New FPGD Executive Director Named

The Family Promise of Greater Des Moines (FPGD) board of directors is pleased to announce that LaToya Scott has been named Executive Director.

LaToya is well-known among FPGD host congregations, volunteers and supporters as FPGD Case Manager for the past 14 years. She was among many applicants for the executive director position, and the board believes her skills, combined with her passion and dedication for FPGD, made her the perfect fit to fill the role. LaToya has been filling in as interim leader following Jim Cain’s resignation in August, so the transition into her new position is expected to be seamless.

LaToya has a bachelor’s degree in Human Services and last year earned a Master’s in Public Administration with an emphasis on nonprofit management.

Please join us in congratulating LaToya for her continued, valued service to FPGD and our guest families at latoya@familypromisedm.org.

Return to In-Person - Comfort Food Cook-Off a Success

After two years of holding the Comfort Food Cook-Off as “Curbside” due to the pandemic, the 11th annual event was enjoyed in-person this year! Four partner congregations and the FPGD board of directors prepared delicious comfort food for many attendees.

Through the support of presenting sponsors, Nationwide and F&G, we invited participants to sample generous portions of several home-cooked dishes and vote on their favorites. Through “votes” (financial donations) and ticket purchases, we raised more than $11,000 to continue providing support services for our guest families experiencing homelessness.

The most donations collected for each dish determined the winner of the People’s Choice award. This year we had two firsts in event history—the People’s Choice award had two winners due to a tie between First Unitarian Church’s tortellini soup and Urbandale United Church of Christ’s chili. Our celebrity judges, Lou Sipolt from We Are Iowa and Taylor and Mariah from Life 107.1 FM, also sampled each dish and voted on their favorites for the Traveling Pot Trophy winner—which was also First Unitarian Church’s tortellini soup! This was the first time in the event’s history that a congregation won both the Pot Trophy and People’s Choice awards.

Congratulations to both winners and all of the participating congregations. Every dish was delicious, and no attendees left hungry. If you were unable to join the event but would still like to contribute to the FPGD mission to help families experiencing homelessness, please donate here.

See more 2022 Comfort Food Cook-Off photos and Facebook Live videos here.

Volunteer of the Year

The Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award was also announced at the Comfort Food Cook-Off. Kim Roby received the award for her long-time, tireless efforts as FPGD host coordinator for Walnut Hills United Methodist Church.

Roby says she’s passionate about volunteering with FPGD efforts because she enjoys getting to know the families and listening to their stories.

“There are so many different reasons that families have had to experience homelessness. I would have to say that the reasons haven’t changed over time, but their ability to make it through the program and get into housing continues to be tough,” she says.

One of her favorite memories over the years was helping a guest mother who missed being able to cook meals for her family. Roby brought in supplies for her to cook a warm Saturday morning breakfast. “She was so happy to be cooking. She was back in the kitchen, cooking and singing hymns and said she was happy to feel a little normal again.”

Roby recommends volunteering to help guest families in any way your time and talents allow. “There are so many ways you can help out – some as simple as just bringing things and donating, and some that are more involved such as hosting in the evenings,” she says.

We want to express our sincere gratitude for Kim’s continuing dedication to FPGD and our guest families. She is an inspiration to many!

Making the Holidays Special for Guest Families

For the second year, we have facilitated Christmas “adoptions” for our current and graduate guest families who celebrate the holiday. Guest families provide a Christmas wish list which is then passed along to generous volunteers who are currently busy elves shopping to make dreams come true! The gifts will be wrapped and delivered to families before Christmas.

Special “thanks” also goes out to Innovation Refunds for donating a Christmas Tree that was requested by children currently staying with us. We appreciate the efforts of many to bring our guest families some holiday season joy!

Your Donations Help Us Assist More Families

Our annual year-end appeal has gone out and your financial contributions can help us start off the New Year right! Any financial gifts can be made online or via mail and are very much appreciated.

In addition to financial gifts, in-kind donations are also extremely important to the success of our organization. Our biggest needs right now are winter items such as hats, coats, and gloves for adults and children. If you'd like to purchase new coats for guests, please contact Skye Lawson for sizes at lslawson@familypromisedm.org.

We also have an AmazonSmile Wish List for easy ordering and delivery of needed items with just a click of your mouse!

Make an online financial donation here!

Thank you for supporting the families we serve!

Our Mission:

To mobilize our community to help homeless families achieve stable housing
and income through compassionate care, hospitality and professional support.

Host Congregations:

• Ankeny First UMC

• Faith Lutheran

• First Unitarian

• Holy Trinity Lutheran

• Holy Trinity Catholic Church

• Lutheran Church of Hope

• Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart

• Urbandale United Church of Christ

• Walnut Hills UMC

• Westminster Presbyterian

Support Congregations:

• Covenant Christian Church

• Plymouth United Church of Christ

• St. John & Paul Parish

• St. Pius X Catholic Church

• St. Theresa Church of the Child Jesus

• West Des Moines
Christian Church

• Windsor Heights Lutheran

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