Director's Corner

Executive Director Cindy Wood and Bill Barger at the Wild Salmon Feast.

We are starting the year with the 3 new churches recruited in 2013: Peace Lutheran, Prairie Avenue Christian Center and 1st Baptist Church. Our new host recruiting team is trained and setting appointments for our goal of adding 3 more this year. The impact on our families, the program and the community will be tremendous once our minimum of 13 host congregations is met. Our guests will be cared for by the congregations in the community each day of the year, and we will be able to guarantee that. This kind of stability is so important to their success. Money that is used for a week in a motel on those weeks we don’t have a church can be used toward guest education, tires for their cars and childcare while they are job hunting and so much more!!!! With a full network of churches, staff can work with the guests and on guest issues for success, rather than trying to find a place for families to be for a week. We are getting so close to this level of sustainability for guest shelter. What an amazing community!!!

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We are bustling with passionate volunteers at the Day Center! It has never been so lively. It is a place of laughter and accomplishment each and every day. Staff and guests can’t thank our office angels enough! Finally, we are starting 2014 fully staffed! We have a very strong team including Melissa Owens as our Family Service Coordinator working on case plans with families, and Mary Beth Jorgensen as our Program Coordinator working on communications and scheduling. With Melissa attending to our guest’s needs, Mary Beth, can focus on our FPNI partners in the community. She is tasked with recruiting volunteers for churches, coordinating transportation, managing donations and overseeing the Day Center. Keep your eyes on what we can do together in 2014!