Graduated family Nancy and Austin in their new home

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines home as:

one’s place of residence, the social unit formed by a family living together, or a familiar or usual setting : congenial environment.

But what does “home” mean to you?

I grew up in a quiet town in Northern Idaho. Our neighborhood played “Kick the Can” at night until dark. Our family enjoyed summer BBQ’s and building snowmen during the winters in our back yard. Home was safe. Home was a healthy community. Home was constant.

At Family Promise many families come to us who lack something very important: a supportive network or a community. That is why our program is different from a traditional homeless shelter.

Family Promise focuses on the importance of relationships. Our volunteers provide a supportive network of listening ears, hugs and encouragement for families going through a “housing crisis”.

Since I began working for Family Promise I have realized that the idea of home is relative to each person. To me home has become less about an address and instead more focused on the idea that “home is where the heart is” or where your community is fostered.

The goal of our program is to help our families regain their independence. We do this by supporting the whole person-not just their housing needs. We work on budgeting, childcare, parenting skills and other vital life skills that our families can use once they graduate our program.

Yes, the goal of our program is to help our families end their issue of homelessness. However, it is deeper than that.

Each day we are supporting our families. Loving our families. And in the process we become part of their family.

Our volunteers and staff are the family members who are invited to baby showers, graduations and birthday parties of our past and present guests. We truly become a family during each guest’s time in the program.

Join us in the fight to end homelessness, one family at a time. This year, make a resolution to build a relationship with a family that needs a little extra support.

After all, don’t we all need a place and a community to call home?

Our Volunteer Director, Bridget Pitman, holds these trainings monthly, or more if desired.  We ask that all of our volunteers who work directly with our families take part in the this informative training.

During these trainings Bridget will explore various topics such as:

• Family homelessness in the Gallatin Valley
• Sensitivity issues to be aware of when volunteering with our families
• How our program works and why it is so effective
• How you can volunteer and be a part of the solution to family homelessness!

We love feedback!  Please take a look at your schedule.  Is there a better time to hold a training that fits your schedule?  Let us know!

Email us a date and time that works for you or RSVP to Bridget here if you will be attending our upcoming training!

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Starting Tuesday, Feb. 14th Family Promise will be hosting volunteer trainings at REI in addition to our monthly trainings at the Bozeman Public Library!

For 2012, mark your calendars for the second Tuesday of each month from 6-8pm at the REI store in Bozeman in the community room!  The store is located off of 19th St. on 2220 Tschache Street. REI is graciously giving us their community room for this time each month for the entire year. Space is limited at REI so you must RSVP before attending a training at that location to Bridget at 582.7388. Feel free to bring a brown bag dinner with you to our training.

This means that our training schedule will be more flexible with two dates and locations to choose from each month. We will host one at this regularly scheduled time at REI and another training date that will change each month to better accommodate your schedule at the Bozeman Public Library. Please check back to our website for the most updated training times and locations!

Our Volunteer Director, Bridget Pitman, directs each training with enthusiasm and hopefully a little humor!  We ask that all of our volunteers who work directly with our families take part in the this informative training.

During these trainings Bridget will explore various topics such as:

• Family homelessness in the Gallatin Valley
• Sensitivity issues to be aware of when volunteering with our families
• How our program works and why it is so effective
• How you can volunteer and be a part of the solution to family homelessness!

We love feedback!  Please take a look at your schedule.  Is there a better time to hold a training that fits your schedule?  Let us know!

Email us a date and time that works for you or RSVP to Bridget here if you will be attending our upcoming training!

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Support Family Promise THIS Friday!

This Friday, Jan. 6th buy the right to wear your blue jeans to work and support our homeless children with families!

HOW IT WORKS:

Blue Jean Friday is a monthly program that provides a fun way to assist local nonprofit organizations. This Friday, Jan. 6th Family Promise of Gallatin Valley was selected as the nonprofit recipient!

With management consent, purchasing a $2 Blue Jean Friday sticker gives employees the “right” to wear blue jeans to work this Friday.

Stickers may be obtained at the Chronicle, KBOZ Radio Station, Van’s County Market, Albertson’s in Belgrade & Bozeman, either Valley Bank location in Belgrade any time prior to Friday.

All proceeds are given to the monthly recipient. Please deliver the collected funds by next Friday to the Chronicle office, the Courtesy Counter at Van’s County Market or Valley Bank in Belgrade. Be sure to include your company’s name along with the donation. Blue Jean Friday is generally the first Friday of every month.

Thank you for supporting Family Promise in this way and please help us spread the word!

Miracles happen every day at Family Promise. A toddler learns to walk in our Day Center, a guest graduates with their G.E.D., a single parent gets a job.

Today, we celebrated a unique miracle that ties two Family Promise families together.

Recently, we received a call from a past guest who is a single mother with a son. When she graduated the program this single mother received a much-needed donated van. She utilized that van for transportation to work, home and taking her son to all his activities.

Yesterday, this past guest donated her van back to Family Promise after she received another vehicle from a family member. She said she wanted to “give back” to another family that could use it. She said that it only made sense to “pass this gift along” to another Family Promise family.

This morning, we arrived on the door step of a single mother with six kids who graduated the program a month ago. During her time in the program this hard-working mother found three jobs and worked all hours to create a new beginning for her family. During her time in the program and since she has graduated her major barrier has been transportation. She did not have a vehicle when she came into the program so we transported her and her family. Since then, she has been patching together rides and utilizing the Streamline Bus system to get to and from work and to take care of her children.

