As the new year begins, we at Family Housing Network (FHN) are reflecting on the incredible journeys of the families we serve and looking forward to the opportunities ahead. Every January offers a chance to renew our commitment to supporting families experiencing homelessness as they achieve sustainable self-sufficiency in a timely and dignified manner.

2024 in Review

In 2024, with the support of our community, we provided housing assistance, case management, and hope to 106 families. From emergency shelter to transitional housing support, your contributions made a real difference in the lives of children and parents striving for stability.

Some highlights of 2024 include:

• FHN was honored to be nominated for the 2024 Human Relations Award, recognizing our commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Fort Collins community
• In 2024, FHN served 106 families.
• 94% of families placed in housing in 2023 were still housed after one year.

Looking Ahead to 2025

This year, we’re excited to build on these successes with ambitious goals:

1. Strengthen Our Programs: Enhancing services to meet the growing demand for housing and support.
2. Engage More Volunteers: Our work thrives on the dedication of community members willing to lend a hand.
3. Host Impactful Events: Mark your calendar for our 7th annual HEROES for Homeless Families event on April 11, 2025!
4. Increase Awareness: Homelessness is a complex challenge, but it’s solvable. By sharing stories, we aim to inspire action.

"Resiliency is often seen by others.

Others aren’t seeing the panic attack when getting on to the bus, the uncertainty that overshadows the choice to work without childcare, the exhaustion in asking four kids under 10 to finish their food, nor do they see the number of appointments I have for the 5 of us to ensure all the people in our lives know I am trying my best.

The abuse had finally gotten out of hand, and I left with all four kids knowing one thing was for sure; I was never going back. The five of us entered a safe house where I discovered the cell phone was relying on had in fact been serving as a tracking device for the abuser to follow me. Gone went the phone!

There came a point when I knew I would have the opportunity to get a new phone, allowing me to contact my family, who were states away, to reassure them that my abuser hadn't triumphed over us. Our journey took us from accessing shelter and safe house services in Weld County to seeking refuge in Larimer County, where we continued to utilize the vital support services available to families.

I made use of a range of assistance programs, enabling me to complete my education in the medical field, access local food networks, connect with parenting supports, and build a strong support network for my family. In June 2023, I entered the Sherwood Bridge Housing Program through the Family Housing Network. This move was essential to help us get through the summer with my children before they returned to school and allowed me to resume my work as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).

Are you ready to make a difference in the lives of families in Fort Collins?

Today is the day!

Colorado Gives Day is the perfect opportunity to show your kindness and generosity. You have the power to make a direct impact on families in need and change their lives for the better.

Don't believe us?

Meet Clara, a determined mother who once faced the daunting challenge of providing for her family while experiencing homelessness. Thanks to the unwavering support of compassionate donors like you, her life took a transformative turn.

Clara's journey was marked by resilience, but it was the generosity of individuals who believed in our mission that truly changed the course of her life. With your support, she received the critical assistance she needed to regain her footing and rebuild a future filled with hope and stability.

Today, Clara is not just surviving; she's thriving. She has moved into a warm, secure apartment, where she's creating a loving home for her two children. The darkness of homelessness has given way to the bright promise of a better life, and it's all because of you.

Your compassion has not only impacted Sarah but has also sent ripples of positive change throughout our community. Together, we are transforming lives and ensuring that families like Clara's have the opportunity to flourish.

At Family Housing Network (FHN), we hold a vision where family homelessness in Fort Collins is a rare, short-lived, and non-recurring issue. It's more than just a dream; it's a mission we're wholeheartedly dedicated to.

This mission comes to life through the incredible generosity of individuals like you, collaborative community partnerships, and the strong will of each family we serve.

In Northern Colorado, the concept of making homelessness rare, short-lived, and non-recurring is a shared goal among many organizations committed to ending homelessness. But what does this vision mean for families in Fort Collins who are experiencing homelessness? To truly understand its impact, let us introduce you to a family whose story embodies hope and resilience.

