Tift County is kind.

Residents of the Tiftarea are generous.

Our churches, non-profits and community organizations are gracious.

Which is good news for Family Promise of Tiftarea.

Family Promise is asking churches to join them in supporting homeless families.

The model is simple: churches take turns hosting homeless families for one week.

While they’re being housed, a social worker works with the parents, helping them get on their feet, find work and find permanent housing.

The program is meant to be a temporary stop. Families invited into the program have to pass background checks and drug screens.

The program, which would max out at four families at a time, fills a need in our community.

We’re blessed with wonderful local organizations that help homeless men, and ones that help homeless women and children.

But we’re lacking an organization that can “serve families who are homeless that include a male caregiver or a child that is 13 years of age or older,” to quote John Ellis, president and CEO of Family Promise of Tiftarea.

To get going, Family Promise needs at least 13 churches to sign on; that way, no one church is overly burdened. With 13 churches, each church ends up hosting families four times a year.

For the past few years, Family Promise has been trying to hit that lucky number, but has hovered just below double digits.

But if we’re going to come together as a community and help homeless families, this is the season for it.

If you need proof, look to the Christmas story.

It’s the story of a married couple welcoming their first child and becoming a family.

They, too, had nowhere to stay.

What better way to celebrate Christmas?

For more information, contact John Ellis at blessings@tiftfamilypromise.org or visit Family Promise of Tiftarea’s website at www.tiftfamilypromise.org.