Dear Friends of Family Promise of Greater Wichita,
What a whirlwind 2016 has been, full of challenges and victories and certainly God’s provision throughout! I hope you feel a great sense of accomplishment as you reflect on the year; we have opened our doors, our hearts, and our hands to serve three families in our rotational program and a number of other families with support services…before the winter.
But it’s not time to get comfortable. No, we have more work to do in 2017. Children are still sleeping in cars and abandoned buildings in Wichita; the need is still great. But…God is bigger, and the potential is greater within the Church and the community, in partnership together, to more than meet the need, keeping families together while they work toward sustainable independence.
In 2017 we have some more foundational work to do, shoring up our teams, our volunteer base, and our community partnerships, and also initiating some basic expanded programming to meet the needs of our current guests and soon-to-be graduates (e.g. vehicle program, housing partnerships, graduate support). Would you pray that God would bring all of the right people and plans together to meet these goals? “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Laying a strong foundation is critical, not only for sustaining what has been built so far, but also for the growth and expansion that we anticipate and must fight and work for, until every family in our community has a home and a chance to build a better future.
We must continue to strengthen our foundation and simultaneously continue to reach out to new pockets of people, faith communities, businesses, and service providers to learn, serve, educate and recruit. We must be willing to look for new and innovative programs and partnerships to end family homelessness in Greater Wichita, one family at a time. With every family we serve in our rotational program, every family we provide with graduate support, every time we volunteer our time or talent, every donation we make, every partnership we broker, every referral we make, every toiletry or can of formula we give, every time we learn something or educate someone about family homelessness, we participate in the overall solution, and it matters.
So let’s move into 2017 with appreciation of how far we have come in 2016 and with excitement & expectation for what is next…with passion, and with a commitment to our mission, knowing that God is faithful and that we are privileged to follow Him to those who are vulnerable, marginalized, and in need. And may we understand more fully our own great need and blessings as we do.
Many Blessings & Happy, Hopeful New Year!
Carrie Corliss
Founder, Board Chair
Family Promise of Greater Wichita
