Senator Baucus SupportsProject Homeless Connect!

We are fortunate to have in Max Baucus, a senator who understands and supports the needs of our communities.
In the letter (click to read), he expresses this support.

Celia Wood Raises $850 $935 $1,120! in Senior Olympics!

A heartfelt thanks to Celia Wood who participated in the Senior Olympics in Butte and raised $850 in pledges for riding her bicycle and completing the 5K. An active First Presbyterian Church member and Family Promise volunteer, Celia told us she wanted to do something “meaningful” and could think of no better cause than helping homeless families. Additionally, she is renown as the prizewinner for being the oldest participant to sleep in a cardboard box during the last Cardboard Box City. At "almost 79," Celia is living proof that you are never too old to have fun — or to find creative ways to help those in need.

Thank you to Jump, Jive, and Jazzercise

A big thank you goes out to Kim Broden and all the organizers and participants at the Jump, Jive and Jazzercise event held on June 7th. Although the weather was cold and rainy, over $270 was raised for Family Promise of Gallatin Valley.

Project Homeless Connect!

Family Promise has collaborated with several other agencies in the Bozeman area in efforts to end homelessness in the Gallatin Valley. This summer that collaborative effort has resulted in an event: Project Homeless Connect.

Helping All Homeless

PHC is considered a best practice in efforts to impact homelessness. The event is a “one stop shop” for homeless, nearly homeless, and needy individuals. Consumers can attend the event to receive services in one location on one day. PHC has been successful in several cities in Montana, including two successful events in both Missoula and Billings.

Service Event

The Bozeman Project Homeless Connect will be held on July 12, 2008 from 10 am to 7 pm at First Presbyterian Church, 26 W. Babcock, Bozeman. Services will include food (served picnic style at Canterbury Park), hair cuts, vision screenings, dental screenings, HIV and pregnancy tests, immunizations, bike repair, pet baths and food, information leading to housing and employment, and so much more. The event plans to distribute vouchers for clothing at Salvation Army and Sack’s, personal hygiene items, bike parts and food.

Volunteers & Donations

If you’re interesting in volunteering or donating to the event, please contact Brigitte at 582-7579.

FPGV Successes

Family Promise continues to help our homeless families get back on their feet. With the help of our amazing volunteers, this program has become a success that benefits our entire community. read about our accomplishments.

Thank You to Our Volunteers! National Volunteer Week

As we celebrate National Volunteer Week, April 27 through May 3, Family Promise would like to extend its warmest gratitude to all of volunteers who help make Family Promise a success. We are especially grateful to all of the host and partner congregations, their volunteer coordinators, pastors, and volunteers, and the many other volunteers from throughout the community. Thank you to all the dedicated and compassionate volunteers for your time and effort with Family Promise.

Family Promise of Gallatin Valley exists entirely because of its volunteers. Family Promise volunteers have provided over 20,000 hours of service to the community as well — providing countless meals, companionship, and support to our guests. The over 716 volunteers who have completed the training make it possible for Family Promise to offer "24/7" support to our guests.

— Gloria Edwards, Donna Krause, Brigitte Menard, and the Board of Directors.

Statistics & Accomplishments March 10, 2006 (Inception) to March 10, 2008 [ PDF ]

• Provided shelter and opportunities to 98 people. This includes 28 separate families comprised of 51 children and 47 adults. We have hosted 15 babies under 2, ten preschoolers under 5, 23 children under 12, and 3 teens.
• 10 Host Congregations and 11 Partner Congregations are active participants. All congregations have at least one skilled volunteer coordinator and have actively recruited and organized volunteers to help provide 24 hour services.
• 709 volunteers have completed the 3 hour Family Promise training necessary before providing direct guest services.
• These volunteers have contributed over 18,000 direct service volunteer hours of service since 2006! Additionally, 683 days of home-cooked dinners, healthy breakfasts, and sack lunches have been provided to our guests.
• The Family Day Center at 209 South Tracy has been painted, is full of warm, comfortable furnishings, and is a safe haven for families during the day and on the weekends.
• A full-time Executive Director and Family Case Manager who are professional social workers have actively assisted families in regaining independence and provided valuable case management activities. Of the 25 families who have completed the program, 18 families secured permanent homes. This is a 72% success rate overall, and a 95% success rate for those completing the program! We will follow these families over the next year to ensure their success continues.
• A full-time VISTA volunteer is available as a Volunteer Development Specialist until July 2008.
• Social service agencies are aware of Family Promise and making appropriate referrals to our agency. We are actively working together to coordinate service delivery and not duplicate services.
• The population at large has an increasing awareness of homelessness in the Gallatin Valley, with 35.9% of Family Promise’s funding from local individual contributors

