Family Promise of Gallatin Valley: Staff


	Staff

	Gloria Edwards, MSW Executive / Network Director 406.582.7388

		Gloria Edwards brings to Family Promise the gifts of extraordinary experience, dedication to social justice, and commitment to advocacy, in addition to an engaging and personable manner. Having received her Masters of Social Work degree (MSW) from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with honors, Gloria began working in Bozeman that same year as a Community Social Worker for the Department of Family Services. After five years of growing experience and responsibilities there — working with children and families on issues from abuse and neglect to special needs adoptions and home studies — Gloria was asked to develop and implement the Victim Assistance Program for Gallatin County that we know today. Since creating the program, she has been its Program Director, managing all aspects of its overwhelming success, including overcoming initial resistance and apathy to becoming an integral and highly sought-after part of our justice system — assisting over 650 victims of violent crime each year. Gloria has worked with essentially all of the social services agencies and non-governmental organizations in Gallatin County, and so brings to her role in Family Promise well-developed personal relationships at all levels within the social welfare community. Atypically for management, Ms Edwards’ role as Program Director included extensive direct service to victims, and so she brings to the Executive Director position the sensitivity and personal concern that will be needed to truly engage and help our homeless families. Her personal commitment is remarkable, as she illustrates in her own words, “Family Promise is a program that I absolutely believe in. As a social worker, I have witnessed many homeless families in our community and am dismayed at the lack of services available. I know that families with children are the largest growing segment of the homeless population: many of these families are single mothers and their children fleeing abuse or working poor trying to live on minimum wage jobs. Bozeman is a generous community in many ways, and yet somehow poor families remain homeless — and for the most part, invisible. I believe that this is wrong. I think that as individuals, and as a community, we can do better. Family Promise has been proven to be a program that works.”

	Donna Krause Family Case Manager 406.582.7388

		Donna Krause benefits Family Promise with her strong dedication to social justice and deep commitment to advocacy work. She comes to FPGV most recently from a non-profit mental health agency in Bozeman where she was Lead Youth Case Manager. She has a Bachelor of Science from MSU in Health and Human Development, graduating with highest honors. Donna also has an Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education from the University of Montana-Western. For over five years, she has volunteered as a Guardian ad Litem in Gallatin County, advocating for abused and neglected children and continues to do so. Donna has also served as an advocate with the MSU VOICE Center. Donna's experience includes teaching preschool at the MSU Child Development Center and tutoring with America Reads/America Counts. “Family Promise is a program that I truly believe in. I am very excited to have the opportunity to be a part of an organization that offers hope to the homeless families of Gallatin Valley."

	Bridget Pitman Volunteer Development Coordinator 406.582.7579

		Bridget Pitman joins FPGV in October 2008 after graduating from the University of Idaho in May 2007 with a B.S. in public relations and a B.A. in Spanish. She was born and raised in Moscow, Idaho along with her two older brothers. Bridget spent a semester living in Bilbao, Spain and spends her free time traveling, fly fishing, and enjoying the beauty of Bozeman. Bridget has worked as the Director of Stewardship for the University of Idaho Student Foundation, Donor Relations Intern for the University Of Idaho Office of Development, and the Director of Communications for the Associated Students of University of Idaho. Bridget has been a volunteer with Family Promise since February and discovered her passion for the organization during her service. In January 2009, Bridget will become our Americorps VISTA volunteer for the next year. “It is organizations like Family Promise that are the foundation and heart of the Bozeman community. I am thankful and inspired to be surrounded by people with a passion for service and a heart for the people of the Gallatin Valley.”

	Debbie & Larry King Sunday Coordinators

		Larry and Debbie King are active members of the Mount Ellis Seventh Day Adventist Church. Larry is a native of Bozeman and Debbie is from Massachusetts. They have been married 28 years and have three children, all in college. Larry is a certified nurse's aid and bus driver. Debbie is a registered nurse, but much prefers her home-based career in medical transcription. Since they have been volunteering through their church for all of their lives, Family Promise was a natural place for them to become involved. "The qualifications needed to help people are simply having a daily awareness of your own blessings and then being willing to serve where God leads you. We feel that He just took us by the hand and led us to Family Promise. What a great feeling to work along side the other churches in the Gallatin Valley! We've stepped outside of our box and count this as just another of our blessings."