Faith In Action

The Faith in Action ministry provides temporary housing for families in crisis. Families (usually single mothers with children) are housed one week at a time in local churches or other temporary locations until room becomes available at an emergency housing agency. Faith in Action is a county-wide program through The Shepherd's Way. The Shepherd's Way staff bring the families to their temporary home, sometimes located on church property, every day at 6pm, and pick them up again at 7 the next morning. During the day the children attend school or child care. Parents go to work, or meet with county agencies to determine their needs. Each night volunteers from the church visit with the families, provide them with them a hot dinner, and make a bag lunch for the families for the next day. Breakfast is provided each morning.

Currently we partner with Faith in Action in four ways:

Monthly "potluck" dinners to be held at The Shepherds Way property the 4th Tuesday of every month. We need several volunteers each time as we would be feeding potentially 70 people at a time, in addition to many children. The meal may consist of homemade dishes or packaged meals. The team might also choose to meet at the church, prepare the meal together, and deliver to the families. This is a great opportunity to spend some time with the families.
"Parents Night Out" for The Shepherds Way families gives some much needed relief for the parents. We offer "babysitting/respite" care for the children for 1-2 hours on a night or weekend afternoon. Volunteers lead games, provide snacks, and have FUN! Donations of snacks, arts and crafts, and sporting equipment are greatly appreciated.
Quarterly BBQ/Picnics at the The Shepherds Way property. We host fun, sometimes themed, picnics on a given Saturday afternoon. Assistance is needed with food preparation, activities for children, set-up and clean-up, and, hopefully, donations of gifts for the children. We are currently looking for the donation of a bounce house.
Mentors for Paul's Place families. Individuals or couples are paired with a family living at Paul's Place apartments. The mentors visit with the families on a regular basis, which creates the opportunity for long-term relationships. There are families in need of mentors right now, so please let us know immediately if you are interested.

The Faith in Action Ministry also provides welcome baskets to families as they enter the shelter. These gifts provide basic needs to help families in day to day life. Faith in Action is currently in need of the following items:

Bibles
ziplock/freezer bags
food containers
insulated lunch bags (2)
utensils/plates/bowls
napkins/paper towels/trash bags
bottled water
toiletries: shampoo, conditioner, soap, body wash, toothpaste
laundry supplies: detergent, fabric softener

Please bring items in bags labeled "Faith In Action" to the Pompano Beach or Fort Lauderdale office. Thank you for your donations!

For more information on this wonderful ministry, please fill out the form below, or contact Lauren Didriksen at 561.755.3540 or laurendid@att.net.