The nonprofit once known as Sandhills Interfaith Hospitality Network does indeed offer and fulfill promise to families.

Last year, the faith-based nonprofit organization officially adopted Family Promise of Moore County as its new name.

Family Promise is an ideal name for the interfaith program that has provided assistance to temporarily homeless ­families and finds automobiles for ­people who need transportation in order to work.

“It’s a great description,” said April Wood, who, along with her children, was homeless briefly and without a car at one time and has used all the services available to families through the faith-based nonprofit. “It’s a stepping stone for the future.”

Susan Bellew, executive director of Family Promise of Moore County, says the organization’s Board of Directors voted in March 2007 to change the ­organization’s name from the Sandhills Interfaith Hospitality Network (SIHN) to Family Promise, in keeping with a decision by the National Interfaith Hospitality Network, the nonprofit with which it is affiliated. NIHN changed its name to Family Promise in 2003.

The local name change did not become official until October 2007 when all the legal work came through from the office of the North Carolina secretary of state and from the Internal Revenue Service.

The local agency’s reasons are similar to those of the national nonprofit — the former name is cumbersome and does not adequately describe all the services provided.

In addition, Bellew says, many ­volunteers, most representing churches, felt uncomfortable with the acronym, pronounced as “sin.”

Family Promise was established as a cooperative effort among Moore County churches and other faith-based organizations to provide temporary ­shelter and counseling to homeless families. In most cases, the families consist of a single mother with one or more children.

Larger churches with fellowship halls and education buildings provide sleeping quarters for these families. During the day, parents make their headquarters at the Family Promise center in Aberdeen, while children go to school or day care. If they have jobs, the parents go to work.

In their spare time, they use assistance from Family Promise volunteers in finding permanent housing and, if needed (and it usually is), employment. They are transferred to another church’s facilities if a second or third week is required before ­permanent housing is found.

At latest count, Family Promise participants include 11 host congregations that provide housing for families plus seven support congregations that assist by providing volunteers and financial and other help.

Wheels to Work is a component of Family Promise but is not set aside strictly for the homeless. This program accepts donated vehicles for distribution to working people who do not have transportation.

The donated cars are checked over and repaired, as needed, before they are turned over to new owners, who must make $40 payments monthly for 15 months. When a recipient completes those payments, Family Promise relinquishes its lien and the vehicle becomes the property of the recipient.

More than 100 vehicles have been donated to Wheels to Work since its inception in 2001. These gifts are tax-deductible.

Family Promise of Moore County is located at 303 Peach Ave., Aberdeen (just behind Johnny O’s off U.S. 1).

For more information, visit the ­organization’s Web site at www.sandhills interfaith.org, call (910) 944-7149 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Compiled by Florence Gilkeson, senior writer for The Pilot.