FOLEY, Ala. — There were 734 homeless people in Mobile and Baldwin County in 2007; 133 of them were women and 172 were children.

Across the country, 42 percent of homeless children are under 6 years old.

Startling statistics, aren’t they?

According to a Point inTime Survey done in 2007, it’s a stark reality. And to add fuel to the fire, nationally, the cost of rent and utilities for a two-bedroom apartment has increased 35 percent in less than 10 years.

In our own backyard, the economy and BP Oil Spill Crisis has caused financial hardships leading to job losses and home foreclosures.

But, in the midst of these tough times, there is a light at the end of the tunnel … Family Promise.

A national, nonprofit United Way Agency with 159 affiliates throughout the country, Family Promise seeks to help those families who have fallen victim to hard times.

Through Interfaith Hospitality Network, an interdenominational network of host churches and volunteers, Family Promise of Baldwin County, located in between Summerdale and Foley on Highway 59, provides food, shelter and the love of Christ to those families who need a helping hand to get back on their feet.

“Building Communities and Strengthening Lives” is what Mike Brokowsky, Family Promise director, wants to do when families come to them for help by giving them the skills they need to be more self-sufficient and productive citizens.

With 14 host churches throughout the county and eight support congregations, along with a Day Center, Brokowsky said they can help up to four families or 14 individuals for a week at a time in different host churches. They only take families with children under 18 and can’t take those with drug, alcohol or mental health issues.

“We don’t have the skilled professionals for that kind of need. The people we typically see are those who have lost jobs and can’t pay rent or been evicted because the landlord can’t pay the rent. They are good, hardworking families who have been beaten down by life and just need to be encouraged,” Brokowsky said.

A typical stay for a family involves arriving at the host church around 5 p.m. and eating dinner cooked by volunteers from the host church. After dinner, the volunteers play with the children or watch a movie and talk to the adults, offering them a listening ear or words of encouragement, Brokowski said.

The families sleep on cots provided by the church in rooms set up for their use and then get up around 6 a.m. and eat a continental breakfast provided by the church. They and the volunteers leave around 7 a.m., and if there are school-age children, Brokowski takes them to school.

“We keep the kids in the same school they were attending before they came to us so they won’t have to be moved around. It’s really important we provide stability and consistency for the families. 50 percent of the families don’t have transportation so they are so grateful for us providing this service to them,” Brokowski said.

The day center, a house obtained this January and donated by Greg Smith of Flowerwood Nursery, provides the families with a place to go during the day and take care of small children and get love and encouragement plus self-help skills and education, Brokowski said.

The average stay is about eight weeks in the program, or 73 days, depending on the family and their circumstances, Brokowski said, and about 70 percent of the families find permanent housing and jobs when they leave the program.

“We can’t help everyone but we try to provide the warmth, love and compassion these families are needing and our volunteers in the churches are the kindest, most loving people around and they get more of a blessing when they stay with the families than anybody. We try to be their safety net because most of them don’t have relative around here,” Brokowski said.

Weeding out those who just want something for free is easy, Brokowsky said, when they are told they have to put in three job applications a day while staying at the Day Center and have to actively be seeking employment.

“I have found in the two and a half years as director here the 18-23 age group have confinement issues and are too worried about their social life to participate in the program. They have to be 21 to participate. It just doesn’t seem to work for those below 21,” Brokowski said.

Because of their nonprofit status, Family Promise depends on donations, grants and fundraisers to keep the organization going, especially from the local community.

“Our budget is $100,000 and we receive about $200,00 from churches a year plus we have three fundraisers a year-”Chocolate Affair” on December 10 held at Loxley Civic Center, Cardboard City hosted by Trinity Presbyterian Church in Fairhope in the Spring and a Sausage Cook-off in April,” Brokowski said.

Cardboard City is held at Oak Hollow Farm in Fairhope and involves youth from Alabama, Mississippi and Florida churches. Last year, Brokowski said they had 196 kids participating and it gives them a chance to see how if feels to be homeless for a night.

There are also Board of Education grants Brokowski has applied for and he is hoping to be awarded one this year. “Our volunteers put in 550-600 hours with these families and we are a vehicle for helping and serving them.”

Nationally, the IHN helped 47,000 children and adults in 2009 and had 130,000 volunteers in 5,000 congregations, according to their web site. In addition to Baldwin County, there are also Family Promise affiliates in Mobile, Montgomery and Birmingham.

For the complete list of Baldwin County host congregations and list of items needed, visit familypromisebc.org. For monetary donations, mail to FPBC, P.O. Box 943, Robertsdale, AL 36567. To contact by phone, call (251) 947-5641.