Rockin TJ Ranch Valentine Benefit for Family Promise

Rockin' TJ Ranch having a Valentine Dinner Theater comedy, "The Brewery Follies" on Thursday, February 14, 6 – 10p. This year's event will benefit Family Promise of Gallatin Valley. Individual tickets are $75 or sponsor a table of eight for $60 per person. Rockin' TJ Ranch is just 4 miles west of the Gallatin Valley Mall. Call the Ranch at 585-0595 for reservations or more information.

Watch A Video about Family Promise!

We're finally able to make this excellent video about Family Promise available online. This describes, in the words of guests of other Family PRomise centers, the great value received by our homeless families, and how empowering it is. Watch the video >

A Fond Goodbye from Brent

To Our Volunteers:

My name is Brent Wilson, and for the last year I’ve been an Americorps VISTA Volunteer serving as the Volunteer Development Coordinator for Family Promise. When I came out to Bozeman last January, I knew that Family Promise was a network of people who are inspired to put their faith into actions, not words. I knew that Family Promise helped homeless families with children. And that’s about the extent of what I knew.

I didn’t know how much effort it takes to make the network successful and how wonderful and dedicated our volunteers are. I didn’t know that it takes over 30 volunteers a week to make this work. I didn’t know we had board members who spend so much time working to make Family Promise stronger that you’d think it was their full time job. I didn’t know that the volunteer coordinators practically live at the church for the week that they host. I didn’t know that we could get volunteers at an hour’s notice. Our materials say that volunteers are the heart of Family Promise, and it’s absolutely true. It’s been amazing and inspiring to have watched you all in action this past year.

I’ve learned a lot, and I think we’ve accomplished a lot this year. I’ve really been blessed to have been here with Family Promise. You guys are a huge part of that. It’s been a pleasure getting to know you and working with you. With volunteers like you, I know that Family Promise of Gallatin Valley will continue to grow and serve our less fortunate neighbors.

Thank you for all that you do, thank you for making my year with you such a wonderful experience, and God bless.

Brent Wilson, Americorps VISTA Volunteer, Volunteer Development Coordinator

Homeless Families with Children

NCH Fact Sheet #12. Published by the National Coalition for the Homeless, August 2007

Homelessness is a devastating experience for families. It disrupts virtually every aspect of family life, damaging the physical and emotional health of family members, interfering with children’s education and development, and frequently resulting in the separation of family members. The dimensions, causes, and consequences of family homelessness are discussed below. An overview of policy issues and a list of resources for further study are also provided.

Dimension

One of the fastest growing segments of the homeless population is families with children. A 2005 study revealed that of the counted homeless population there were 98,452 homeless families, making up 41% of the entire homeless population (Homelessness Counts, 2007). Research indicates that families, single mothers, and children make up the largest group of people who are homeless in rural areas (Vissing, 1996). Approximately 924,000 children are homeless, and in 1995, 4.2% of children under the age of one year were homeless (Urban Institute, 2000; Culhane & Metraux, 1999). Homeless families are most commonly headed by single mothers [continue reading]

FPGV Now Listed on Volunteer Websites

Family PRomise of Gallatin Valley is now listed on the following websites.

Mercury Advertising "Hangs Out" to Help!

Staff at Mercury Advertising here in Bozeman literally hung out on a ledge in freezing weather to raise over $10,000 for Family Promise. Staff members took turns in a rock climbers tent hanging outside their offices on Main Street, including during Christmas Stroll. Their efforts and discomfort resulted in gathering over $10,000 for FPGV. Thank you SO much for your help!

See The Wiz and Support Family Promise!

