Shifting Gears

Sometimes Life Forces Us to Shift Gears When We Least Expect It

What happens when a year of planning comes crashing down in a single morning? Family Promise of Bradley County's signature event, the Cleveland Circuit Ride, faced questionable storms that forced a last-minute cancellation. But this unexpected turn of events mirrors something deeper happening in our community – nearly half of our neighbors are living one disaster away from losing everything.

Picture showing a family being evicted

The Numbers Tell a Story We Can't Ignore

The United Way's ALICE Report tells us a family of four needs to earn $29.67 per hour just to cover basic necessities in Bradley County, while the Cleveland Bradley Chamber of Commerce lists our median income is only $26.25 per hour. This means at least half our community is already in survival mode with zero buffer for emergencies. When disaster strikes, we're reminded that it takes a village to rebuild. Family Promise is looking for that village: donors, volunteers, ambassadors, and board members ready to fight housing insecurity right here at home.

Read more about our struggles and those of a family we were working to help here.

Read my full article here on Substack.