Notes from the Director • December 2006

Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! The holidays are here!! Family Promise has been a whirlwind of activity lately. Every day seems to bring one surprise after another. Our guests have decorated the tree with ornaments they made themselves, the Canterbury house is full of lights and plates of cookies, and the kids are busy making lists for Santa. All of us, children and adults alike, are counting our blessings and thanking God for each new day.

When I count my blessings, there are 482 that I think of first: Family Promise’s trained volunteers. They are incredible! At our first annual Christmas Party, many volunteers came to share the joys of the season with our guests, past and present. It was obvious that Family Promise volunteers do far more than just provide food and shelter to homeless families. Volunteers listen, they hug little ones – and big ones –they accept our families as they are while letting them know that there is hope for a brighter future I firmly believe it’s the relationships formed that make all the difference in the world.

One shining example is Karen and her boys who recently completed the Family Promise program. You may have seen Karen’s remarkable story in the Bozeman Chronicle or read it on our website. Scared and alone when Karen entered Family Promise, she now appears as a confident woman with a job she loves and a stable place to live. But there is more to her story: there’s Nathan who just turned 3 who beams with joy when he sees the abundance of “Grandmas” waiting with open arms; there’s Bryan who gained a mentor in Larry (our Sunday Coordinator) who patiently taught him to ride bike; and there’s all the lasting friendships built by the whole family. Karen has now completed the Family Promise training and has her first volunteer overnight shift next week. She wants to give back to others now that she has her life back in order.

Family Promise has opportunities for everyone to give. Whether it’s your time, your gifts of money, or the gift of a church with open doors and room at the inn for tired families with no where else to go, opportunities abound. Won’t you join us in this miracle of open hearts and open doors that is happening right here?

Blessings to all in this season of joy!

— Gloria Edwards