Fall is here and the trees are ablaze with color. Where did the summer go? We have had a full house for many months at Family Promise of Gallatin Valley. It seems like it’s been continuous activity, with hardly a chance to catch our breath.

Presently we are hosting 3 struggling families that are working hard to become self-sufficient. All of the adults are employed with the exception of one mom with medical problems and doctor’s orders not to work outside the home. When I watch her running after her 2 little boys, ages 1 and 2, I think outside employment would be a whole lot easier!  Our guests are working in construction, housekeeping, day labor and the fast-food industry, making from $7 to $18 per hour. With the average rent for a 2 bedroom apartment in Bozeman at $780, (and requiring first month, last month and deposit at signing), it takes time to save up enough money to make that big move into permanent housing.

That’s why it’s so important to provide services at no cost and allow people who have become homeless to have a safe, temporary shelter. At Family Promise it is our fervent hope that if families are given the support and skills they need, they will never find themselves homeless again. Our goal is to “end homelessness one family at a time.” In 80% of the families we have helped we have been successful.

With the addition of our new half-time Family Case Manager, Donna Krause, families will have the additional assistance they need. Donna will be helping each family to find the resources and develop the skills that will help them become self-sufficient. Donna will help each family find employment, open a savings account, develop a realistic budget and address any problems that are getting in their way of moving forward. Many of our families have medical issues, child care problems, car repairs, and family issues that hinder them. Getting a job is not the problem – keeping it when your child is sick for the 3rd day in a row or your car breaks down – that’s the problem. Those obstacles can seem impossible to surmount for struggling families. With the new Family Case Manager position, it is our hope that these problems will go from “impossible” to “difficult”.

And difficult is something we all have experience doing . . .

— Gloria Edwards