WHAT IS FAMILY PROMISE?
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We are a non-profit in Great Falls, Montana, established in 2015 to address the growing issue of homelessness in the Great Falls community. We are a non-traditional, non-emergency shelter supported by an interfaith volunteer network. The churches and their volunteers handle food and lodging, so that our guest families have somewhere to stay for the short-term, and our staff helps the families handle the long-term problems of homelessness in order to find sustainable independence-- housing, jobs, benefits, and whatever else they need to succeed! We're just one of over 200 Family Promise affiliates in communities around the USA, using the same successful gameplan!
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NOT YOUR ORDINARY HOMELESS SHELTER
Family Promise of Great Falls isn't an emergency shelter and it's not just a place to spend the night.
It's a non-traditional homeless shelter, tied to a 60-day program designed to help families get back on their feet, and empower them to not just succeed in their own lives, but also give back to their community. On their first day, when they move in, our case manager meets with them to set a series of goals, and outline the steps they'll need to take, the agencies they'll need to talk to, and the resources they'll need to access in order to start building a better life.
Family Promise is where homeless families receive food, lodging, and friendship they need in order to focus on financial stability and long-term independence.
It's a non-traditional homeless shelter, tied to a 60-day program designed to help families get back on their feet, and empower them to not just succeed in their own lives, but also give back to their community. On their first day, when they move in, our case manager meets with them to set a series of goals, and outline the steps they'll need to take, the agencies they'll need to talk to, and the resources they'll need to access in order to start building a better life.
Family Promise is where homeless families receive food, lodging, and friendship they need in order to focus on financial stability and long-term independence.
MEET OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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2019 President: Joe Ryan
2019 Vice President: Tim McGonigal 2019 Treasurer: Kallie Tinsen 2019 Secretary: Katie Batterbee |
Barbara Mullens
Colter McCarty Rev. Steven Van Gilder |
Kate Triplett
Shandy Petersen |
MEET OUR STAFF
Executive Director: D.J. Lott
D.J. is the chief administrator of Family Promise of Great Falls and its primary ambassador. He keeps the rotational shelter program running smoothly and oversees the innovation of new programs to strengthen services for homeless children and their families in Great Falls. D.J. has previously directed the Indian Family Health Clinic, launched several Boys & Girls Club programs in Arizona, and served as the President of the National Council on Urban Indian Health.
Development & Volunteer Manager: Alyss Ragsdale
Alyss directs Family Promise of Great Falls' development efforts. She engages our donor base and keeps in touch with our vast volunteer network. She served as a fundraising consultant for 2 years with Wilson-Bennett Technology. During this time, she worked with 8 different colleges and universities across the country raising over 600k in donor dollars. In her spare time, she likes to sip tea and work on her indoor garden.
Case Manager: Meghan Wakeley
Meghan coaches each and every guest family on the road to independence through personalized action plans. She holds a B.M. in Music Education from Ohio Northern University and an M.M. in Vocal Performance from Kansas State University. She's passionate about cats (and cat rescue), puzzles, video games, and all things Disney. She also serves on the Board of the LGBTQ+ Center of Great Falls.
Van Driver: Anna Skinner
Anna transports families from their host site to the Hub to get their day started! Anna has a B.A. in Social Work from the University of Montana and is celebrating a 15-year career at Quality Life Concepts. She has a husband and 4 children and she loves spending time with her animals, creating jewelry, having date nights at new places, and visiting her children in Arizona.
Communications and Grant Writing Coordinator: Sean McGuire
Sean handles social media, press releases, grant applications, and other projects to generate support for ending childhood homelessness. He has a B.A. in English from Benedictine College and he is an AmeriCorps VISTA alum. In his spare time, he likes to listen to music and write about it online.
D.J. is the chief administrator of Family Promise of Great Falls and its primary ambassador. He keeps the rotational shelter program running smoothly and oversees the innovation of new programs to strengthen services for homeless children and their families in Great Falls. D.J. has previously directed the Indian Family Health Clinic, launched several Boys & Girls Club programs in Arizona, and served as the President of the National Council on Urban Indian Health.
Development & Volunteer Manager: Alyss Ragsdale
Alyss directs Family Promise of Great Falls' development efforts. She engages our donor base and keeps in touch with our vast volunteer network. She served as a fundraising consultant for 2 years with Wilson-Bennett Technology. During this time, she worked with 8 different colleges and universities across the country raising over 600k in donor dollars. In her spare time, she likes to sip tea and work on her indoor garden.
Case Manager: Meghan Wakeley
Meghan coaches each and every guest family on the road to independence through personalized action plans. She holds a B.M. in Music Education from Ohio Northern University and an M.M. in Vocal Performance from Kansas State University. She's passionate about cats (and cat rescue), puzzles, video games, and all things Disney. She also serves on the Board of the LGBTQ+ Center of Great Falls.
Van Driver: Anna Skinner
Anna transports families from their host site to the Hub to get their day started! Anna has a B.A. in Social Work from the University of Montana and is celebrating a 15-year career at Quality Life Concepts. She has a husband and 4 children and she loves spending time with her animals, creating jewelry, having date nights at new places, and visiting her children in Arizona.
Communications and Grant Writing Coordinator: Sean McGuire
Sean handles social media, press releases, grant applications, and other projects to generate support for ending childhood homelessness. He has a B.A. in English from Benedictine College and he is an AmeriCorps VISTA alum. In his spare time, he likes to listen to music and write about it online.
OUR NON-PROFIT FINANCIAL STATEMENT
Family Promise of Great Falls is part of the 30-year-old Family Promise affiliates (formerly, National Interfaith Hospitality Network), and is a registered corporation with the state of Montana. Family Promise of Great Falls was granted section 501 (c) (3) status of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to Family Promise of Great Falls are deductible under section 170 of the code.
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