A Note From Paul Shackford, President of the Board of Trustees

Transitions. We all encounter them. Well planned or unexpected, transitions are a part of life.

In my case, I’ve been planning to retire for a while and, next month, I will leave my position as Chief Financial Officer of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark. I have many plans for this next stage of my life – continued involvement with Family Promise and my church, as well as a number of other ideas.

Transitions. Some are harder than others but all are made easier by talking them over with a trusted confidante. Family Promise case managers play this important role in the lives of our families. Together, they make a plan, act on it, review it and tweak it. The case managers act as a sounding board, listening carefully to ideas and dreams and helping families find a way forward in their journey toward self-sufficiency.

Read the story What Does Success Look Like in this issue of The Promise. You’ll see how JR and his mom Sarah talked with others about the next steps in their lives, and how they have found that they are in a better place because they have worked with others. Congratulations to JR and Sarah! The ways they have addressed their challenges are examples for Sarah’s other children and for all our families.