Homelessness has been one of the problems plaguing the greater Akron community for some time, and one organization is using their collaborative spirit to try and lend a helping hand.
Family Promise of Summit County started serving the community in 2004.
Executive Director Jeff Wilhite joined us in the studio today to talk about non-profits, what they do, and how they help families get back on their feet.
Their mission is to help homeless families gain a chance to better their lives, and it doesn’t matter what the family dynamic is, they want to get them out of their situation and live independently.
One of the key components of the organization is their collaborative team efforts to help people.
Some local churches along with other non-profits do their part to get people back on track. Among those is the Financial Literacy Center on Kenmore Boulevard and the Summit County Land Bank.
“We try to help families become homeowners,” he said. “The people over at the Summit County Land Bank have been phenomenal. Patrick Bravo and his staff, along with Kristen Scalise (Summit County Fiscal Officer), buy the land, and we move the families in.”
Family Promise of Summit County partners with local contractors to rehab the homes and move affected families into them.
While they are heavily involved with that process, they are also providing the financial literacy needed to stay afloat.
Wilhite also touched on a special event coming up on February 14 in conjunction with not only Family Promise, but also the Woodridge School District.
For more information about the Empty Bowl event and how you can donate, volunteer, or learn more about Family Promise of Summit County and its resources, visit here: https://www.familypromisesc.org/