Family Promise of Yellowstone Valley

Family Promise is an organization that provides, shelter, meals, and a safe, non-judgmental environment for families experiencing homelessness in the Billings community enabling them to seriously make changes in their life so that they can survive independently. Families spend their evenings and overnights in participating churches, like Hope, a week at a time. They arrive at 5:00 pm each evening and leave at 6:00 am Monday through Friday. The church provides evening meals for the guests plus each family unit has a room that is theirs for the week. The beds in each room are blow-up mattresses. During the day, the Day Center on South 26th Street serves as the family’s home base. The Case Manager guides them as they look for work, day care for their children, housing, etc. They are to “bank” 80% of their income so that they can begin to work towards being able to pay rent and be on their own. An essential part of this program is attending the Life Skills Classes that the parents are required to attend. They have classes on financial skills, living skills, parental skills, and cooking skills.

Hope UMC’s part in this program is to provide a safe, non-judgmental environment where the guests receive an evening meal plus a safe place to sleep for one week. We are not to take over for the parents. We are not to inquire into their private lives; however, the guests may share with volunteers especially if they feel that you can be trusted.

We host these guest families four times a year one week at a time. This really does require the hearts, hands, and feet of many people—45 or so. What can you volunteer to do? Provide food, launder the bedding, act as a dinner and evening host, or you can spend a night during the week we are hosting. You may be able to help with set up or tear down of the rooms or with other things that need to be done before our guests arrive or after they leave.

If you would like to volunteer for this important ministry, please contact Dorothy Evans at (406)259-9328 or (406)855-9328. If you prefer emailing, Dorothy’s e-mail address is: jd3vans@q.com.