The Equinox Teen Theatre is introducing community partnership performances of their productions with their production of The Wiz. They will donate half of their ticket proceeds for their Thursday night performances to non-profit organizations such as Family Promise. All you need to do is mention that you are supporting Family PRomise when you attend to have half of your ticket fee donated to Family Promise. For The Wiz, adult tickets are only $7 and $5 for kids 12 and younger. The first performance is November 29. Contact Erin Roberg, Youth Programs Director, Equinox Theatre Company for more information.

FPGV Selected to Receive 2007 Governor’s Award for Civic Engagement Winner!

Thanks to our 532 trained volunteers who have put in over 13,000 hours of direct service, we have been selected the winner of the 2007 Governor’s Award on Civic Engagement for the “Organizations or Multiple Individuals Acting Collectively” category. This was a very competitive category with a lot of nominations. Everyone connected with Family Promise should be proud. Well done everyone, and thank you.

The letter we received from Sue Tinsley at the Governor’s Office of Community Service stated:

“On behalf of the Governor and the Montana Commission on Community Service I would like to thank you for your commitment to your community. The time and effort you gave exemplify the spirit of participation central to our democratic heritage.”

The Civic Engagement Awards will be presented at a banquet in Billings on September 25.

Audited Financial Statements

FPGV follows best practices to the best of our ability, and also is committed to transparency of operations as stewards of our generous benefactors' donations.

We have received the completed financial audit of FPGV since inception and make this available for your review. Click here to download. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

FPGV Welcomes First Presbyterian Church

— We are so excited to announce that First Presbyterian Church has joined us as a Host Congregation! With their committed congregation and their wonderful new facilities, they are a great addition to the FPGV community of congregations.

Their congregation members have been attending our training sessions — with our most recent having nearly 60 participants! So they will definitely be ready for their first hosting.

UPDATE Family Case Manager

— Donna Krause, our new Family Case Manager, has had such a huge, positive impact on our program, that the Board and our Executive Director moved quickly to bring Donna on full time with FPGV. Thank you Donna for getting involved with us!

FPGV Welcomes New Family Case Manager!

October 10, 2007 — We are pleased to announce that Donna Krause started working at Family Promise as Family Case Manager. Donna Started October 1 in direct response to the success that FPGV has experienced in successfully helping homeless families get back on their feet. Initially, due to limited funding, Donna will be half time with Family Promise, but even so, will be able to help us be even more effective.

Donna Krause brings 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."

Donna can be reached at 582-7388 or

Wonderful Donations!

A big thank you to Linda Wagner from Bozeman United Methodist Church for purchasing a trailer for Family Promise of Gallatin Valley! This generous gift allows our guests’ belongings and all the beds to be transported securely each week. It is a dream come true for all of us, especially Larry King, our Sunday Coordinator. Thank you Linda!!

Thank you to Dwight & Lois Short for their generous contribution that enabled us to purchase double roll-away beds. How wonderful!

Drs. Amy and Todd Kinney celebrated the 10th anniversary of their dental practice with an open house on October 11th. A raffle was held to benefit Family Promise of Gallatin Valley and raised over $3,000! These fine dentists have also offered to provide free dental care for 2 of our guest families each year.

The "City" was a Success!

If you've seen the excellent article in the Chronicle, you already know that the event was fun and a great success for our first annual Cardboard Box City.

We had 92 people participate and a great array of boxes, photos of which we now have available

Cardboard Box City 2007 Photos !

Click here to see. If you see one of yourself you'd like, please contact us for a larger digital image. Donations continue to come in, but so far, we've received over $20,000!!!! Thank you all so much!

Thank you!!!!

We also had great support and contributions for the event from these businesses :

Two Easy & Free Ways to Donate to FPGV!

You can easily make things you normally do generate donations to Family Promise without costing you anything at all!

Goodsearch.com

Albertson's Preferred Card

Both are easy and quick ways to help!.

Thank You Family Promise Volunteers!

Thursday, May 10, 2007, 6– 9 p.m. Family Promise Day Center, 209 S Tracy at Olive.

On Thursday May 10th, Family Promise of Gallatin Valley will be hosting a Volunteer Appreciation Open House at the Day Center at 209 South Tracy Avenue. Doors will be open from 6pm to 9pm. The event will feature desert, coffee, tours of the Day Center, and the chance to meet staff, members of the Board of Directors, and other volunteers. Anyone involved with Family Promise is welcome. Family Promise would not exist without our volunteers, and this is our way of saying “Thank You”. For more information, please contact Brent Wilson at .

