Being at Family Promise was a lifesaver for my family and me. I had just gotten laid off from my welding job and wasn’t sure what I was going to do. Angie and I already had one child and we were expecting another one in a couple of months, so the pressure was on me to keep everything going smoothly.

After about two weeks of pounding the pavement looking for work, I was coming up with nothing, not even a part-time job.

The money was running out and the bills just kept coming. We made a decision to have Angie and Kenan stay with her mom until we got back on our feet. I just stayed here and there, even in my car. After a week or so it was getting harder being away from Angie and the kids, and not having a job was taking a toll on the family.

I decided to start asking for help. I was at the Health and Welfare offices and they gave me information about who to call for help.

My first call was to Family Promise and I had an interview with Cindy Wood. We were accepted into the program that night and moved into the church a few days later.

Jesse's Son Enjoys a Cupcake

We were 2 weeks into the program and Angie’s pregnancy was wearing her out. She decided to move back to her mothers’ until the baby was due, while my son and I stayed in the program. I met so many good people and their only concern was helping families get back on their feet.

Christmas was coming up fast and I was hoping to get a job to buy gifts for my family. I remember Cindy and I were talking one day and she was telling me about a family that wanted to adopt our family for the Christmas season. I was really happy that my son was going to have a Christmas.

We also heard that a church had paid for us to stay at the Comfort Inn Motel for a few days too. The day before Christmas, the family that adopted ours brought in presents so that we could open them on Christmas Day. I never had a chance to meet them or even thank them.

(Continued on Page 2 )

Family Promise of North Idaho has formed the ‘272 Club’ as a way for supporters to know they can underwrite a “Home for a Day” for our families in crisis.

Though our wonderful host churches allow us to run a very cost-effective shelter network,

there remain additional costs for operation - $100,000 annually. These costs include running the Day Center, gas and maintenance of the FPNI van and trailer, and staffing to help the families put their lives back together.

Won’t you become a member and make it possible to provide a ‘home for a day’ for previously homeless families? Call the FPNI today, 777-4190, to find out more about joining the 272 Club or visit the website!

Be A Bed Buddy

Family Promise of North Idaho has replaced its old inflatable beds which were going flat after a year of use. We now have the same roll-away beds being used throughout the country by other Family Promise networks. They are light-weight, folding beds; with mattress and shipping they cost $290.

To date, we have received donations to cover 10 of the 12 beds. Can you or your family or business help us pay for these last two beds?

Call Cindy Wood today for more information at 777-4190 or read about it on the website.

Come on… be a Bed Buddy!

'Things were starting to look up...'

Continued from Pg. 1

Things were starting to look up but the job search was still coming up short. I started getting depressed and was losing my ambition. Then on Dec. 31st my wife had a 6lb, 11oz baby boy named Keegan Evan. It was another great day in our lives.

I finally started receiving my unemployment and took a chance on moving out of Family Promise into a furnished studio. We had been
at Family Promise for 51 days and I can say during those 51 days we were there, I met a lot of wonderful people. I would have never thought that there were that many people out there willing to help people they didn’t even know.
To all the people that did help us and pray for us, I want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Family Promise saved our family and many others from being stuck out in the cold with no shelter or food. If you or someone you know is in need of help or just someone to talk to, Family Promise and the volunteers are always there to help you.

In January, Family Promise of North Idaho was awarded a grant from the Inland Northwest Community Foundation to hire an additional employee. The FPNI Board is pleased to announce that Ms. Lisa Crumb, BSW, has been hired as our new case manager.

Ms. Crumb will be working part-time with our families and is quite excited to assist us. As she stated in her letter to us, “I can clearly see the matched values and alignment of your mission with my personal philosophies. It is uplifting to find an organization that promotes solutions

for homeless at a local level, and I am thrilled with the opportunity to help achieve your goals in our community.”

The FPNI community welcomes Ms. Crumb and is pleased she will be a part of an expanding team to provide services to our guests.

Look for more information about her in our next newsletter.