FAMILY PROMISE OF THE PALOUSE INC

Shelter Program Rotational model: Using a rotational shelter model, we provide homeless children, and their parents shelter for, generally, up to 90 days. While a family is in shelter, they are offered services that help guide them to stability in long term housing. Services include intense case management, financial literacy, parenting education and life skills education. Case-Management includes action planning, goal setting, housing and employment searches; these are broken down into manageable weekly activities. Family Promise operates with a broad array of community support and has a unique model that accesses 30 congregations in our community to provide the food and shelter services for families we are serving. Each week a pair of Congregations work together to provide shelter, meals and various support activities for our families. An important outcome of (FPP) is to provide our families with the support they need to have long term stability with education, parenting, housing, finances, and life skills so that families no longer live in poverty. While a family is in shelter with FPP they are required to take part in our intense case-management and have access to Parenting Education, Life Skills Education and Financial Literacy education. The main goal being that they will find long term employment, long term housing and continued success with life stability. This past year, we hosted 19 families in the rotational shelter program, including 25 adults and 45 children. Program Expansion-Interim Housing began in 2025. There are many barriers to finding housing in our area for our sheltered families. However, there are many other barriers that hinder families enrolled in our Rotational Shelter Program from leaving our program with stability and security. Some of the greatest barriers are accessibility to childcare, lack of employment opportunities, and inexperience with life skills such as cooking, cleaning, and budgeting. To assist families in overcoming these barriers, in 2025 we expanded our shelter program to include four on-site units as an Interim housing shelter model. Interim Housing allows select families from our Rotational Shelter Program (RSP) to exit the rotational model and stay at the Family Promise Day Center overnight while continuing in depth case management that focuses on budgeting and life skills such as cooking, cleaning, budgeting, and time management. The Interim Housing Program has given the opportunity to further serve families in our area and increase their overall success at achieving long-term sustainability and success. Rooms at our day center will be used to shelter families for an additional 3-6 months, or as needed. These are occupied by Interim Housing Program participants, meeting eligibility requirements, maintaining current program progress and sign and following a program agreement. We provided this program to 4 families, including 5 adults and 10 children. Another program offered Keeping the Promise stabilization services. This program assists graduated families in continuing in their progress to maintain the stability they have attained. Monthly or weekly case management meetings are scheduled. Participants are offered to continue in the courses and programs they were utilizing while in our Shelter Program. We assist families in maintaining their progress and allow for continued growth. Financial incentives are given to families who continue to meet and exceed goals. These incentives include onetime bill payment, grocery card, gas cards, City of Moscow/Pullman pool passes, etc. At least 15 families participated in this program.

In 2019, we implemented our Prevention Services programs. This program consists of Homeless Prevention Program and Homeless Diversion Program. Prevention is designed to prevent a family from becoming homeless. This program is offered to low income and A.L.I.C.E. population families who are close to becoming homeless due to financial reasons or emergency situations. Case management services are available to cover Financial Literacy, Parenting Courses and Life Choices Guidance. Financial assistance is available for each family. Generally, a Prevention Family is in this program for three months. During that time, they complete their case management goals and checklists, and a financial incentive is provided. A fuel card is given after every case management meeting and during budgeting and financial planning, it is determined what monthly bills Family Promise will assist with for three months' time. Family Promise generally can assist with utility bills, telephone bills, grocery cards, childcare tuition, etc. Cash funds are not given directly to families. This program has grown over the years and the need in our community has increased greatly. In 2024 we assisted 27 families in Homeless Prevention. In 2025, we assisted 84 families, including 83 adults and 136 children.