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LAFAYETTE It was a roaring good time inside the Lafayette House as supporters of the nonprofit Family Promise of Sussex County donned their best 1920s outfits and hit the dance floor.

Family Promise, an organization that offers a number of programs and service options for individuals and their families, has hosted a Tea Party fundraiser over the past two years but being 2020, event organizer Nichole Reed wanted to celebrate the new year fashionably.

So this year, in celebration of the 20s, Family Promise hosted its first Great Gatsby Fundraiser, complete with, of course, the best outfits of the 1920s.

Women wore embellished flapper dresses, elbow-length satin gloves and feathered headbands and men were attired in checkered vests, fedora or newsboy caps and suspenders.

Joseph Young, Family Promises board president, said that he was glad the event had transitioned to one that men would feel more comfortable attending.

It started with a small tea party that eventually grew bigger and bigger, Young said of Saturdays event, adding that he ended up being the only male to actually attend.

The Tea Party fundraiser began in 2018 and served as a way to raise funds but also spread the word to the community about what the organization does.

Family Promise was incorporated in 1997 and works to assist families and single men and women find housing stability and self-sufficiency. The program has expanded exponentially over the years, with additional services offered including emergency shelter, intensive case management services, homeless prevention and rapid rehousing programs.

Five years ago, according to Chris Butto, Family Promise executive director, the organization had just three employees and has since expanded to nine, which include housing specialists and coordinators.

Back then, we had very limited resources in the county to be able to address the needs of the homeless, Butto said. Over the years, we have researched a lot of opportunities for grant funding, and as the numbers have increased, the funding opportunities have increased and we have been able to secure federal grants.

Young described what Family Promise does as helping homeless families and single individuals go from finding a shelter to finding their independence.

Nationwide, in 2018, Family Promise served over 126,000 individuals, and 88% of families secured housing due to the organizations intensive care programs, according to their website. Of those served, 60% are children.

Family Promise has several volunteer opportunities. For more information about the programs offered, various ways to help or donate funds, visit familypromise.org.

Lori Comstock can also be reached on Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH, on Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/LoriComstockNJH or by phone: 973-383-1194.

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Family Promise celebrates the Roaring 20s - New Jersey Herald