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By Jeanna Baxter White
Word Master Media Group

Laura, a single mother and her young adult daughter and a 17-year-old son, joined the Family Promise of Davie transitional housing program after a family breakup left them without stable housing.
With limited financial options, Laura was determined to create a better future for her family.
Through that transitional housing program, Laura was able to increase her work hours, save money, and plan for permanent housing. The organization helped her secure a housing voucher. They are on local apartment waitlists, and Laura’s son will have stable housing before graduating from high school this year.
“This family’s story shows how, with the right support, resilience and hope can lead to a brighter future. Thanks to our program and the generosity of supporters like you, Laura and her children are on their way to lasting stability,” said Lisa Reynolds, executive director.
National statistics indicate:
• 2.5 million children will experience homelessness this year in America;
• 1 in 30 children in the US experience homelessness annually;
• 30% of all homeless persons nationwide are families with children.
Fewer than half of Americans, 44%, can afford a $1,000 emergency expense. It is no wonder that families now make up the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population.
A total of 124 students in Davie schools were identified last year as experiencing homelessness.
“Family and rural homelessness is an invisible crisis, but just because we don’t see it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. We’ve seen a 38% increase in requests for services since 2022,” Reynolds said. “Local families are living in unsafe motels, their cars, or doubled up with family or friends.”
On Tuesday, April 22, Family Promise of Davie County (FPDC) will celebrate its annual Family Promise Giving Day, a 24-hour online campaign to support children and families like Laura’s facing homelessness.
This event emphasizes the role donors, volunteers, and community members play in providing hope and support to families facing a housing crisis and celebrates the collective effort needed to create lasting change. Amid the growing affordable housing crisis and increasing levels of family homelessness nationwide, FPDC is asking participants to help raise funds to bolster its critical work in Davie County. Offering homelessness prevention, emergency shelter, and family support services, Family Promise programming ascribes to national best practices and creates a strong local impact.
“There are children right here in Davie County that don’t have a safe place to call home each night. We believe a child’s future begins at home. When you give to Family Promise, you are truly changing the trajectory of a child’s life,” she said.
Preventing families from spiraling into homelessness is an essential part of the Family Promise mission. Since opening its doors in 2017, FPDC has served more than 1,000 parents and children through its shelter, transitional housing, and emergency financial assistance programs.
“Our mission is to help families experiencing homelessness and low-income families achieve sustainable independence through a community-based response. We help families through the provision of shelter, financial assistance, and case management.”
According to Reynolds:
• On average, it takes 23 weeks for families to go from experiencing homelessness to obtaining independent/permanent housing.
• 94% of families in the Shelter and Transitional Housing programs are still housed one year after graduating from the program.
• On average, it costs $500 to prevent homelessness and divert a family from the shelter.
• 96% of families that received one-time emergency financial assistance to prevent homelessness are still stable three months after receiving assistance.
The three most cited reasons for family homelessness are: a lack of affordable housing, unemployment and poverty.
There is no state, even those where the minimum wage has been set above the federal minimum wage of $7.25, where a minimum-wage worker working 40 hours per week can afford a modest two-bedroom rental unit at the average fair market price.
In Davie, a minimum-wage worker would need to work 118 hours per week to pay the average fair market rate of $1,110, which is up 52% in the last five years.
A single person in Davie County would need to earn at least $22.37/hour ($46,530/year), more if they have children. However, the average salary for workers in childcare is $25,250; food prep & service – $27,140; retail sales – $33,430; and firefighters – $35,910.
Housing is the greatest expense for most families and should not exceed 30% of a family’s budget, Reynolds said. 2024 statistics from the North Carolina Housing Coalition indicate that 20% of Davie households are cost-burdened by housing, with 46% of renters and 18% of homeowners struggling to afford their homes.
To make matters worse, in Davie County:
• The waiting list for a Section 8 voucher is 3-5 years.
• The average hotel costs $250 per week ($1,000 per month).
• Every apartment complex has a waiting list.
• Few private landlords accept housing vouchers.
• The waitlist for a DSS childcare voucher is around a year.
• On average, childcare for children under 5 costs $950/month.
• There are no second or third-shift daycares and only 25-30 infant spots in the county, making it harder for parents to work full-time.
“If families are spending more than 30% of their income on housing, which we often see that they are, one seemingly minor setback can cause a major crisis. Missing a couple of days of work to care for a sick child or having car troubles can spiral into something much larger.”
Family Promise Giving Day is an opportunity to support local efforts to end family homelessness and help families in need find renewed hope. On April 22, FPDC invites the community to come together for a day of giving, helping families in need take the first step toward home.
“All funding raised during Giving Day will go directly to serving and supporting local families experiencing housing crises. It is our goal to provide services at every level of the housing crisis—preventing homelessness in the first place, diverting a family from the shelter if possible, providing safe shelter, and ongoing support to help maintain stability for those that regain housing.”
“Together, we can end homelessness one family at a time.”
• $50 covers two apartment application fees.
• $100 provides families with supplies while in the FPDC shelter and transitional housing.
• $250 provides one week of shelter for all families .
• $500 prevents homelessness for one family.
• $1,000 provides one month of shelter for all families.
Thanks to a $2,000 matching donation from Wayne Sanderson Farms and a $500 matching donation from Budget Blinds of Lexington, Salisbury, Thomasville, and High Point South, the first $2,500 in donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar.
“Your support on Giving Day gives families in need hope for the future. Join us on April 22 because every child deserves a home,” Reynolds said. Follow on social media using the hashtag #FamilyPromiseGivingDay2025.
Donate online at https://www.fpgives.org/organizations/family-promise-of-davie-county or make a check to Family Promise of Davie County and mail it to PO.Box 1536 Mocksville, NC 27028.
To learn more about Family Promise of Davie County and its programs, visit https://www.familypromisedc.org/what-we-do or call (336) 284-4200.