Next Time You Have Chocolate...

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Welcome to the first-ever Family Promise Weekly Update. (We have to workshop it. If you have an idea, let me know.)

I want to tell you about Larry and Steve and how Larry changed Steve's life — despite the two never meeting.

Larry has been a part of this Family Promise Community for 16+ years. He has been a longtime supporter, volunteer, and member of our support congregations, Faith Presbyterian and First United Methodist Church. He’s also a big chocolate guy.

When Larry’s family reached out a couple of months ago to let us know that Larry had passed away, we were saddened to have lost such a good man, so committed to quietly making this place better than he found it. We were also surprised to learn that Larry requested that his car be donated to a family in need at Family Promise.

We knew exactly who needed it.

For several months, Steve had been having more and more car troubles. About a week before we got that call from Larry’s family, Steve’s car stopped working altogether. When a family graduates from our program, they’re still working on building up their emergency fund, and having to purchase a car can be a massive challenge. It usually means taking on extra jobs and extra stress.

With Larry’s generous gift, Steve can focus on building his emergency fund and stick to his savings plan to purchase a home in the future. But Larry gave Steve so much more than a vehicle, security, or stress relief — he gave Steve time to be a father. If you spend any time with Steve, you’ll know that spending time with his son is his favorite thing.

Larry’s generous legacy continues through Steve’s family, Family Promise, and the work we do.

We hope that the next time you have some chocolate, you take a moment to remember Larry and his lasting impact.

Congregation Highlight: B'nai Israel

Written by Helen Nusbaum

Congregation B'nai Israel is a reform synagogue, nearly as old as Sacramento itself, having been founded in 1849. Our location changed over the years until we found our final home in 1954 on Riverside Boulevard across the street from Land Park.

B'nai means "descendants of" and is pronounced like the word "belay," but with an "n" instead of an "l." So, B'nai Israel means "descendants of Israel." But, who is Israel? Israel is the name chosen for Jacob in the Bible and it means "one who strives with God."

Social Action is an integral part of the culture at B'nai Israel, as members participate in many ways to fulfill the mitzvah (meaning "commandment") of tikkun olam (meaning "to repair the world"). We believe that we are called upon to make the world more just, peaceful, tolerant, and equal through acts of charity, kindness, and political action.

And one of the mitzvahs that we are most proud of is our participation with Family Promise. We have been a Family Promise host congregation since 2010 and we continue to sponsor three weeks each year. We have, hosted a Hanukkah party at the Tiny Homes site sharing food, games and stories with the families.

In January, we had a crew of over 20 folks doing multiple tasks at the Safe Harbor Tiny Home site – tree trimming, gazebo staining, priming the bathroom walls, organizing the storage shed and weeding.

We were also thrilled to represent our congregation at the recent Family Promise Dinner.

It has been a joy to watch families come through the program and graduate into housing. Thank you so much for the opportunity to work with you!

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Volunteer Spotlight: Carol White

Written by Connie Koppes

I have known Carol White for almost 50 years. Carol and her husband, Jim, were both born in New York City. They married in 1962 and soon moved to Southern California, and then to Sacramento in 1968, settling in the Greenhaven neighborhood where she still resides. They have 4 children and 9 grandchildren.

My husband and I met them in 1974 through Marriage Encounter. One enduring thing I remember about Jim is that he always introduced his wife as “my bride, Carol.” Jim was the consummate gentleman. Jim and Carol were wonderful dancers and were always the stars of the dance floor at every church social. Jim sadly passed away in 2007.

In 1985, when the kids were in their late teens, Carol went to college for the first time, culminating in receiving a Master’s Degree in Social Work in 1995. She worked at Sierra Adoption Services and was thrilled to place well over 100 children with loving families. She calls it the best side of social work. Carol is also a cancer survivor and faced her illness with the same strength and calm she approaches everything.

Her experience as a social worker has prepared her to be a wonderful volunteer at Family Promise, answering the phone, doing intakes, and making both callers and guests feel at ease.

Thank you, Carol.