Family Promise Eighth National Confernce

On April 20 through 22, Gloria Edwards, our Executive Director and Jerry Meek, our Board VP, attended the Family Promise Eighth National Conference in Sacramento, California. This was a great event for conferring with and learning from other direcotrs and board members from across the nation, and to see how we stack up relative to both younger and more mature IHNs. The result: we're doing VERY well.

Gloria attended workshops appropriate for EDs and Jerry attended workshops about development and policy. Both came away with useful infomration to help guide our organziation to even higher levels of service and success.

Both Gloria and Jerry were invited to present on Marketing and Use of the Media which you can read below:

• Becoming Newsworthy
• Marketing

Fund Raiser to Benefit Family Promise!

The Gallatin Valley Interfaith Association and The Dances of Universal Peace invite you to a Fund Raiser to benefit Family Promise.

Christ the King Lutheran Church, 4383 Durston Road Saturday, March 31, 5:30 pm dinner, 7:00 pm dance

Together we can help provide shelter, food, hope, and fellowship for families in need. Tickets are $15 – $25. For more information and to purchase tickets call Florence Guest at 587-1804 or 570-3771. This is a third party fund-raising event operated and generously sponsored by GVIA and DOUP for which we are deeply grateful.

Thank you!

Family Promise of Gallatin Valley would like to extend a big thank you to two local businesses that have been so generous in responding to our needs.

Tony Wastcoat from Coldwell Banker RCI Realty is allowing us to use their RCI moving truck to transport beds and belongings each Sunday to the different churches. We can put the open horse trailer to rest! Our beds and families’ belongings will now be secure and safe from the elements. The use of the moving truck is a wonderful addition!

Also, Craig Tucker from Bibs and Binkies has given us a generous donation of funds, a crib mattress and a brand new twin stroller! The stroller will make it so much easier for parents to get their little ones around. If you haven’t been in to this new store on North 19th, you should definitely check it out.

We are so blessed to live in a community where people care for their neighbors.

Our Families' Progress & Successes

This is an update on our families, past and present: Right now there are no new referrals pending. Past families have been in touch frequently.

James and Sharon are doing well. James starts training on Monday in Casper, Wyoming to work as a drilling rig floorhand. He will leave this Sunday and return late Friday evening. Then he will be placed somewhere in Montana and will work 7 days on, 7days off. He and Sharon may relocate to Havre or Sidney. They will definitely stay in Family Promise until sometime in January. Sharon has resigned from Burger King and is working on her GED fulltime. The boys are looking forward to break from school.

Yesterday, Dan and Dawn stopped by with their new baby, Kazie. She was born November 26. Rylie and Rapzadie are in daycare with Angela! Dan and Dawn have purchased a modular home in Livingston with help from Dan’s uncle. Dan is working and Dawn goes back shortly. They are our only family not adopted for Christmas, and I now have all of their information if anyone is interested.

Daniel and Angela have had difficulties the past month or so. Daniel’s diabetes flared up and he was hospitalized for 3 days. He had a serious staff infection and trouble with his liver. He is hoping to return to work shortly. Sierra’s foot is worse and surgery is scheduled for mid January at Shriner’s Hospital. Please keep them in your prayers.

Paul and Tera are fine. Paul got a new better job in construction and his boss even gave them a Suburban to drive! Tera is babysitting 2 or 3 little girls and Skyliegh is still at home. Both Tanner and Ryliegh love Ridgeview School. They have grown about a foot each.

Keep Melanie and Ricky and girls in your prayers — Melanie is at Livingston Hospital right now with complications from her pregnancy. They will keep her overnight and fly her to Billings if it gets worse. We will know more shortly.

Jerry and Amy are great. Both are working fulltime at Aspen Pointe. Amber has lost 30# and all the middle schoolboys are watching her (and Jerry is watching them!). Last night Jerry took Amber to the MSU Girls’ Basketball game, compliments of Nikki Fink’s friend. They had a blast.

