Five churches have committed to serving as host churches to house homeless families. Episcopal Church of Our Savior in Palm Bay, Peace Lutheran Church of Palm Bay, Faith Viera Lutheran Church, Suntree United Methodist Church and Advent Lutheran Church in Viera have partnered with Family Promise of Brevard, a non-profit organization within the national Interfaith Hospitality Network that focuses on helping families who have lost their homes due to the economy

These five congregations need eight more churches to commit to the effort to help Brevard County's homeless population to make the program successful.

“It’s incredible how many families there are who need housing,” said Dan Swatosh, president of Family Promise of Brevard. “We have probably 9,000 people in Brevard County that are homeless.”

According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, families are the fastest rising demographic of the homeless sector in the United States.

“It’s going to provide housing and give families back the dignity they’ve lost,” Swatosh said. “They are dignified, intelligent people and what we are trying to do is [help them] regain their own stature.”

Although there are existing homeless facilities in the area, there are none to house complete families.

Family Promise began in 2007 and has slowly gained speed in the past year by procuring a day center in Rockledge that will cost $1 a year to lease. It is where the adults will spend time participating in counseling sessions, learning to budget their money and look for employment, while their children continue to attend their schools.

Congregations will house families for one week during the night, three times per year, relying on volunteers to set up beds, prepare meals, and stay at the church throughout the week.

“We’ll do anything and anyway of whatever we can do to help families stay together,” said Patti Koslowski, of Suntree. “There is such a big need in our community here for families to be able to be together. Our church will be getting as much back from the people that we are helping, as we will be giving.”

Family Promise of Brevard County still needs a 15-passenger van, as the organization will provide transportation to and from school, work, appointments, the day center and the churches.

Families are selected through a referral program, with a requirement to be free from substance abuse and domestic violence.

For more information, call 321-373-7800.