Join us for food, drinks, and music during our annual fundraiser to provide services to families experiencing homelessness. Our Summer Celebration and Silent Auction will be held Friday, June 22, 2018 at the Giovannetti Center in Urbandale.

We tell our volunteers as often as possible that their support is critical to the success of the organization. Instead of saying it again, we decided to let our guests share why host congregation volunteers make a difference in their lives during times when they are sad, scared and looking for hope.

SADIE – former guest and mother of one

How was your stay at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church?
It was really good. The space was nice, and the volunteers were all really nice. I think I had a favorite: Linda — she as really sweet.

Why are Family Promise volunteers important to families
like yours? 
When you come into a situation like this [homelessness], you don’t know what to expect from the people you meet. The volunteers can change how you look and feel about things — with just their hospitality. Volunteers help us see things better through conversation. Conversations gave me something to look forward to at dinner time. It’s nice to know that someone cares about you and wants to know about you. I liked talking about things I hadn’t even thought of — new ideas and opportunities.

Why should someone try volunteering with their congregation?
You get to meet a lot of great people, and you get to relay your kindness to people who need it in their worst times. If it was your family, you’d want someone who is great to take care of them and look after them.  

REBEKAH – current guest and mother of five

How was your stay at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church?
It was wonderful. We felt welcomed,and everybody was nice, always with a smile on their face. They engaged in conversations with us. We never know what to expect going into a new location, so for them to be open and smiling means a lot.

Why are volunteers important to families like yours? 
I’ve never [experienced homelessness] in my life, and when I had to come here, it broke me and broke my pride. I cried a lot, but the volunteers made me feel so welcome that I knew I could do better for myself.

How do you feel about those volunteers?
I feel like we’re not alone — that there’s someone out there who cares about us. They want to know the real you. They don’t treat you like you’re homeless and you did something wrong to get there. We’re dealing with so much already, so when we feel at ease and at home, it’s better for us. And they’ve given us great advice on schools and jobs and houses.  

The kids connect with the volunteers, too. I love it when the volunteers engage with my kids. It gives me five minutes when I can talk to another adult. I think it’s rewarding for the volunteers, too, because I see them smiling and they seem to like spending time with the kids.

Why should someone try volunteering?
Because you’re helping other people — you’re giving your time to somebody in need. We’re here now, but they help us see we won’t be here forever. You can really build people up, help with their confidence and make a big difference in their lives, just by being there. 

Thank you, again, to all of the volunteers who help our guest families in their greatest time of need. If you aren’t yet a volunteer, but would like to learn more about it, please contact  Executive Director Jim Cain at jcain@familypromisedm.org.

Don’t forget to direct 
Choice Dollars®

Eligible Thrivent Financial members who have available Choice Dollars® have can direct them to Family Promise
of Greater Des Moines. Don’t miss this opportunity to recommend that Thrivent Financial provide outreach funding to our organization. Go toThrivent.com/thriventchoice to learn more. Or call 800-847-4836 and say “Thrivent Choice” after the prompt.

As a founding member of Family Promise of Greater Des Moines, Angela Arthur had been on the board of directors
for 14 years before recently stepping down. She attended
the first Family Promise organizational meeting after seeing
a post in the Walnut Hills United Methodist Church bulletin. “At the time, we had only one shelter in the Metro that could take homeless families, so it was a definite need in our community,” she said.

Three things drew Angie to Family Promise. First, she liked how it’s an interfaith organization that many religious communities can be a part of. She also appreciated how Family Promise welcomes diverse family structures, including single parents, grandparents, same-sex parents and more. And she liked that proselytizing isn’t part of the program — guests can participate in church services and events if they’d like, but they don’t have to. “They see our volunteers living out their faith with compassion and dignity through hospitality.” Angie’s proud these values are still true for the organization today.

In addition to serving on the board, Angie also regularly works the overnight shift when her church is a host congregation. The experience has helped her achieve a better understanding of the challenges homeless families face at every turn, and to appreciate the little things volunteers can do to make a big difference. “One thing I remember is playing cribbage with a guest. It seems like such a small thing, but it was something different and special that we could do to spend time together.” She’s also witnessed the exceptional amount of grace guests have shown when it comes to being vulnerable and accepting help. “They’re just like us — some of their kids are in the same classes as our volunteers’ kids.”

While Angie will remain an overnight volunteer, continue to sell tickets for the Comfort Food Cook-Off and help with the Summer Celebration, her tenure as a board member has come to an end. “I’ve really enjoyed my time with Family Promise, but it’s time to move forward with new board members and new ideas for helping families stay together while they find safe, stable, comfortable housing.”

Her peers are sad to see her go, but grateful for the opportunity to work with her. Bob Shaw, a longtime board member, said, "In her 14 years of service to Family Promise, Angie worked tirelessly to ensure the success and sustainability of the program. She led by example, never asking anyone to do anything that she herself had not done. She was a mentor to many and a friend of all! The program is better because of her leadership and devotion.” 

Outgoing Board President David Morse said, “Angie Arthur’s work during her 14 years of service on the board was instrumental to the creation, development and evolution of Family Promise of Greater Des Moines into what it is today. Angie’s dedication and commitment to the mission of serving homeless families was unwavering throughout her tenure and an inspiration to those of us who continue the work after her. I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve on the board with her for the past several years.” 

Angie would like to encourage people to get involved with Family Promise in whatever way they can. Whether it’s preparing a meal, doing laundry, raising funds or playing cribbage with a guest, volunteers can make a real difference in the lives of children and families in Central Iowa. 

Angie said, “I’ve appreciated the opportunity to help found
a group during an exciting time. We’ve made an impact for the community and families in our program, and I’m thankful for that."

