Council President Liaison
Pr. Christine Higueria-Street, Liaison