Our Story
Our Founders
Family Promise was originally founded by Karen Olson in New York as the Interfaith Hospitality Network. Karen and a group of concerned individuals wanted to help homeless families and saw the need for a coordinated effort to provide shelter, meals, and support services to families experiencing homelessness. Our founders believed that every family has the potential to overcome homelessness and achieve independence with the right resources and support.
In 2004 Family Promise of Yellowstone Valley opened its doors in the basement of Bethlehem Lutheran Church and working with local congregations, and mobilizing hundreds of volunteers to end family homelessness in the Yellowstone Valley region.
In 2012, Family Promise YV raised money through grants and community support and were able to purchase 4 transitional housing apartments to allow our shelter families a place to rent for a lower costs while they improve their rental history, pay off past debts, and build their credit all while continuing case management.
In 2016, Family Promise of Yellowstone Valley moved into our new Day Center located downtown. This building was completed with community support and love. The new Fortin Family Promise Day Center gives our guests room to heal and grow. Along with the space, FPYV was able to expand its programing to include the Wrap Around and Break the Cycle of Poverty programing; a Community Diaper Bank, and the Partners in Housing program.
In 2023, Family Promise YV raised $1.2 million through grants and community support to purchase 8 additional transitional apartments. We are looking forward to helping more families become self sufficient and break the cycle of poverty.
Our Network
Family Promise of Yellowstone Valley is part of a national network of over 200 Affiliates across the country. Our Affiliate network is made up of community-based organizations, congregations, and volunteers who are committed to ending family homelessness. Together, we provide shelter, meals, and support services to help families achieve and sustain independence.
Our Programs
In addition to our core shelter program, Family Promise of Yellowstone Valley offers a range of services to help families achieve lasting independence. Our programs include: 1.Emergency Shelter, which includes nearly 30 congregations, case management and family support. 2. Transitional Housing, which includes 12 transitional apartments available to families graduating from our shelter program. These apartments rent at a fraction of the cost of local rentals so that our families have extra time to build a good rental history, work on past debts, and build their credit before moving into permanent housing. 3. Aftercare, which provides continued supportive services and savings options for our graduate families. 4. Wrap Around and Break the Cycle of Poverty Program is the core of all programming offered to anyone in the community, teaching them how to break the cycle in each family unit. 5. The Community Diaper Bank offers free diapers or formula to anyone in the community, and allows us to build relationships and connect with community members who may need other services that we offer. 6. Partners in Housing is another program that helps get families from being homeless to homeowners.
Our Impact
Since our founding, Family Promise of Yellowstone Valley has helped hundreds of families in our community achieve and sustain independence. We measure our success not only by the number of families we serve, but by the lasting impact we have on their lives. Our graduates are now living in stable housing, have steady employment, and are giving back to their communities.
Our Name
We chose the name Family Promise of Yellowstone Valley to reflect our commitment to families and our hope for their future. We believe that every family has the promise of a brighter tomorrow, and we are dedicated to helping them achieve it.