Karen and boys love living with Carolyn! Karen completed the Family Promise volunteer training and has her 1st volunteer shift on December 22nd. Many past friends have reconnected with her after the article in the Chronicle. She is very happy she interviewed with the paper.

Aaron and April are OK. Alex is almost 18 months and runs everywhere. Both Aaron and April are working in restaurants here in Bozeman.

— Gloria Edwards

Fundraising Campaign

Family Promise has kicked off our fundraising campaign for our 2007 budget year. Building on a wonderful year of successes helping our homeless neighbors, we need to stabilize funding to be able to continue.

At this time of year, every non-profit is working to generate funding for the upcoming year just as are we. However, Family Promise is unique and wonderful even among so many worthy causes. We're helping our neighbors get back on their feet. We get the wonderful opportunity to be involved and see and be a part of helping people succeed. Every day, we know that we're making a difference and building our community by improving lives of our neighbors. There are so many people who see the value of all of this and are committed to helping with Family Promise.

We've already received grants from the Gilhausen Foundation, the Cruise Industry Charitable Foundation, and Heritage Christian School. But we need our community involved with financial support as well as with all of the time our volunteers have contributed.

Please help keep Family Promise continue to be able to help our homeless families by donating!

VISTA Volunteer News

Today is Adam’s last day as our VISTA volunteer. Please stop by and wish him well or send an email to him. He and Mecca are headed home to North Carolina for Christmas and will be back in town by the second week in January. Adam is looking for physical work that pays well while Mecca completes her volunteer position. If I get my way, Adam will continue as a Family Promise of Gallatin Valley volunteer!

We have a new VISTA volunteer that will start work towards the end of January. His name is Brent Wilson and he comes to us from – North Carolina! He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in History in 2002. He has worked fulltime as a Member Service Rep at a federal credit union for the past two years. There, he says, he has seen “the effects of debt on hard working, low wage families.” Brent has tutored refugee children and raised money for children’s cancer research. He writes that he joined Americorps VISTA because “I feel strongly that America can do better than we are right now. There is no reason that America, the richest nation in history, must have the amount of poverty that we have today. We can do better than this.” Family Promise of Gallatin Valley is a good fit for him. Brent writes:” There’s a passage in the book of James that says that true religion is to care for those that are in need…I have an obligation to do what I can for those who need help.”

Brent will be moving here the middle of January. He is 27 years old, single, enjoys hiking, and will be looking for a cheap place to rent. VISTA volunteers receive $9,708 per year (before taxes) so if anyone knows a good cheap place to live please let Brent know at

Gloria Edwards' Guest Editorial in the Chronicle 11/24/06

At Thanksgiving, it is traditionally time to count our blessings and share what we have with the people around us. For the 472 trained volunteers with Family Promise of Gallatin Valley, these are not idle words, but a real commitment to live by. Each and every day since Family Promise opened its doors to homeless families on March 10th, volunteers have been busy making dinner, helping with children, sleeping overnight in churches, and doing whatever is needed to make life a little bit better for those less fortunate. While some people talk about unity or justice or helping the poor, there are 18 churches right here – right now — that are doing more than talking about it.
[Read Complete Article] [ See Article from the paper]

FPGV Now Has Storage for Donations!

Through the generous contributions of Mt. Ellis Academy Seventh Day Adventist Church, First Lutheran Church, Marcella Babineaux, Heather Jackson and Martha Hendricks we now have a storage unit! We have a 10X20 foot unit at Sentry Storage off of Huffine Lane. Pat Ferkin has agreed to be our Donations Coordinator and keep track of inventory at our new storage unit. Pat can be reached at 587-7762 or . We will be able to accept donations as they become available and help our families furnish their future homes. We are truly blessed with generous people in Gallatin Valley!

Letter to the Editor from a Successful Guest Family

The following letter to the editor appeared in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle recently (original article) :

Family Promise is vital program that needs support!

I'd like to take a moment to thank Family Promise of Gallatin Valley and to challenge the community to help support this worthy cause. We are a family of three, making less than $40,000 a year. We spent three months in Family Promise after becoming homeless. In those three months, under the direction of Gloria Edwards, we found work and saved enough money to find a place to live.

Family Promise is currently helping two families, but they will have a tough time without outside support. We are able to donate at least $20 a month. I believe that many who read this can afford $20 and more.

