From Crisis to Community

Our partner, Family Promise of Hendricks County, shared an incredible story.

Antoinette reached out to them in December after losing her job and facing eviction. She and her five children—King (13), Davonte (11), Princess (7), Queen (5), and Dwight (4), all students in Plainfield schools—entered the emergency shelter, Almost Home, where staff and volunteers worked together to help the family get settled and feel supported. Our first project with Family Promise was the Almost Home shelter.

They share that Antoinette is a busy and inspiring mama. She works as a home health aide and remains deeply active in the community. Even while navigating her own housing crisis, Antoinette continued to volunteer with the BigHomie Foundation, traveling weekly to downtown Indianapolis to help feed approximately 250 people experiencing homelessness in her former neighborhood.

Service is at the heart of who Antoinette is. In addition to her work with the BigHomie Foundation, she founded her own 501(c)(3), Girls For Life, Inc., where she mentors young girls who create jewelry and other products to sell at festivals and community events.

Antoinette’s family was not with Family Promise long before a wonderful opportunity emerged. Good Samaritan Episcopal Church in Brownsburg contacted us about a home on their church property they hoped to rent to one of our families—and Antoinette and her children were the perfect match. The house is beautiful, and Antoinette is thrilled to finally have a bedroom of her own. The kids are equally excited to have a yard and the space to simply run, play, and be kids again.

This story shows how powerful partnerships and relationships are. Family Promise is incredibly grateful to Good Samaritan Episcopal Church, Jim Said, and Lucy Karam for opening their hearts and providing a home for this family. A heartfelt thank-you as well to Plainfield Schools for their ongoing love and commitment to a family they have supported for many years.

We love hearing these amazing stories of success.

Our friends are also selling shirts and sweatshirts to support their efforts.