Letter from Kate

At Family Promise, we have two small cowbells on top of the college size refrigerator out in the hallway.  Leftover from a past event, these bells sat unused in a cabinet until we realized that the incremental changes we were fostering in the families in our programs and the meals we were providing daily at the Walk-in Dinner deserved recognition.

The current financial conditions are making our work harder than usual.  Luckily, we have a wonderful, dedicated staff who continue to come up with innovative ways to help families experiencing homelessness, feed our neighbors who are hungry, and raise funds to make this all happen.

So to celebrate these small successes, each time a parent gets a higher paying job, drives off in a donated car, or finds an affordable apartment, we ring the bell.  When the monthly calendar for the Walk-in Dinner is filled or a family receives rental assistance that staves off homelessness, we ring the bell.  And when we finally collect that last camp application or we receive the grant that makes our financial education program possible, we ring the bell.

Last year, we rang that bell a lot.  In fact, a total of 544 adults and children received some kind of shelter and/or support in the form of a hotel room, a transitional apartment, financial education, job training, empowering case management, a nightly hot meal, a camp experience, a donated car, etc. (I’ll tell you more details in subsequent editions of The Promise.)

You will notice that this newsletter contains numerous articles of thanks.  That’s because we couldn’t do all that we do – help families move out of homelessness, feed up to 200 people per night, prevent families from ever becoming homeless or provide the countless services we offer – without your help.  Thank you to everyone who supported Family Promise in 2022 despite the challenges of these times.

Wishing you and all those you love a happy and healthy 2023!

Now go ring that bell!!!

Kate