A fundraiser to benefit
Family Promise of Greater Des Moines!

Sunday, November 11, 2018 • 5:00–7:00 p.m.
West Des Moines Christian Church

$15 for adults • $5 for children 12 and under

Join us to sample various dishes prepared by church congregations who host Family Promise of Greater Des Moines families. Celebrity judges Jen and Taylor from Life 107.1 and Jackie Schmillen from CW Live will select the winning comfort food and present the 2018 Pot Trophy! The People’s Choice award will go to the dish with the most monetary donations given by attendees. Seating is limited so buy tickets now!

Right: Summer Celebration attendees participated in the silent auction benefiting Family Promise of Greater Des Moines.

Thanks to the wonderful support of our donors and volunteers, we raised more than $19,000 with Birdies for Charity and more than $33,000 at our Summer Celebration and Silent Auction!

Birdies for Charity
We had a lofty fundraising goal for Birdies for Charity this year, and with the 10 percent match provided by Wells Fargo and Sammons Financial, we raised $19,279.30 to help Des Moines families experiencing homelessness!

Summer Celebration and Silent Auction
This year we enjoyed record-breaking attendance at our Summer Celebration! Attendees enjoyed food, music and a silent auction. In total, we raised $33,434 — more than we've ever raised at the event!

When Betty, a current Family Promise of Greater Des Moines guest, thinks about “the homeless,” she feels sorry for them.
“I don’t feel sorry for myself; I feel sorry for them,” she explains. “We’ve never had to do anything like [stay at Family Promise] before. I now know what they are going through, and I hope I never have to go through this again.”

When most couples in their late 60s care for their grandkids, they send the kids home to their own parents at the end of the day. But for Betty and Ed, both 67, their grandsons stay. The couple now have custody of Mike, 12, and Nathan, 10, after the boys’ father was imprisoned for making and selling meth from his home.

“When we got the boys, they had meth in their hair,” Betty recalls. “They are doing a lot better now.” The boys, along with Betty, get regular therapy to help them cope with their situations.

Betty, Ed and the boys came to Family Promise after the rent on their apartment increased and they could no longer afford to live there. While they have a new apartment lined up, it wasn’t available until the beginning of August, leaving the family without affordable housing between the transition. They got by renting motel rooms until their money ran out.

“We’d be sleeping in our vehicles if we weren’t here,” Betty said. “We’ve been married for more than 40 years, and we’ve never had this problem. I wish I could help more. I wish I had the money to help.”

When asked how Family Promise volunteers help her family while she’s there, Betty was quick to reply. “They’ve been super. They talk to you and they get whatever we need. The boys really like them,” she added. “A lady here got them both new pairs of shoes. They were brand new.” While most kids can’t wait to wear their new shoes to show them off, Nathan is proudly insisting only to wear them when school starts.

Although Betty admits that taking care of young kids at her age isn’t easy, especially during difficult times such as this, she also says she wouldn’t have it any other way. “I couldn’t see separating them if they went to foster homes. I’m glad I got them and they’re safe.”

By Denise Conner-Mineart, Family Promise of Greater Iowa board member
 
For the past 30 years, my mom and her neighborhood lady friends have been getting together for "mom time” — to chat, eat dessert and play Skip-Bo. Over the years, friends have come and gone, and the group is now comprised of four members: my mom Shirley Conner (83), Louise Huston (81), Leona Knorr (91) and Vivian Culbertson (98). My mom and Leona have been part of the group from the beginning; Louise and Vivian joined several years later. With the exception of Leona, they all live at Fairmeadows Village, and they’re all still very active.
 
These ladies crack me up! For each game of Skip-Bo, the losers have to pay 25 cents into the jackpot. Playing 4–6 games means a jackpot of $3.00–4.50 each week, so it usually takes about five months to raise up to $100. They keep the "winnings" in a Tupperware container until there’s enough to do something with it. In the past they’ve used the money to go to Olive Garden for lunch, but more often now they make a donation.

My mom and I just happened to be talking about the Family Promise Comfort Food Cook-Off while I was visiting last week, and from that discussion, the Skip-Bo ladies decided to give their hard-earned $100 to Family Promise. They really like that the donation stays right here in Des Moines, where they have all lived for decades. And they’re great grandmas who love children, so Family Promise is a perfect match.

In addition to financial gifts, in-kind donations are also extremely important to the success of our organization. Please consider ordering supplies through AmazonSmile (and designate Family Promise of Greater Des Moines to receive a donation from the purchase!) or drop off any of the following items at:

Family Promise of Greater Des Moines
4114 Allison Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50310

7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday through Friday
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday.

Make an online financial donation here!

Thank you for supporting the families we serve!