COLUMBIA, S.C. — Family homelessness is often invisible. Saturday night, we can help others see it and work to fight it.
That's the goal behind a new initiative by Family Promise of the Midlands.
The organization which fights family homelessness is encouraging families to change where they sleep for a night to raise awareness for what's happening in our own backyard.
"Me growing up the way I did and being in this position now, I want to show our young children that you can start here and you can end up here," said Jeffrey Armstrong, Executive Director of Family Promise of the Midlands.
Armstrong knows firsthand what it's like to sleep at night without a bed.
"When I was a child, when I was an adolescent, we slept in an '89 Ford Escort," he explained. "I was in the back seat."
His family's resilience brought him out of homelessness and into a life of service to help others facing similar struggles.
"[Family Promise] exist[s] so the child does not have to split up with the parent or caregiver," said Armstrong. "Oftentimes there aren't specific shelters for families."
Every year, Armstrong says over 3 million children nationwide experience homelessness.
With 33 congregations and dedicated volunteers in the Midlands, Family Promise can host families for a week at a time. They served at least 100 families last year, while helping children have access to joyful life experiences like trips to camp.
"The fact that our families are able to stay together, you really stop that downstream homelessness from happening," said Armstrong. "If you can catch a family upstream before the crisis truly impacts them, then you're able to really help them gain more stability."
More families in the Midlands sought help from Family Promise during the pandemic. Armstrong says not only are they helping families in their program, they're also working to help families who have graduated from their program remain in their homes.
"Its not just about families that are in a housing crisis or staying in a motel or sleeping in their car or living in their car," he said. "It's about those families who could potentially lose their houses who aren't aware of the benefits they may have."
For the first time, Family Promise of the Midlands is participating in the Night Without a Bed campaign.
"Whether it's pitching a tent in your backyard, whether it's sleeping on the couch, sleeping in your car, it's a night where we can get together and build awareness with our own children," Armstrong explained.
Armstrong says participating in this initiative gives families a chance to have conversations with loved ones to better understand the struggles of others in the world.
"These things are happening right in our backyard. Families come to us living in U-Hauls," said Armstrong, who will be participating in the campaign with his 7 and 11-year-old daughters. "Ok, this is fun for the first 15 or 20 minutes, but what if this is my life for a week? Two weeks? Three weeks? A month? What does that feel like?"
For anyone participating, Family Promise of the Midlands encourages you to share a selfie on social media. They ask that you tag their organization while also including the hashtag #NightWithoutABed.
"It's a time to have your child understand that your classmate may be going through something that you don't understand or you don't have to live through. Your teammate may be going through something," said Armstrong. "So treat everyone with love, grace and understanding."
For more information about Family Promise of the Midlands, you can reach them at 803-832-4765 or you can visit their website. You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.