Family Promise of WNY
Family Promise of WNY
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Our Shelter and Mission
    • Our Team: Staff and Board
    • Our Commitment to Equity
    • Our History
    • Impacts of Homelessness
    • 2024 Year in Review
    • Our Murals
    • Jobs
    • Contact Us
  • Get Involved
    • Bring Families Groceries
    • Wish Lists
    • Housewarming Starter Kit
    • Volunteer
    • Events
    • How to Donate 101
    • Contact Us
  • Donate
    • Donate Today
    • Designate your Donation
    • Planned Giving
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
  • Need Shelter?
  • Second Shelter
  • More
    • Home
    • Who We Are
      • Our Shelter and Mission
      • Our Team: Staff and Board
      • Our Commitment to Equity
      • Our History
      • Impacts of Homelessness
      • 2024 Year in Review
      • Our Murals
      • Jobs
      • Contact Us
    • Get Involved
      • Bring Families Groceries
      • Wish Lists
      • Housewarming Starter Kit
      • Volunteer
      • Events
      • How to Donate 101
      • Contact Us
    • Donate
      • Donate Today
      • Designate your Donation
      • Planned Giving
      • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Need Shelter?
    • Second Shelter
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Our Shelter and Mission
    • Our Team: Staff and Board
    • Our Commitment to Equity
    • Our History
    • Impacts of Homelessness
    • 2024 Year in Review
    • Our Murals
    • Jobs
    • Contact Us
  • Get Involved
    • Bring Families Groceries
    • Wish Lists
    • Housewarming Starter Kit
    • Volunteer
    • Events
    • How to Donate 101
    • Contact Us
  • Donate
    • Donate Today
    • Designate your Donation
    • Planned Giving
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
  • Need Shelter?
  • Second Shelter

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility

Our Commitment

Our goal at Family Promise of WNY is to end family homelessness - but we understand that is not possible without addressing equity issues at all levels.   We acknowledge that our country has been built on systemic discrimination against black people and people of color, people who identify as  LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, women, and other minority groups.  Fighting for equity means correcting imbalances within the system so as to give people what they need to enjoy full and healthy lives.  


At Family Promise of WNY, we serve families of all compositions and welcome everyone in our community to come together to empower families as they work to find their way back home.

 

  • We uphold the dignity of all people and seek to create an environment where everyone is comfortable bringing their whole selves to the table. 
  • We believe that housing is a human right, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, belief system, age, ability, veteran status, household composition, and/or socioeconomic status. 
  • We know that we are stronger together because of our diversity and welcome all perspectives and experiences as we come together to tackle the problem of family homelessness. 
  • We realize that each Family Promise guest, employee, community member, donor, volunteer, and advocate should have a voice in addressing the causes of and solutions to family homelessness.
  • We commit to using an equity lens when developing and assessing practices and policies for our organization. 

Racial Equity

Equity for LGBTQIA+ Persons

Equity for LGBTQIA+ Persons

 
We condemn the unjust killings of black people by police and demand that society values the lives and humanity of black people as much as it values the lives and humanity of white people. It is impossible to separate systemic and structural racism from the reality that people of color, and black people in particular, are disproportionately affected by homelessness and poverty.  Where disparities and inequities exist for other marginalized identities (LGBTQIA+, persons with disabilities, women, etc.), those disparities and inequities are magnified when coupled with the identity as a BIPOC individual.  Family Promise of WNY is committed to being an anti-racist organization and will work towards a future where race no longer defines who has housing.  

Equity for LGBTQIA+ Persons

Equity for LGBTQIA+ Persons

Equity for LGBTQIA+ Persons

 LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, +) individuals face unique challenges in the homeless system.  Frequently, homeless   LGBTQIA+ persons have great difficulty finding shelters that accept and respect them.  They face social stigma, discrimination, and often rejection by their families, which adds to the physical and mental strains/challenges that all homelessness persons must struggle with.  They are often at a heightened risk of violence, abuse, and exploitation. Transgender people are particularly at physical risk due to a lack of acceptance and binary systems.  Family Promise of WNY is committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for all LGBTQIA+ persons who live and work here.

Equity for Trauma Survivors

Equity for LGBTQIA+ Persons

Equity for Persons with Disabilities

Trauma is an Equity Issue. 

 Homelessness is traumatic. People experiencing homelessness are in crisis, which is often compounded by a history of trauma in their lives.  Some people, particularly women, may have histories including sexual, psychological, or physical abuse. Most families who are experiencing homelessness are headed by single women, and these women experience posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and substance use at a rate higher than the national average.  Family Promise of WNY has made a commitment to be a trauma-informed organization so that we can best meet people where they are at.

Equity for Persons with Disabilities

Equity for Persons with Disabilities

Equity for Persons with Disabilities

Persons with disabilities are at an increased risk of becoming homeless.  This is due to the prevalence of institutionalization, discrimination in access to services, inadequate housing and social supports, a lack of accessible and affordable housing stock and unaffordable rents. 

Often, once housed, shelters are not set up to allow persons with disabilities to thrive.

 Family Promise of WNY is committed to working creatively with persons with disabilities and making the accommodations needed to help them succeed.


Equity for Women

Equity for Persons with Disabilities

Equity for Women

Gender equity is a human right.  The effects of sexism on institutional structures limit the employment opportunities available to women, the availability of caregiving supports, and access to public social assistance programs.  This leads to higher rates of poverty among women compared with men - particularly women of color.


  • Domestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness for women in the United States
  • Single mothers are the largest demographic of families we serve in our shelter


Family Promise of WNY is committed to empowering women with the support and opportunities they need to thrive.

We would like to acknowledge the land on which we live and work is the territory of the Haudenosaunee/Six Nations Confederacy.  The confederacy, made up of the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas, was intended as a way to unite the nations and create a peaceful means of decision making. Through the confederacy, each of the nations of the Haudenosaunee are united by a common goal to live in harmony.

Copyright © 2019 Family Promise of WNY - All Rights Reserved.

For more information on Family Promise as a national program, click here to visit their website.

  • Home

Powered by