Notes from the Director • August 2006

After five months of hosting families, it is a good time to look back at what we have accomplished.

Since our first family came into the program on March 10th, Family Promise of Gallatin Valley has served a total of 28 people. This includes eight separate families, comprised of 12 children and 16 adults. We have hosted three babies up to 2 years old, four preschoolers 3-5 years old, four children ages 6-12 and one teenager. Of the guests, one was of Hispanic ethnicity, three were Native American, and the remainder were Caucasian.

Presently we have two families, a total of eight guests. Both families are working hard to regain their independence. As of this week, all of the adults are employed! One mom got a job at a daycare where she can take her children along. The other family was able to enroll their children in daycare with the help of a scholarship program.

Transportation continues to be an obstacle. Even when families have cars, the price of gas takes a good portion out of their savings. All of us at Family Promise of Gallatin Valley are anxiously awaiting the bus system!

The continued support from the community has been overwhelming. In fact, from January 2005 until August 2006, individual contributions outnumbered all other sources of funding and consisted of 35.9% of our funding sources. We have received contributions from $1 to $1,000 — all donation are greatly appreciated! In future months, I will be applying for grants and seeking other funding sources to keep Family Promise open. We are growing, we are accomplishing our mission of providing shelter and opportunities for homeless families, and there is more great work to do. Won’t you join us in this great adventure?

— Gloria Edwards