When you are homeless, you feel there is no hope for a better life.

You worry about your bills, your family, your children and your future.You may work minimum wage jobs, trying to scrape together enough to feed your family for the next week and hopefully find shelter.In Carbon County, there is a light in the darkness that can help families in need.Family Promise of Carbon County provides hope for people who have no place to call their own.On Thursday, Alicia Kline, director of Family Promise of Carbon County, approached the county commissioners to ask for support in the form of a county-wide dress down day so the organization can continue to serve the homeless families and help give them a brighter future.The dress down day would take place on Oct. 17, the last day of National Family Promise Week."We are the only homeless shelter in Carbon County," she said. "We are the only hope for this county, but we need more support from local officials and the community. We can help prevent homelessness by offering help before families face an eviction."The organization has an annual operating budget of $100,000, which is made up through local donations and grants and not by any government funding sources. To date Family Promise is operating on a $24,000 deficit."Think about how many families are one paycheck away from facing an eviction," Kline added. "I want to show the county what homelessness is. Family Promise is a nationwide program in response to homelessness. Family Promise of Carbon County is one of 171 affiliates in 41 states and one of 14 in Pennsylvania."Our mission is to provide temporary shelter, meals and friendship to families without permanent housing in the county."Kline said that to help cut costs, volunteers are utilized at the 11 host churches and at the day center.These volunteers have worked over 9,000 hours and served over 15,000 meals this year.Through the program, Family Promise provides nearly $250,000 in services to the families so they can get back on their feet."We encourage, enable and educate the parents to become independent once again," Kline said."We give them relief, hope, comfort and a place to call home. We lift all the stress of worrying off our families' shoulders, and most importantly, the children's shoulders. They feels the effects of homelessness too. We give them back their childhood when they are in our program."Since the organization opened in 2011, 31 families have received help.Families in the program must commit to being sober, while working hard to better their situation.Otherwise they are asked to leave.Adults must participate in intensive case management that is offered as well as partake in classes on finance, nutrition and parenting.They must also have a background check done and submit to random drug testing if anything is suspected.Children remain in the school they attended before coming to Family Promise and are transported to the district daily.Four families, for a total of 14 people, can be assisted at one time, Kline said.There is a waiting list for families in need.Kline said that volunteers are always needed to help and the organization is currently looking for additional host churches to supply a place for families to stay during the night.The commissioners said that they are amazed by the program and will help in any way they could."This is amazing in and of itself," Commissioner William O'Gurek said."Hearing everything that is involved, it offers me promise for this county. It's a wonderful cause. Thank you for everything that all of you do with this special cause."Commissioner Wayne Nothstein, chairman, commended the families for reaching out for help to make a better life for themselves.He wished the families in attendance the best of luck as they work toward getting on their feet.Commissioner Thomas J. Gerhard thanked the volunteers for their dedication to the organization and the families."To get a homeless person off the street, to give them shelter, to provide food for them, find jobs for them, that's what this program is all about," he said. "We are 100 percent behind the program and will do what we can to help it succeed."For more information on Family Promise or for ways to help, call 610-379-4757, visit the office at 167 S. Third St., Lehighton, email

director@familypromisecarboncounty.com or visit

www.familypromisecarboncounty.com.