This morning when we arrived at her home she thought we were there to give her a ride. However, we told her that today we could not give her a ride because she needed to drive herself. We handed over the keys to her new van with a big silver bow on the hood as a early holiday miracle. There we many tears and shouts of excitement!

Do you believe in miracles?

If you are still debating if miracles exist please stop by our Day Center this week and you will begin to see the reason for the season.

Our Volunteer Director, Bridget Pitman, holds these trainings monthly, or more if desired.  We ask that all of our volunteers who work directly with our families take part in the this informative training.

During these trainings Bridget will explore various topics such as:

• Family homelessness in the Gallatin Valley
• Sensitivity issues to be aware of when volunteering with our families
• How our program works and why it is so effective
• How you can volunteer and be a part of the solution to family homelessness!

We love feedback!  Please take a look at your schedule.  Is there a better time to hold a training that fits your schedule?  Let us know!

Email us a date and time that works for you or RSVP to Bridget here if you will be attending our upcoming training!

We look forward to seeing you soon!

There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. – Albert Einstein

I have always loved Christmas. I love the lights, baking cookies, all those beautiful Christmas songs, setting up the Nativity, and trekking through the forest to find the perfect Christmas tree. I love decorating the house, sending cards, and gathering with friends and family around the table. I love Christmas Eve candlelight services, watching children enact the story and singing Silent Night all together. Almost 60 years of celebrating Christ’s birth and each year is as magical as the last.

I believe in miracles: always have, always will. Somehow working at Family Promise of Gallatin Valley has reinforced my belief in miracles. When we thought we were about to be homeless as an organization, Tim and Mary Barnard stepped up and helped us purchase a home on Story Street. When the recession hit and everyone was worried about fundraising, we received a large anonymous donation.

Today, on Black Friday of all days, no one here is shopping. Instead, everyone is either at work or playing with their children.  All through the next month, the doorbell will ring with wonderful people we have never met bringing Christmas presents for those less fortunate. It seems that every day we are witness to the generosity of strangers. Hope was born in a stable in the form of a baby. How crazy is that?!

It reminds me of the police report book, We Don’t Make this Stuff Up. Instead of some grand entrance, God comes to us just like we all entered this world – as a helpless infant. There was no room at the inn so Mary and Joseph sleep with the animals. There are few affordable houses so our homeless families sleep in churches. This is only possible because of the miracle of love offered by 21 churches right here in Bozeman and Belgrade. Every homeless child and adult that walks through our door is a miracle, made in God’s image. Every one needs food and shelter, kindness and hope for the future.

Miracles are a way of naming the mystery that surrounds us every day. C.S. Lewis writes that “Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see.” I look at skies and clouds and babies and willing volunteers and see miracles everywhere. I can’t understand it, or put it easily in words, but there is something wonderful happening here. Yes, Bozeman, there is hope for homeless families. It’s called Family Promise, the miracle on Story Street.

Gloria Edwards, Executive Director

Join us at Santa Fe Red's on Nov. 23rd!

Enjoy mexican food and a yummy drink?

One of our fabulous volunteers Alisa Lister nominated Family Promise of Gallatin Valley to be the recipients of a one-night fundraising event at the new Sante Fe Red’s downtown location next week!

Alisa and her co-workers will be guest bartenders for this fun event. Half of ALL PROCEEDS from this night will benefit Family Promise!

Join us and help SPREAD THE WORD of this great charity evening on November 23rd from 4pm-10pm. There will be fun drink and food specials that evening.

Big thank you to Alisa for making this fun evening possible!

REI Store in Bozeman, MT

The REI retail store in Bozeman is generously hosting a donation bin in front of their store to benefit nonprofits each month. Through the month of November Family Promise will be the recipient of donated winter items for our families! Here is how YOU can get involved!

What are helpful items this winter? A variety of new and gently used sizes for women and children of winter gear including:

• socks
• shoes/boots
• gloves/mittens
• hats
• coats

What are some gear items you could use? We try to encourage our families to find free and healthy activities in our community to do together! If you have any gear that could assist our families in hiking, cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing, sledding, swimming, etc. we will gladly accept them.

We have a few specific requests for sizes of our current families:

• Clothing: Men’s (M);Men’s size 8 shoe
• Clothing: Women’s (L); Women’s shoe 9
• Clothing: Boys (M); boys shoe size 3
• Clothing: Women’s (M);Women’s shoe 8
• Clothing: 2T; shoe 7
• Clothing: 4T; shoe 11
• Clothing: Boys (L); shoe 5
• Clothing: Women’s (L) (size 14 pants); shoe 7 ½
• Clothing: Boys 12 or (L); shoe 3

Our Volunteer Director, Bridget Pitman, holds these trainings monthly, or more if desired.  We ask that all of our volunteers who work directly with our families take part in the this informative training.

During these trainings Bridget will explore various topics such as:

• Family homelessness in the Gallatin Valley
• Sensitivity issues to be aware of when volunteering with our families
• How our program works and why it is so effective
• How you can volunteer and be a part of the solution to family homelessness!

We love feedback!  Please take a look at your schedule.  Is there a better time to hold a training that fits your schedule?  Let us know!

Email us a date and time that works for you or RSVP to Bridget here if you will be attending our upcoming training!

We look forward to seeing you soon!