Chris

Posted on 12/08/10

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Houses for Change™
An arts and crafts project to help homeless families
www.familypromise.org/housesforchange

Houses of Change is a fun, innovative way to raise
awareness of homelessness and provide funds to help
homeless families. It offers congregations, schools and
other organizations a “teachable moment” regarding the
causes and effects of homelessness -- and provides a hands-
on opportunity for participants to make a difference.

Houses for Change answers the question, “What can I do to
help end homelessness?” Using magic markers, crayons,
collage materials and their imagination, children decorate
plain boxes to look like a house. Participants take their
boxes home and in the following weeks fill them with loose
change. At a selected date, for example Thanksgiving,
Easter, the end of the year or end of the school year,
families bring their filled boxes back to the participating
organization for a communal donation to Family Promise, or
a local homeless organization or both.

This is not only a fundraiser. Houses for Change is an
opportunity to teach children about homelessness and the
value of charitable giving. It can be incorporated in
fundraising events, holiday activities, educational
programs and days of community service. It provides local
news media with a human interest story – kids helping
homeless kids.

Houses for Change is sponsored by Family Promise, a
national nonprofit organization that mobilizes communities
to help homeless and low-income families.

Everything needed to organize Houses for Change is
available at www.familypromise.org/housesforchange

On the website are instructions; educational materials such
as age-appropriate teaching guides and a homelessness fact
sheet; a link to order the DVD Our Families, Our Future
about helping homeless families; and an online store to
order the undecorated boxes. There are also links to
Facebook and Twitter to share your photos, videos,
experience and news stories with others.

The undecorated boxes are shipped in cartons of 25 Houses
for Change boxes (for $43.65 including shipping) and in
cartons of 100 boxes (for $117.95 including shipping).

If you have any questions about Houses for Change, please
contact Chris Kaul, Marketing and Public Relations
Consultant, at ckaul@familypromise.org or call him at (908)
273-1100 ext. 43.

Or contact Mark Wasserman who conceived of Houses for
Change and brought it to fruition at (561) 699-5116 or
markwboca@gmail.com

Please join in this nationwide initiative that brings
children and adults together on this issue so close to all
of our hearts.

Sincerely,

Karen Olson
President
Family Promise

Houses for Change

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