COEUR d’ALENE — Maria-Cristina Jenicek said healthy communities begin with healthy families.

With that sentiment in mind, it is no surprise Jenicek and fellow members of the Christian Community Coalition — the mission of which is to provide creative solutions to community challenges by bridging the gap between the faith community and social services — chose Family Promise of North Idaho as the project they will support in 2017.

That support will begin on March 7, when the coalition hosts a free luncheon from noon to 1 p.m. at Union Gospel Mission, located at 196 W. Haycraft Ave. in Coeur d’Alene, that aims to provide attendees with a firsthand look at the work Family Promise is doing in North Idaho.

“It all goes back to the family. If we can build on the family it makes the community so much better,” said Frank Genetti, another coalition board member. “All of the struggles we see in younger generations is a breakdown of the family unit. It’s an organization that keeps families together and they do such a phenomenal job.”

Cindy Wood, executive director of Family Promise of North Idaho, told The Press the organization is excited about the partnership with the coalition and the opportunity to expose the greater church community to their efforts.

“There is a demanding and humbling need we have in the community to help these needy families,” Wood said.

Since the local chapter of the national organization launched eight years ago, Wood said the amount of calls for assistance has tripled. Each month, Family Promise of North Idaho receives approximately 70 calls from recently homeless families with children.

The nonprofit organization, Wood added, serves about 18 families each year through a network of churches and congregations. Each family served typically spends around 70 days in the program.

Unlike other services for the homeless, Family Promise works with the entire family unit, and boasts a 75 percent success rate of having those families find housing and employment.

“If you’re looking for a tangible way to make an impact on the life of a child, check out Family Promise,” Wood said. “We have so many opportunities that are so easy to slip into that allow people to make an impact.”

Bob Driscoll, a member of the Christian Community Coalition Board, said he hopes the partnership with Family Promise will accomplish three goals:

1.) Connecting the organization with churches willing to support Family Promise by hosting families or giving financial donations

2.) Finding more volunteers to serve with Family Promise

3.) Current and long-term financial support

“There are lots of needs for volunteers,” Driscoll added. “Even a couple of hours a week is welcome if that’s all the time someone has, that’s great.”

To RSVP for the luncheon, email the coalition at [email protected]. For more information on the event, or the work of the Family Promise of North Idaho, call (208) 755-5142.

“We’re very fortunate that we have a very giving community — people here want to be involved in the solution,” Genetti said. “We just want to give them exposure to Family Promise so they can be a part of the solution.”