SAVANNAH, GA – TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2021 – The Foxx family, one of Family Promise of the Coastal Empire’s program graduates, was featured on NBC’s Today show Sunday morning. Their success story -- driven by mom Savannah Foxx's hard work and determination -- was part of a segment about the ways in which President Joe Biden's COVID-19 relief package could reduce child poverty by half. To view the segment, go to https://www.today.com/video/covid-19-relief-package-could-reduce-us-child-poverty-by-half-106432069726.
The new stimulus bill expands the child tax credit to offer most parents monthly checks, allowing them to receive up to $3,600 per child for a year. Economists say the groundbreaking program is akin to a basic-income policy. As the pandemic wears on and many to struggle, the added funds would help give added security to families facing homelessness – as the Foxx family once did, albeit very unexpecte
dly.
In 2016, things were not going well between Savannah Foxx and her husband. Along with their five children, ages 2-12 years, the couple decided to move to Savannah and try to make a new start. “My name’s Savannah; people always assumed I was from here, so it seemed like a good place to turn over a new leaf.” Unfortunately, things grew worse instead of better, and -- at a public event with the children -- Savannah’s husband physically assaulted her.
Scared for her life, she and her children stayed at a safe shelter for a few days until, after obtaining restraining order against her husband, they returned home. With only one income, it only took a few months before she could no longer afford the $1,400. rent. “It was rent or the car payment and I HAD to have my car to get to work,” Savannah explained.
Someone at work told Savannah about Family Promise. She called, but there was a waiting list for emergency shelter. Nowhere else to go to wait, she parked her car in a church parking lot, where she and her five childr
en slept for over a week.
“It was summer and so hot. Sometimes I had suicidal thoughts. Never in a million years did I ever think we would be homeless. But that’s just it — being homeless isn’t only people begging on streets; it’s working people suddenly going through something. I promised my kids we would never live like this again.”
Getting the call from F
amily Promise that space was available was “a pivotal moment,” Foxx said. “After everything, I’d pretty much lost my faith and was sort of iffy about staying at churches -- but they were awesome! Everyone was so sweet and helpful, never pushy. Actually -- they restored my faith.”
Her children were cared for at Family Promise’s Day Center, enabling Savannah to put more money towards a place to live. “When I had my first month’s rent, they helped me find a three-bedroom house and paid the deposit,” she said. The family has been there ever since and is doing well.
“Without Family Promise, I don’t know where I’d be, physically and spiritually, or if I’d have ever gotten out of that
hole,” Foxx said. “When I left, I was so motivated that I went to school and am now a paramedic with Chatham EMS.”
Recently, she responded to a paramedic call where a woman, with five children, had been badly assaulted by her husband. “I told her I’d been exactly in her shoes and to call Family Promise. They’d helped me so now I could help her. Everybody goes through things, some worse than others. Everything that happened to me led me to the field I’m in today. I’m forever grateful for Family Promise.”
Family Promise envisions a nation in which every family has a home, a livelihood, and the chance to build a better future. What began as a local initiative in Summit, NJ, has become a national movement that involves 200,000 volunteers in over 200 communities in 43 states. Family Promise delivers innovative solutions for family homelessness including prevention, shelter and stabilization services. The organization has served 1 million family members since its founding more than 30 years ago, and its leaders aspire to change the future for 1 million children by 2030 through our community-based programs.
For more information about Family Promise of the Coastal Empire, please visit www.familypromisece.org, email info@familypromisece.org or call 912-790-9446.
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For media inquiries, please contact Hollie Barnidge at hollie@lesleyfrancispr.com or 912-272-8651, Lesley Francis at lesley@lesleyfrancispr.com at 912-429-3950 or the team at 912-417-LFPR (5377).