This Giving Tuesday, we celebrate our Hunterdon County communities and the resilience within. Our communities continually demonstrate their resilience through providing Family Promise of Hunterdon County’s 1,000+ community volunteers and the many in-kind donations made annually. This greatly impacts the vibrancy and vitality of our communities when we keep our most vulnerable residents safely housed and their basic needs met. To support individuals and families experiencing housing instability or loss with a gift of $50, $100, $250, or more, we can ensure all of our residents are cared for when faced with housing instability. Click here to make your donation.
What is Community Resilience?
Community resilience is defined as the sustained ability to withstand, adapt to, and recover from adversity. Hunterdon County is truly a resilient community. We are known for coming together to support our most vulnerable neighbors, and the last two years have demonstrated not only a need for doing so but showed how critical it is when navigating through a public health crisis.
Housing Instability Remains a Pervasive Issue Throughout our Region
Did you know that on the most recent homeless count in 2020, nearly 9% of homeless surveyed reported having an earned income, but the average earnings among this population were less than $800 monthly? Another interesting fact: There was an increase of 17% of homeless individuals and a 14% increase of homeless households from 2019 to 2020. Here’s what Family Promise of Hunterdon County is experiencing: The number of individuals seeking our care aged 70 and over or who are permanently disabled has dramatically increased. We’re seeing a sharp increase in the number of ‘working poor’ individuals and families with earned income but not enough to cover monthly essentials (i.e., food, utilities, car insurance, etc.), and more and more families are entering into the eviction cycle as the uncertainty of eviction moratoriums and what/who is covered continue to loom over the heads of many of our Hunterdon residents.
Giving Back Contributes to our Resilience
Our shelter guests aren’t the only ones who benefit from being a ‘good neighbor.’ Many of our volunteers develop lasting relationships with shelter guests. “We hosted the Lewis family which consisted of a single mother with a 15-year-old and a 7-year-old over Labor Day weekend and what I got out of it was way more than I anticipated,” says Marvin. “The family didn’t ask for much, and the children were well-behaved and polite. When I took the family to dinner with my wife, it brought so much joy to my heart in seeing their excitement for such a small deed.” Marvin let the family decide where and what to eat, and they collectively settled on Chinese food. “We went to a local place in Flemington where we had a feast and the family thoroughly enjoyed it! Yes, the family enjoyed the outing, but my wife and I got so much more joy out of spending time with them and getting to know their dreams and the mother’s desires for her children.” Marvin goes on to say that he was in awe of their resilience in changing their trajectory with a little help from Family Promise.
By supporting the Lewis family and others who are recovering from a loss of primary residence, we ensure the sustainability of our beautifully resilient communities!
“Life Doesn’t Get Easier or More Forgiving; We Instead Get Stronger and More Resilient”
Dr. Steve Maraboli could not have been more accurate when he made this statement. Community resilience provides a means for entire communities to rebound from tough times and overcome adversity. It allows us to develop and demonstrate strengths to meet life’s challenges and become stronger for doing so.
You can further transform the lives of our most vulnerable neighbors in a meaningful way by donating $25, $50, $100, $250, or more to help the Bethany and the Lewis families of Hunterdon regain stability and independence.
Thank you so much, and may God bless you during the holiday season!