Dear Family Promise Friends,

Thank you for taking a few minutes to review this Family Promise-Salt Lake quarterly newsletter! We hope to get you the information that you want, when you want it, so you can make an informed decision as to the “right level” of engagement for you with Family Promise-Salt Lake.

I recently joined a neighbor and friend on an evening hike in Bell Canyon near Sandy, Utah. This 4-mile round trip hike is located near Wasatch Boulevard at the bottom of Little Cottonwood Canyon. The trail runs past a scenic reservoir and ends at a beautiful waterfall. Along the trail and especially at the waterfall there are some amazing views of the Salt Lake Valley. If you have not taken the time to make this hike, I strongly encourage it.

Metaphorically, each of us is on the trail of life. Each trail is different; however, each of us can find something to enjoy at each point along the trail, if only we have the vision to focus on the positive. Truly, it is our attitude, not our altitude, which defines us. That said, sometimes the trail can be long and arduous, and if we are not adequately prepared with water, supplies, shelter, and companionship we may find ourselves in peril. Such may frequently be the condition of our friends experiencing the crisis of homelessness.

Thanks to you, we are growing our capacity to help more children and families find lasting independence and security. For example-

• Our October 4 Abundance of the Heart breakfast at the Marriott City Center hotel was our most successful event ever! Special thanks to our amazing key sponsors, Lone Peak Valuation and Security National, and to Barbara and Daniel who shared their life’s experiences and increased our tool-bag for better aiding those in need.
• With help from Security National, we recently purchased a duplex to add to our transitional housing program. This duplex grows our transitional housing program by 20% and goes a long ways in addressing the bottleneck which exists when families ready to graduate from church active care don’t have anywhere to go.
• We held our annual back to school BBQ on August 16. We had 25 of the 40 families in our two year aftercare program attend. Among the hugs, laughter and great food, these families received much needed gift cards for school shoes and backpacks full of supplies. This is a key event in supporting the families in our after-care program.
• We are looking to bolster our board committees – PR/Marketing, Finance, Program & Outreach, and Fund Development. If you are interested in participating on a committee, please call me at 385-235-9237 and we can talk through opportunities and expectations.

With appreciation,

Scott Bauman, Chair of the Board of Directors