November 3, 2023 — Writer/filmmaker Mark Spano has devoted the past decade or so to the literary side of his psyche, writing books, screenplays, short stories, essays, and a host of book reviews for international publications.

That changed when the folks at Family Promise of Wake County asked him to help them create a short film/video to promote their crucial work and support their fundraising efforts.

Mark couldn’t resist the reason for this film (more on that in a moment*). Neither could he deny his excitement over the thought of working once again with a small crew of hand-picked filmmakers who would address this challenge together through the lens of a camera. He was in. His keyboard would have to wait for a while.

Producer Mark Spano. (Photo by Carlus Walters)

With Mark at the helm as producer, the production crew included film editor Larry Gardener and videographer Mike Oniffrey, both Raleigh-based.  Family Promise’s executive director Scott Ferris, development and communications director Jeff Babjtis, and Board of Directors member Nick Verna provided the content.

Now complete, this compassionate short film can be viewed on Vimeo.

About Family Promise

Family Promise began in Wake County in 1994 as Wake Interfaith Hospitality Network (WIHN), a 501(c)(3) providing church-based emergency shelter for Wake County families experiencing temporary homelessness. Unlike standard shelters where men and women are segregated, WIHN-turned-Family Promise of Wake County was, and is, one of only two emergency shelters in the area that allow families to stay together, regardless of the ages and genders of children and parents.

According to Mark Spano — who said he thoroughly enjoyed returning to his filmmaking roots for a while — the shelter’s name will soon change to Family Promise of the Triangle to reflect its expanding outreach to homeless families throughout the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill region. 

For complete information on Family Promise, visit familypromisewakenc.org.