Family Promise of Greater Savannah is asking area retailers, restaurants and churches to rally together and raise funds to help the city's homeless families find permanent housing and attain financial independence. To do this, the nonprofit Family Promise is launching "Houses for Hope," a campaign similar to the Muscular Dystrophy Association's Shamrocks program.

Several local churches already have implemented the program by selling small paper houses for $1 after weekly services end. Each paper house is then signed by the purchaser and prominently displayed in each church to symbolize the support, strength and kindness the community offers to help end family homelessness.

Now that Houses for Hope is up and running in many of the area's churches, Family Promise hopes to partner with local restaurants and stores to continue the campaign. They're currently seeking business partners of every size to sell the tiny $1 paper houses and display them prominently. All proceeds from this initiative will go to support Family Promise's mission to alleviate homelessness among families with children and build bridges between people in need and people who want to help.

"We are so grateful to our participating churches for getting involved in the Houses for Hope campaign, which started gaining impressive traction soon after we announced it," Family Promise Executive Director Katrina Bostick said. "But now we're ready to take it to the next level and gain some serious visibility. To do that, I'm calling on all area restaurants, shops, service providers and other businesses to join us in offering Houses for Hope to their customer base. It's a simple program to host and it makes a big difference."

Family Promise of Greater Savannah works with host congregations to reduce the number of families who are separated when they fall on difficult times and find themselves homeless. However, the organization expands its mission beyond just providing meals and shelter for families. They also offer mentoring, homelessness-prevention programs and services, and initiatives to address the underlying causes of homelessness. Family Promise has a strong track record in keeping families together, while offering support and resources towards long-term independence.