Homelessness is a missed paycheck away for many families. Guests of Family Promise have 12 short weeks to get back on their feet. The day house from which they operate has utility bills just as any other home does. A little bit of help from a few hundred donors would help immensely.

Won't you please join my family in supporting this vital program? Seventy cents a day is all it takes.

— Jerry Cooper
Bozeman

We Are Happy to Welcome A New Family!

James and Sharon are a married couple who recently relocated from South Carolina. They have 2 boys, Stephen age 12, and Nathaniel age 7. While traveling, they had $1800 stolen from them in a rest stop near Billings. They had enough money to get here, and had been sleeping in their 2 vehicles. They are happy to have a warm roof over their heads! James has a CDL and has worked construction. Sharon enjoys housekeeping and convenience store work. They are hoping to get the boys enrolled in school and find jobs asap.

They have a 16 month old dog, Vengeance, who needs a short-term foster home. He is part boxer, part pit bull, has his shots and is very playful. He has a good temperament and is used to being outside. If you know anyone who can give him a home, please call me at 582-7388. Any suggestions would be great!

Please make them feel welcome! Family Promise now has 11 guests, and for all practical purposes, I think we are full. — Gloria

A "Thank You" from a Successful Family . . .

"Gloria,

Please pass on our sincere gratitude to all these folks for providing us with a place to live during our struggle. We are about a month out of Family Promise and doing well. Both Amy and I are working and Amber is anticipating school next week.

Also, thank

you Gloria and the staff at Family Promise for everything."

—Jerry, Amy & Amber

Painting of Family Center

The Canterbury House has been pressure washed and a base coat is on all around. We are ready for the top coat and I have reserved a professional airless sprayer for Sat. We should be able to complete a once over in about 4 hours. Trim and windows will still need some TLC. Kudos to the Girls for Change. Had 6 enthusiastic painters this morning and by noon they had gone all the way round as high as they could reach (I would not let minors work on a ladder). An adult with them pitched in and got a goodly portion of the high stuff. They cleaned up and then sat in the park for pizza and coke courtesy of Roxanne.

A very heartfelt thanks to the Paint Pot . Mel and Judy rescued our frozen paint, color corrected all 20 gallons of top coat, donated the pressure washer and the sprayer, and furnished, at no charge, the buckets and brushes for the young ladies. They have also been a great help in advising me on how to go about this project. How neat.

— Ray Ross

Gloria Edwards Receives State Award of Honor!

Gloria came to Family Promise from the Victims Assistance Program for Gallatin County, which she created and then managed until this change. Gloria's work was recognized and honored by the State of Montana and presented with an Award of Recognition for her work by Attorney General Mike McGrath. The award reads:

Attorney General Mike McGrath Honors Gloria Edwards for providing
outstanding assistance and advocacy for victims of crime. April 2006.

Congratulations, Gloria, and thank you for your commitment to all who are in need.

VISTA Volunteer Hired

I am happy to announce that Stephen Adam Lowe (“Adam”) has been hired as the Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA) Volunteer Coordinator for Family Promise of Gallatin Valley! Adam is from Jonesville, North Carolina. He graduated from Appalachian State University with a secondary education teaching degree in history. He has experience as a substitute teacher and Assistant Park Ranger. He helped develop a community garden in Boone, NC and also volunteered with the Appalachian Heritage Council. Adam is getting married on June 24th and his soon-to-be wife has just accepted a VISTA position with Montana State University’s Farm to College Program. Adam writes:”. . . I believe that community involvement should be an integral part of everyone’s life . . . Over the last several years I have come to respect my own home while realizing that what we know as the United States of America is a very diverse and unique place. I will bring maturity, thoughtful action and a positive attitude . . ..” He and his wife will be moving here in July. Adam will start at Family Promise on July 21st. Welcome Adam Lowe!

Second Guest Family!

Our second guest family entered the program on March 18th. Mom and her 6 month old baby were joined by Dad on March 29th. Mom and Dad are working hard to be good parents and get their lives back on track. Meanwhile, it’s so nice to have a baby to hold in our house!

First Guest Family!!!

