Ahwatukee

Supporters and skeptics showed up in force Tuesday night to learn more about a homeless program that Mountain View Lutheran Church is contemplating joining. The meeting at the Ahwatukee Recreation Center was in response to concerns by neighbors regarding how the church's involvement in the Family Promise program would affect the community. The plan calls for the church to shelter a small number of homeless families at night for a week at a time, several times a year.

Joe Lewallen and Robert Rockwell went to the meeting with open minds and were convinced of the program's worth by the end of the two-hour meeting. "I would endorse it," Lewallen said. "I like it," Rockwell said. "It meets a need."

Both retired men live near the church at 11002 S. 48th St.

State Rep. John McComish arrived late, but was already a supporter. "I'm for it," said McComish who is a member of the Mission del Sol Presbyterian Church in Tempe that also participates in the program. "It's one of the best things we do," the Ahwatukee Foothills resident said.

When resident Ted Bradshaw first read about the proposal, he called the church for more information. By the end of the meeting he too was a fan. "I think you have a great program that fills a critical need. I'm going to bring it to my congregation," he told the audience of 100 people.

But not everyone was as reassured. Resident Tanya Smith was concerned that the homeless will be wandering the streets. "I don't want to be in my Jacuzzi with a homeless family looking over my fence," Smith said Thursday during a telephone interview. "Once they know about the neighborhood they'll be back. They'll see this and think, 'Why can't I come back and camp out?"

The meeting was organized by Mountain View Lutheran Church, city Councilman Greg Stanton and the Ahwatukee Board of Management for the Ahwatukee Homeowners Association. Stanton explained that as long as the church is housing 12 or fewer people at a time on a temporary basis, there are no city zoning prohibitions preventing the church from participating in the program.

Family Promise is a nationwide faith-based program that helps homeless families. The program uses host churches to house the families at night. Church volunteers provide dinner and supervision each evening. In the day the guests are transported downtown to the Family Promise facility where they get ready for work or learn job search skills and the children go to school or day care.

A concern of some neighbors was the idea of bringing homeless people into the quiet Ahwatukee Foothills neighborhood. But Bob Mundy, a host coordinator at Shadow Rock United Church of Christ in Moon Valley, tried to allay those fears. "We have had nothing but a great experience," Mundy said. "It has not created an impact in our neighborhood whatsoever."

Associate Pastor Grant Christenson of Mountain View said that the church's council will vote on joining Family Promise on Feb. 15.

The reporter can be reached at (480) 898-7914 or by e-mail at dmurphy@aztrib.com.

Family Promise Q & A

Q: How many homeless people are we talking about?

A: Family Promise Greater Phoenix works with between three to five families at a time or about 10 to 16 people. Families can have children up to age 18, but the majority of the children are under age 5.

Q: How long can the families stay?

A: The program offers temporary shelter, up to 60 days. In that time the Family Promise staff work with the people to provide counseling, training or skills needed so that the family can get back on its feet. The program has an 80 percent success rate, meaning that families helped are living successfully on their own a year later.

Q: Are the families screened before being admitted to the program?

A: Yes. The Family Promise staff doesn't accept families involved in domestic violence, with felony records, involved in substance abuse or with psychiatric issues.

Q: What is a typical schedule?

A: The families are brought to the host church around 6 p.m. where they have dinner and relax. The church has a minimum of two volunteers who spend the night in case of an emergency. The guests are then picked up at 5:30 a.m. and taken downtown to the Family Promise facility where they then prepare for their day.

Q: How often would Mountain View Lutheran Church host these families?

A: Three to four times a year the church would be responsible for housing and feeding the families at night for one week at a time. At the end of the week, the families would then be hosted by one of the 17 other host congregations in the Valley.

Q: Do these people work?

A: Approximately 40 percent already have jobs, but because of low pay or a family emergency they have joined the ranks of the homeless.

Q: Who pays for this?

A: Of the $200,000 annual budget roughly 25 percent comes from the host congregations, 50 percent from individual contributions and special events and 25 percent from corporations and foundations. Family Promise is a nonprofit organization.

Q: How big is Family Promise?

It began in New Jersey in 1996; today there are 103 affiliates, including Phoenix, in 34 states with 100,000 volunteers and 4000 host congregations. The Greater Phoenix affiliate began in 2000 and has 1400 volunteers and 17 host congregations.

Q: I want to know more about Family Promise Greater Phoenix?

A: Visit http://www.gpihn.org/

Q: Can't the city stop this?

A: According to Councilman Greg Stanton there are no zoning prohibitions preventing the church from participating and housing the homeless on a temporary