Family Promise of Greater Wichita (FPGW) is delighted to announce that Sara Froese, a long time volunteer and friend of Family Promise, has joined the FPGW staff team as Facilities Coordinator.
Sara’s first introduction to the mission of Family Promise was through her college friend, Katy Munden Hays, who was part of the original FPGW launch team and has served the mission in multiple capacities. While Katy was serving as Interim Executive Director in 2018, she invited her friend Sara to tour the FPGW Day House and asked her if she’d be interested in volunteering there.
The mission of Family Promise resonated deeply with Sara, who worked for nine years as a teacher (five of those in Wichita Public Schools). She signed up right away and started volunteering weekly at the Day House while taking on additional projects. “I wish this existed when I was teaching. We knew kids were living in their cars or with family or friends. I wanted to help them in a long term, sustainable way. Family Promise was clearly meeting this need and no one else was doing it. This is what has kept me consistently showing up. The need is so great…so if I can be just a small part of that solution, I want to.”
Froese has done a variety of things to support the mission of FPGW, but has always loved the organizational pieces and overseeing projects – even helping move the mission from the original Day House to the current location. Her new position as Facilities Coordinator seemed like a natural fit for her skill set and her passions. As FPGW continues to grow, several new properties will be a part of the near future. Sara’s skills at managing the maintenance of these facilities and maintaining connection and support for the families in those programs will be key to successful growth and sustainability.
“Sara is filling a much needed new role at Family Promise,” said FPGW Executive Director Dawn Epp. “Sara’s skills at Project Management became evident during her tenure as a Day House volunteer, so we are happy that she made the jump to a staff role to assist with our growing portfolio of physical spaces. She will be a key player in helping us expand and grow seamlessly.”
Sara reflected on her time serving the mission of FPGW, saying, “You might feel like you’re only changing the lives of the four families in Rotation, but you have to multiply that by the number of kids in every family in every program. You’re impacting the future families of all of those kids. This work has a generational impact and is transforming lives forever.”
Originally from Hays, Sara received her degree in Education from Tabor College and later completed her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Wichita State University. She worked as a teacher/school librarian for nine years while her husband, Josh, completed medical school. Her husband now serves as a Family Physician in the community and they are the proud parents of two very busy teenagers who keep them moving from one extracurricular activity to another.
Sara is excited about this well-fitting role because it allows her to still “be mom” to her two teenagers. She loves that FPGW leadership prioritizes the well-being of the team and how Executive Director Dawn Epp recognizes how heavy the work can be mentally and emotionally, ensuring that the staff team is well cared for and has space to connect and care for each other. She is thrilled to take on her new tasks and allow other staff members to prioritize other needs and focus on what they are really passionate about.
Sara’s family attends FPGW partner congregation West Ridge Community Church. She loves doing escape rooms with her family and her favorite restaurant in Wichita is El Agave. Creative endeavors, reading, and driving her mini-van to band competitions and volleyball tournaments are some of her hobbies.
Welcome to the FPGW Staff team, Sara!