Family Promise of Gallatin Valley is happy to announce that we are hosting our first family! We have a lovely family with three children, ages 3 years, 5 years and 9 (almost 10). They experienced difficulties when dad lost his job, the home they were renting had the sewer overflow, and the landlord decided to demolish it rather than fix the problem. Dad has already found a new job and both parents are working hard to find a permanent solution to their housing problem. And they are so openly thankful for the help they are receiving.

Notes from the Director • March 2006

The first month at Family Promise has been a whirlwind of activity. From the moment I began my education from the national Family Promise trainer on February 2nd, I knew this was no ordinary job: I was in for an adventure in hope. [continued . . .]

Savoirprint.com Donates Letterhead and Business Card Printing

Mark Hagar, co-owner of SavoirPrint , has graciously donated the printing of our letterhead and business cards. This is a special effort considering that Mark's company is based in Berkeley, California. We deeply appreciate their help with our efforts.

Color World Printers Donates Newsletter Printing

Jeff Burgard, President of Color World Printers , one of our community's stalwart supporters of good causes, graciously donated the printing of our latest newsletter. We appreciate the support of our business community in helping us make this long needed program a reality. Thank you!

New Executive/Network Director!

We are pleased to announce that Gloria Edwards has accepted the Board of Director's offer to become the first Executive/ Network Director of Family Promise of Gallatin Valley!

Gloria comes to the position with an incredible level of experience, and a deep, heart-felt commitment to Family Promise. Gloria has been working hard for social justice in so many ways here in Gallatin Valley and so brings a wealth of knowledge about our community as well as the resources available to help. [More about Gloria Edwards]

Training Weekend Successful & Fun!

Training for the Host and Partner Congregations was held on Friday and Saturday, February 3 and 4. Almost every participating congregation had one person there and several had two or three. The training was presented by Donna Watson, both a trainer from the national Family Promise organization and the Executive Director of the IHN in Gainesville, Florida. Donna has been with the organization for seven years and brought a wealth of experience to the training. Donna was a pleasure to work with and brought a professional, yet relaxed atmosphere to the experience.

Friday evening, participants reviewed the Guide Manual for Host Congregations. There was lots of opportunity for specific questions and two videos were presented. The second video contained interviews with the Guests of various Family Promise congregations and was especially moving and pertinent. The Guests had been asked how volunteers could best support them. The answer was “by acting normal.” Questions about how the Guests came to be in the program, or where they came from would be inappropriate.

Volunteers need to be aware that over the course of nine weeks, Guests will meet or come in contact with around 200 new people. Simply being friendly and responding to whatever the Guests want to communicate will be the most helpful. All volunteers will have an opportunity to see this video; all volunteers must receive training before they can participate.

At the Saturday morning training, coordinators developed the schedule for the first nine weeks and planned for recruitment of volunteers. Partner Coordinators met and planned with Host Coordinators and everyone felt that the time was well spent. Gloria Edwards, Executive Director, will train each Host and Partner Congregation within two weeks of their hosting date.

This initial training is a big step toward opening and went exceedingly well. Everyone involved is so excited to be able to participate in such a wonderful program! We look forward to the coming days!

Opening Celebration Standing Room Only!

The Family Center at Canterbury House was Blessed and officially opened on February 12.

Attendance was exceptional with the entire ground level filled with well wishers, founders, and community. The Center has been cleaned spotless, painted, and largely equipped and is almost perfectly ready to open.

The dedication ceremony was organized by Fr. Clark Sheman of St. James Epicopal, and included a wonderful blessing of the Center led by participating clergy.

Following the blessing and dedication, the facility was opened for viewing.

At 4:15, the group walked a half block to the United Methodist Church for a wonderful reception with splendid refreshments.

It was a wonderful official beginning to such a significant chapter in our community's growth!

501(c)(3) Non-Profit Status Granted

After a protracted application process for IRS tax-exempt status, the Family Promise of Gallatin Valley 501(c)(3) application committee submitted its application for Advance Ruling Status in mid-October 2005. Family Promise quickly received exemption as a Public Charity from Federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) on October 27.

As with the usual process, Family Promise will remain in “Advance Ruling” status until December 31, 2008, after which it should receive permanent tax-exempt status. As a result, contributions to Family Promise will be “charitable donations,” tax-exempt when filing Federal income tax.