Dear Friends of Family Promise, Your dedication to this organization is amazing! The year 2024 brought some dramatic changes for Family Promise and you stuck with us, supporting us in even greater ways than ever before. In January we launched a capital campaign that has raised over $1 million in financial and in-kind contributions. Your generous donations of time, goods and money allowed us to open a brand-new safe shelter for 6 families in December, increasing our capacity to serve more families in need of shelter. And you have shifted with us in this new model of shelter, continuing to provide hospitality, encouragement and a sense of community to families.
FPL also changed in 2024 with the retirement of the much-loved Executive Director, Dana Ortiz. With her tireless efforts and innovative thinking, Dana positioned FPL to continue to make an impact on our community by serving families in a housing crisis, even as the need increases.
I am grateful for my predecessor and friend, Dana, and for each of you for demonstrating your care and concern for parents and their children as they strive to secure stable housing. Together we will continue to be a part of the promise!
With gratitude, Brenda Wahl
Executive Director
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Executive Director
Brenda Wahl
Director of Family Services
Vanecia Hazel
Director of Operations
Meg Pearson
Director of Development and Community Engagement
Heather Zebrowski
Manager of Family Services
Kemi Yuki
BOARD
President: Matthew Sturtevant
Vice President: Takisha Merritt
Secretary: Tiffany Lewis
Treasurer: Nancy Reitz
Members:
Tim Metz
Lynate Pettengill
Dustin Stumblingbear
Aaron Thakker
Wendy Wheeler
Sherell Yarbough
Joe Retiz
Tim Mock
Benjamin Miller-Coleman
Total Families Served:
Beyond the numbers, each statistic represents a life touched, a family supported, and a community strengthened. At Family Promise, we serve children and their families by providing a holistic approach to preventing homelessness. We have grown our programs to meet the need. We are more than just Shelter Prevention, Diversion and Stabilization programs work to keep families in their homes or safe places so they do not need to utilize Shelter.
271
Total Children Served:
584
Total Individuals Served:
980
In 2024, our community volunteers proved once again that the heart of Family Promise of Lawrence beats strongest through their generosity, compassion, and dedication. Volunteers brought nourishing dinnersto families, shared theirtalents byteaching life skills classes, donated essential itemsthat helped meet immediate needs, and supported our events with energy and enthusiasm. Every act of kindness — big and small — helped create a welcoming, supportive environment wherefamilies could find stability and hope. Thanksto our volunteers, we were ableto expand our programs, reach morefamilies, and offer critical servicesthat truly change lives. We are deeply grateful forthe vital role our volunteers play in our mission to end family homelessness.
Total
Bishop Seabury Academy
Corpus Christi Catholic Church
First Baptist Church
First Presbyterian Church
First Southern Baptist Church
First United Methodist Church
Free City Church
Good Sheperd Lutheran Church
Greenhouse Church
Holy Family Catholic Church
Immanuel Lutheran Church
Islamic Center of Lawrence
Lawrence Board of Realtors
Lawrence Breakfast Rotary Club
Lawrence Heights Christian Church
Morning Star Church
Ninth St. Missionary Baptist Church
Plymouth Congregational Church
River City Church
St. Margaret's Episcopal Church
Trinity Episcopal Church
Trinity Lutheran Church
Velocity Church
Vintage Church
50+ Partnering community organizations and businesses.
25+ Communities of faith provided compassionate hospitality and food supports.
354 Financial partners, congregations and households supported the mission of FPL