Meet the G. family of three. Just a few weeks ago, they found themselves grappling with the daunting challenges of homelessness. Their situation was compounded by the fact that the mother had recently undergone a C-section, leaving them with no place to go after her hospital discharge. For this family, being on the streets was the last thing they needed. However, thanks to the unwavering support of individuals like you, their journey transformed into one of hope and resilience.

At Family Housing Network, our vision is to end family homelessness in Fort Collins. Our Overnight Program (FFH) stands as a beacon of your efforts. It's not just one of our programs; it's the very foundation of FHN. Born from humble beginnings, it was passionate individuals like you who ignited the spark that led to its inception in 2012. Through your unwavering commitment to supporting families, we have expanded to offer five distinct programs, all rooted in the desire to create a more stable and secure future for those we serve.

Homelessness is a harsh reality that too many families face, often struggling to find a safe, warm place to lay their heads. That's where our Overnight Program steps in. It's not just about providing shelter; it's about offering solace and a sense of belonging, even when the night is darkest. The Overnight Program accommodates four guest families (up to 15 parents and children) at a time. This interfaith project unites diverse faith communities through a shared mission of service. The combination of private rooms, community support, adaptability, a volunteer-run shelter, and your unwavering commitment makes our Overnight Program a powerful and unique initiative in the fight against family homelessness in Fort Collins. There truly is no other program like FHN. Your involvement and the distinct features of this program are key to the positive impact we create together.

Join us in the effort to combat homelessness this holiday season

Our 3rd annual Heroes for Homeless Families event on April 30, 2021 will honor some special community members who have stepped up in significant ways to serve our community's vulnerable homeless families. Each has used their influence to make a large impact. Some have served FHN, others have served our larger community. All have served with vision, generosity and love. FHN is blessed to be supported by an incredible group of caring businesses and individuals.

Join us to honor them at the Holiday Twin Drive In Theatre and enjoy dinner, drinks, an online silent auction and the movie, Above the Clouds. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased at http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07ehqvqjxzbae826b6&llr=zjqqqwmab

Each year, Thanksgiving gives us time to pause and count our many blessings. No matter where we might be in our life’s journey, there are blessings to be cherished each day. For example, during this snowy northern Colorado week, our families were blessed with the generous warmth and shelter at Summitview Church throughout the storm.

Family Housing Network is based on blessing one another with our presence, time and gifts. Every day of the year, vulnerable families are met where they are in their life’s journey and they are offered the opportunity to have a new start. A new start may include a future of better health, a new job or school and a new home. It is all offered for them to work towards. Each year, over 1,300 volunteers show up throughout the year to generously love and bless the families we serve. With these blessings and love, adults are empowered, children thrive and families become independent once again.

We are so VERY THANKFUL for each and every one of you who steps into the lives of our vulnerable families and blesses them.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving,

Annette Zacharias

Support us early! Schedule your donations to process on Colorado Gives Day on December 10, 2019. Your donation will still count towards the $1 Million Incentive Fund and cash prizes. Search for us at Faith Family Hospitality or Family Housing Network! FHN Colorado Gives

Fall is upon us. Our families are looking for rentals and excited to move into their own homes. The Sherwood House is under construction and looking for volunteer painters. Do you like to paint? Are you looking for an activity to spend some time with your family? Maybe painting can be your family fun activity! We can use your help. Please follow this link and join us, get a little dirty and help us make Sherwood beautiful for families to move in later this year! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090449aeaa28a6fb6-sherwood2

We’re excited to announce that we have a new name! After the end of our strategic planning in late 2018, Faith Family Hospitality has decided to change our name to Family Housing Network of Fort Collins.

Three years ago this month Faith Family Hospitality (FFH) had been underway for six months, and as a founding member I wrote a Soapbox about us for the Coloradoan. At that time the original nine host faith communities had hosted an initial 13 families, with seven support faith communities helping.

Fast forward to the FFH Annual Meeting last month when we reported that 72 families have been hosted by 14 faith communities, with the support of 13 faith communities. Thirty-nine percent of these families subsequently found permanent housing. That much comparative change is a sign of our progress.

