Page 7 - Palm City Spotlight - July '23
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Palm City Spotlight, Page 7

      Good Works from page 6
      Showing “Wheel” Love To

      Family Promise Mom And

      Daughters

      By Jackie Holfelder
        One of the strengths of the Family Promise of Martin
      County model is the special relationships that are created
      through the nonprofit’s church families.
        Jennifer Tyler  and  her  13-year-old  grandson,  Elliot
      Baugh,  deliver  dinners  to  families  experiencing
      homelessness  and  enrolled  in  the  Family  Promise
      Shelter Program. Tyler attends Unity Church, a support
      congregation  for  Family  Promise,  providing  meals  to
      families in the program, among other things.                                                         Goldie, the car that was gifted to Jessica
        One evening, she and Elliot delivered dinner to a mom
      – Jessica – and her first- and fourth-grade daughters in                                               Elliot  was  “charged”  when  he  returned  home,
      the Shelter Program. During that time, Elliot observed                                               according to his dad, Michael Baugh. He went through
      that not only could the children use some of his toys, but                                           his toys and tried to find other ways to help the family,
      that Jessica needed a car.                         Michael and Claire Baugh, Elliot Baugh and Jennifer Tyler  especially the girls, to whom he felt like an older brother.
                                                                                                           He suggested to his mom and dad that they should gift
                                                                                                           one of their cars to the family. They commended Elliot for
                                                                                                           his generous spirit, but let him know that was probably
                                                                                                           more than they could do at that time.
                                                                                                             That  evening,  Michael  and  his  wife  Claire  had  no
                                                                                                           intention of buying another car. But a few weeks later,
                                                                                                           Michael happened on a special car that he had always
                                                                                                           wanted and bought it. When he brought it home, Elliot
                                                                                                           reminded his parents of the desperate need that Jessica
                                                                                                           and her girls had for a car.
                                                                                                             He encouraged them to give “Goldie” to the family he
                                                                                                           and grandma met through Family Promise. (Yes, each car
                                                                                                           the family has gets a special name!). Tyler was so touched
                                                                                                           by  Elliot’s  commitment  to  helping  that  she  purchased
                                                                                                           insurance to help alleviate some of the extra expenses
                                                                                                           that car ownership entails.
                                                                                                             Michael  notes  that  in  a  world  where  sometimes
                                                                                                           teenagers get a bad rap, this is a shining example of the
                                                                                                           good that teens can and still do. He emphasizes that, since
                                                                                                           he and Claire had never met Jessica and her daughters, it
                                                                                                           was only because of Elliot that they donated the vehicle.
                                                                                                           He adds, “It’s nice to be part of the human race when we
                                                                                                           all work together to help others.”
                                                                                                             In a beautiful coincidence, the Family Promise team
                                                                                                           and Jessica had been praying for a better-paying job and
                                                                                                           a donated car. Within just one week, she secured a new
                                                                                                           job with benefits and opportunity for advancement and
                                                                                                           the car from the Baugh family.
                                                                                                             She  and  her  daughters  have  since  moved  from  the
                                                                                                           Family  Promise  Shelter  Program  to  its Almost  Home
                                                                                                           transitional  housing  program,  where  they  are  saving
                                                                                                           towards home ownership.
                                                                                                             Says Jessica, “I’m grateful that people are still faithful
                                                                                                           to giving and helping others with gratitude and thanks.
                                                                                                           I’m grateful to God; amazing blessings!”
                                                                                                             Family  Promise,  which  is  an  affiliate  of  a  national
                                                                                                           501(c)(3)  organization  with  a  35-plus  year  successful
                                                                                                           track record, is helping change lives every day. But as
                                                                                                           Madeleine Bozone Greenwood, executive director, likes
                                                                                                           to assure people, “Every cent we raise stays right here in
                                                                                                           Martin County. As a matter of fact, the way the national
                                                                                                           organization is structured, they return funds to the local
                                                                                                           affiliates – the opposite of many similar nonprofits.”
                                                                                                             To learn more, visit www.mcfamilypromise.org or call
                                                                                                           (772) 266-9327.
                                                                                                            Photos provided by Family Promise of Martin County





































                                                                                  See answer in this paper.
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