Family Promise Metrowest 2021 Annual Report

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DEAR FRIENDS, As we look back over the past year, it was a time of change, a new beginning where we could move beyond addressing a myriad of challenges and be inspired to envision a new future. Guided by our strategic plan, we began to implement changes that will impact our families for years to come. Our first priority was our shelter, as the hotel rooms were a short-term solution and our community of congregations and families all agreed it was time for change. We decided to convert our Day Center into an overnight shelter and with renovations nearly complete, we are planning to reopen in June. It is time to bring our families home and welcome back our volunteers to offer meals and a sense of community that has been so deeply missed. We are also grateful for the further expansion of our LIFE program, which prevented 37 families including 61 children from becoming homeless last year. We are committed to serving more families in LIFE, knowing that the greatest impact we can have on our families is to ensure that their children never experience the trauma of homelessness. On a personal note, I will be leaving Family Promise Metrowest as Executive Director this June and look forward to welcoming a new leader to this incredible organization. My heart is full, and I am so proud of all we have accomplished together, yet I also know there is a new chapter about to begin and I look forward to being inspired by the pages yet to be written. In fact, I have no doubt that the best is yet to come. With deep appreciation, Sue Crossley Executive Director Carol Virshbo Chair, Board of Directors 2 | Family Promise Metrowest
OUR STORY Family Promise Metrowest’s mission is to transform the lives of families with children who are facing homelessness by mobilizing a diverse community to provide shelter, education, and comprehensive support. The story of Family Promise Metrowest began in 2003, when members of two local congregations, Wellesley Village Church and Christ Lutheran Church in Natick, became concerned about the rapid increase in family homelessness in our community. As they looked for ways to get involved, they learned about Family Promise, a New Jersey–based nonprofit that was providing temporary housing for families in empty congregational classrooms. They quickly realized this model of support could work here, and after years of research and community networking, their efforts finally blossomed: Family Promise Metrowest opened its doors in October of 2008. As a Family Promise Affiliate, we are one of over 200 Family Promise locations across the country, providing safe shelter, meals, and an array of other services to families in need from coast to coast. In our first full year of operation in 2009, we supported 15 families; last year, we served 64, including 101 children. Although we had been gradually expanding each year since founding, our growth was truly launched in 2014 with the hiring of our Executive Director, Sue Crossley. We could fill this entire report with stories about Sue’s eight-year tenure at FPM, but suffice it to say, we are transformed. From crowded basement quarters to a beautiful home of our own; from one program serving our families to a spectrum of four; from a staff of three to a seasoned team of nine; from a $250K budget to $1.2 million this year. But most of all, from an organization still cutting our teeth in this community to a key player in the region’s spectrum of family services. “Our story” will never be told without many chapters about Sue’s impact on Family Promise Metrowest. As our Board Director Carol Virshbo shared, “FPM has become one of the most admired affiliates in the Family Promise national network, and we would not be where we are today without Sue's amazing leadership.” But it was not just skills and experience she brought to our doorstep—it was her sense of humor, her kindness, her humility, and her deep compassion for all of us, families, staff, and board alike. Family Promise Metrowest is now infused with these values, and each one of us carries them into the work we do every day. Sue began volunteering for us in 2013, not long after moving from Pennsylvania to Natick. It didn’t take long before the word got out: Sue was a seasoned nonprofit leader, consultant, and adjunct faculty member in the MPA program at Suffolk University. Missing her time in the trenches, she had just begun to network for a director position when our inaugural Executive Director Beth Cooper gave her notice. The timing was perfect. We will miss Sue terribly but are so grateful for the groundwork she laid for our next phase of growth, with a new director and renewed excitement for all that lies ahead. With deep gratitude for her leadership and friendship, and best wishes on her next journey, —The FPM Staff, Board, and Families Annual Report 2021 | 3
Page 1: ANNUAL REPORT 2 0 21
Page 6 and 7: HOPE, RESTORED: A FAMILY'S STORY I
Page 8 and 9: OUR CONGREGATIONS Family Promise is
Page 10 and 11: RECOGNITIONS Our Cindy Lombardo Vol
Page 12 and 13: DONOR HIGHLIGHT There are a multitu
Page 14 and 15: OUR FINANCIALS STATEMENT OF FINANCI
Page 16 and 17: I was overwhelmingly impressed with
Page 18 and 19: OUR STAFF Sue Crossley Executive Di
Page 20: Contact Us: 6 Mulligan Street, Nati

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