Moreover, since those early days FFH has gone from strength-to-strength in other ways, including the establishment of a Day Center at the Fort Collins Mennonite Fellowship across from Library Park. As FFH subsequently installed showers, laundry facilities and created a wait list for families, our capacity to help meet needs has grown.

Financially, as reported at the Annual Meeting, we began the fiscal year on July 1 with a projected budget of $89,500. This support enabled us to hire an Interim Executive Director, Annette Zacharias, who will lead us toward finding a half-time Executive Director by November. Gailmarie Kimmel helped meet our administrative needs for the first half of the year. Annette, whose distinguished service locally as head of several nonprofits, is also in a unique position to counsel the Board to help us move to the next level. We are blessed to have her expertise at our disposal.

The first Faith Family Hospitality family that I met was Lance, Janie, their 3 year old daughter, Annabel and 2 year old son, Zander. Walt and I had arrived early at Peak Community Church for our first overnight hosting. The church was still locked, so we spent 15 minutes talking with Lance and Janie and watching the antics of the kids. Later, as we toured the church with the families, Zander came out of his bedroom with his Thomas the Train cap and said to me “You don’t have a hat”. I looked around and everyone but me did have a cap on. Zander was offering to share his hat so I would not be left out.

Walt and I learned about Faith Family Hospitality (FFH) at a FPC class titled Christian Response to Poverty. There are 27 faith communities involved in hosting or assisting with hosting homeless families. Families sleep at a church for one week, then are moved to the next church in the rotation. Dominations represented include Methodist, Unitarian, Evangelical Covenant, Mennonite, Disciples of Christ, Lutheran, Church of God, Episcopal, Catholic, Anglican, Jewish, Baptist, Community of Christ, United Church of Christ, Presbyterian, Quaker and nondenominational Christian. These faith communities have found a common mission that transcends differences in beliefs.

Recently a father shared with me that as hard and strong as he tried to be, things kept falling apart. There was a glimmer hope for the day and by the end typically it fell into brokenness. He tried and tried to be a good husband, father and provider. It was when he gave it all up to God that he saw God’s presence in his family’s life. A promise in every day and hope was restored. So grateful for the welcome and service of the FFH fellowship, he absolutely knew things were turning around.

“When people are bent over with the weight of suffering, what they need for us is only our presence.” “If we give them that, we become for the them the very presence of God in a most tangible way. That is hospitality.” Benedictine Monks – “Radical Hospitality.

What does that mean – “be present.” Be aware of needs and the need to know. Show them a wonderful place they can lay their head and find peace. Keep things gleaming, special and personal for them. Do they need a ride? A diaper? A coat? Be aware, be present. Is there room where you are? Is there a room sacramental for a family? Is there a prayer to be said, a chant to be sung, a sacrifice to be offered? Keep them safe they are fragile and yet they are strong.

Faith Family Hospitality is just one of the programs in our communities helping to tackle the challenges faced by families experiencing homelessness. We’ve already mentioned the work of The Matthews House HOST Program, providing a temporary home for children, youth, and families who are in a crisis situation, through volunteer HOST families. The strength of this program is that it helps those in need to establish healthy relationships with people in the community.

A program with a similar aim is being relaunched by Homeless Gear, under the leadership of its founder Ken John and his wife Nancy. The One Village One Family (OVOF) program brings together multiple community stakeholders–churches, civic groups, nonprofits and business and community leaders–to empower homeless families to regain stability, secure housing and achieve self-sufficiency.

Homeless Gear is the lead agency, but the OVOF program is also a collaborative effort between Homeless Gear and Homeward 2020, Faith Family Hospitality, The Family Center/La Familia and the Matthews House. Homeless Gear recruits partner organizations: churches, civic groups, companies… any group of compassionate adults that wants to participate, really! Those organizations form mentor teams of 4-to-6 people, and certified trainers walk the mentor teams through a formal training.