I Will Be Your Voice – Stories of Homelessness and Hope
More than 40,000 children and youth experience homelessness in Pennsylvania, posing a significant barrier to succeed in school. In partnership with Pennsylvania Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (ECYEH), join Center for Schools and Communities staff Melissa Turnpaugh and Matthew Butensky as they interview state and national experts, homeless liaisons, service providers, and those with lived experience. These conversations will dive deeper into resources, partnerships and best practices that help these children and youth thrive in school and life. Along the way, guests will share untold stories to amplify the voices and stories of students experiencing homelessness across Pennsylvania and beyond.
I Will Be Your Voice – Stories of Homelessness and Hope
Episode 15 - Building Stability: Family Promise's Collaborative Approach
Can a community rally together to keep families united during their toughest times? Join us for an in-depth conversation with Matt Wagner from Family Promise as we explore the often misunderstood realities of homelessness and how their community partnerships take a holistic approach to providing services. Discover their collaborative efforts with local churches for nightly accommodations and their impactful partnership with United Way of the Capital Region's Road to Success program, which has been transformative in improving employment rates, even for those with criminal histories. Hear about their approach with their partnerships for food distribution and job preparation resources, illustrating how tailored assistance can make all the difference in helping families move towards stability. You will also learn constructive ways that you can get involved and make an impact. From spreading the word on social media to volunteering for important roles like van driving or committee participation, your support can be transformative.
Read the transcript (PDF).
Meet Our Guest
Matthew Wagner is the Executive Director for Family Promise Harrisburg, which means he has the best job in the world. He gets to help his community support families and individuals at risk of experiencing homelessness, currently experiencing homelessness, or transitioning out of experiencing homelessness on their path to permanent housing. He believes in a collaborative approach that treats every person as an individual and works to help them, not just in the short-term, but also in the long-term to be able to prosper and achieve their goals.
Matthew likes to think outside the box and problem-solve, which have been invaluable in the decade he’s worked in the nonprofit world, first as a consultant, then on the communications side, before getting into fundraising. Now he’s combined all those experiences for the last almost two years as Executive Director of Family Promise Harrisburg Capital Region. In his time there he established an environment where the staff, board, and volunteers all take what they do seriously but don’t take themselves seriously leading to a team-oriented approach where we are all extended family looking out for each other and those we serve.
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