As a Family Promise of Greater Des Moines host week coordinator for her church, Roxanne Neary serves homeless families with compassion, respect and generosity. From shopping to laundry to volunteer recruitment, Roxanne has always been willing to lead by example and do what needs
to be done.

“Roxanne’s involvement with Family Promise has touched nearly every facet of our work sheltering homeless families,” said Jim McWeeny, Congregation Relations Committee chair.
“As a member of Westminster Presbyterian, she helps set
up the guest rooms on Sunday and tear them down on Saturday. She not only hosted the families in the evening but also stayed with them overnight. In addition to committing to these efforts herself, Roxanne recruited other volunteers to help with the effort.”

“She provided comfortable living conditions for guests while they worked on issues and offered a listening ear and encouragement while expecting success. And she laughed with them,” said Linda Railey, who nominated Roxanne for the award. “She’s provided a shoulder for guests to cry on and listened to their stories day and night while they confided in her. She’s offered each guest hope and treated each guest as an equal.”
 
Roxanne received the Outstanding Volunteer Award last November at the Family Promise Comfort Food Cook Off. Thank you, Roxanne, for your tireless commitment to our guest families!

*Name has been changed to protect privacy.
When Theresa*, age 38, received the miracle she had been praying for, she was still surprised despite her solid belief that God is on her side. She had experienced her share of hardship, including unexpected homelessness with her husband and two young children. As a former guest of Family Promise of Greater Des Moines, Theresa had been working steadily, even without her own transportation. It was taking her two hours each way ─ two bus routes and a hefty walk ─ to get to her place of employment every day. It was prayer that held her up, and the belief that God was with her. So when she had been praying lately, she was very specific about the blessing she needed.

“Lord, I need a miracle,” Theresa remembers praying. “I don’t know how much it will cost, just blow my mind. Please, bless me with a car.”

She said this prayer constantly, because she knew the changes she could make if she had her own reliable transportation. “The following week,” she recalls, “I got a call from a Family Promise social worker who knew how hard I’d been working. Someone had donated a car, and the organization wanted me to have it. I just couldn’t believe it,” she says.

The car had been recently donated by Steve Onstot, the brother of Family Promise’s bookkeeper, who considered selling it but instead decided to give it to someone who truly needed a car. It’s a decision that, Theresa would say, saved her life. But, having moved to Iowa from another state, she first needed to get her Iowa’s driver’s license.

Jan Temeyer, a Family Promise volunteer with Ankeny First United Methodist, gave Theresa a ride to the Department of Transportation (DOT). That day, Jan quickly recognized Theresa’s focus on improving her life as well as her deep faith. “We got to the DOT right at 8 a.m.,” Jan remembers, “and there was a huge, long line.” The women waited patiently, talking and learning more about each other, until Theresa was given the written test, which she easily passed.

Unfortunately, Theresa was told there were no openings for the driving test she was required also to complete. Disappointed that she’d have to take another day off work to return for the test, Theresa wasn’t about to give up. “She asked if we could just wait around to see if somebody didn’t show up for their driving test,” Jan said. As they looked for seats while they waited, Jan admits that she had little hope anyone would skip their appointment. “But Theresa said, ‘Let’s just have faith,’” Jan says.

During this time while they waited, Theresa confided in Jan that she had been gifted a car through Family Promise. Jan was touched when Theresa asked her, “Why would anybody help me?” Jan assured her that she deserved the help, and someday, Theresa would be the one in position to help another.

Just an hour later, Theresa’s name was called, and the ladies jumped up in surprise. The driving instructor pointed to a new, white car parked in front of the DOT and said the car wouldn’t start, so the owner had to miss his test appointment. Jan pulled her van up so Theresa could use it for her test — which she did, passing with flying colors.

“As I waited for her to go through the line to pay for her license and take the picture, I looked for that white car out front,” says Jan. “It was nowhere to be found. All that time I thought I was doing something nice for Theresa, and it turned out that she gave me the greatest gift of faith.”

When Theresa emerged with her new license, the two celebrated right there in the parking lot. “You have no idea how this changes my life,” Jan recalls Theresa saying.

With her new license, and gifted car, Theresa summoned up the courage to leave her emotionally and mentally abusive husband, taking her young sons with her to a women’s shelter. She continued working while she also sorted through the pain of the divorce, recovering from the abuse and navigating single motherhood. But she believes she would never have had the strength or capability to take these major steps without the care and generosity of the car’s owner, whose selfless donation gave her the freedom to make a plan.

Theresa wants people to understand the magnitude of donations and generosity. “It made me feel like I was not alone,” Theresa says. “That was the first that I really felt like someone cared for me. I have the momentum because someone cared enough and gave of themselves. For me, it’s made the difference between life and death, emotionally and mentally, to be able to function and have a future I can plan for and be healthy.”

Her way of thanking the Family Promise volunteers and the car donor is by doing the best she can as a mother, an employee and a person. “I can’t not believe in myself. Even in my job, I do the very best I can,” she says. “It’s the greatest gift. It meant the world to us. It showed me that no matter what, I’m not by myself, and God hears my prayers.”

To make a donation to Family Promise of Greater Des Moines, please visit FamilyPromiseDM.org or contact Jim Cain, executive director, at jcain@familypromisedm.org.

In addition to financial gifts, in-kind donations are extremely important to the success of our organization. Please drop off any of the following items at Family Promise of Greater Des Moines, 4114 Allison Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50310, from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday through Friday, or from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday.

• Spoons
• Forks
• Kid-friendly movies
• Coloring books
• Kid-friendly crafts
• Socks
• Bath towels
• Feminine products

Thank you for supporting
the families we serve!