With support from our friends at Congregation Or Atid, Peace hosted families two weeks at a time, twice a year from 2011 through 2020.  Then, during the worst of the pandemic, Family Promise sheltered families in hotels while renovating the new Day Center so families could eventually stay there instead of rotating between congregations.  We can all agree, this arrangement is best for the families. 

At the time, we also knew this arrangement might be a challenge for our congregation. A challenge that has proven to be difficult for us.  And so, after almost two years of supporting Family Promise at the Natick Center, we have decided to shift from serving as “host” to concentrating our efforts on supporting Family Promise in other ways.

Before introducing you to the new director of Family Promise, Danielle Conti, I want to mention some of the highlights of those nine years during which we served families in shelter at Peace. 

Many of our children grew up with Family Promise. They spent time at the laundromat washing linens at the end of our host weeks, created welcome posters for families, and converted their classrooms into cozy bedrooms. 

In the evenings, many of our children played games with, read to, or ran around the familiar halls of their church building with children in the shelter program.

During those nine years, we enjoyed warm, engaging conversations with the parents of those children. We listened to their stories. We held their children, read to them, and played with them.

Our lives were enriched by their presence as we witnessed the parents’ hard work, their commitment, and their intention to become fully self-sufficient once again. We witnessed the love and dedication they have for their children.  We witnessed their children’s resiliency, appreciation for others’ kindness, and their awe.

I’ll always remember one of our overnight volunteers sharing with me the experience he had with a sleepy, 2-year-old girl as he carried her out to the car early one morning.  As soon as they stepped out into the dark, she noticed the moon and pointed towards it expressing delight. To our volunteer, this was a beautiful, shared moment.

All of that being said, times change, circumstances change.  I think I can speak for everyone who participated in the Family Promise shelter program here at Peace, it was and always will be a special time for us.  Going forward, we will continue to support Family Promise in a myriad of ways, which we can discuss later.

Kim Canning