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An Afternoon with Family Promise of Spokane

IntelliTeam Thoughts and Reflections from Their Tour 

The IntelliTect team donates substantial money to philanthropic efforts every year. This past June, members of the IntelliTeam toured Family Promise of Spokane (FPS) to witness firsthand their donation’s impact, how their work is changing lives, and connect with the local Spokane community.  

FPS provides emergency shelter and services to families experiencing homelessness in the local community.  

The IntelliTeam went on a tour of Family Promise of Spokane to see the impact of their day-to-day work and donations. 

According to the FPS 2021 Organization Overview, through the tactics of preventing, providing, and preparing, they have successfully placed individuals in stable housing with a 100 percent housing retention rate since January 2020. 

Joe [Ader], Spokane’s Family Promise executive director, amazes me with his grasp of the underlying causes of US-based homelessness and its roots in US history. Family Promise is a reliable name for housing families in Spokane, and I am grateful for all they do.
 Mark Michaelis, IntelliTect CEO

After giving the IntelliTeam time to reflect on their tour with FPS, some selected to share their thoughts. 

How did experiencing your work impact your view of your position at IntelliTect? 

olivia smith

“I think it’s human nature to appreciate when something that is a big part of your life — like your full-time job — aligns with many personal values. Opportunities like this are very encouraging because I can see how my work as a software developer is coherent with those values.”
Olivia Smith, Software Engineer 

Allen Monroe

“One thing I have appreciated about IntelliTect is that I can positively impact the world without having to do anything different. The tour with FPS reinforced that. However, as I’ve learned more about the good IntelliTect brings to the world, it has made me want to get even more involved in helping effective charities like FPS do even more.”
Allen Monroe, Senior Project Manager 

IntelliTect employee Austen Frostad

“While IntelliTect has great clients and projects, programming software can sometimes be far removed from a clear and fulfilling goal. I appreciate knowing that even when working on the most mundane of tasks, I am aiding in IntelliTect’s mission to support communities across the globe.”
Austen Frostad, Software Engineer

What should people know about Spokane’s current housing situation? 

“The most significant thing people need to know is that homelessness is not limited to single people. It affects family and children, and if not addressed, it leads to families being separated.”
Tricia Faust, Database Developer

“People should know about current housing options, the specific organizations behind them, the types of housing — low barrier, men’s, women’s, family, etc. — and how they all work together. Once people understand these basics, it helps them decide where to contribute to the effective work already being done.” 
Olivia Smith

“The cause of most homelessness isn’t mental illness, which I had thought, but a loss of connection or support for the affected individuals. They are normal people, and many of their circumstances could easily happen to anyone.”
Allen Monroe 

How do you feel about the work FPS is doing in this area? Why should people care about their efforts? 

“I am confident in FPS’s efforts as they approach helping families with a holistic view. They use a wide breadth of statistics, including data from before and after homeless experiences. While they have an inventive statistical approach, they are just as dedicated to focusing on forming relationships with families.” 
Austen Frostad

“FPS is taking a fresh and data-driven approach that fascinates me. Instead of the quick and easy solutions, they look at actual outcomes and the contributing factors to those outcomes to refine how they intervene and help.” 
Allen Monore

“Family Promise seems to be doing an excellent job getting people into housing. They have everyone sit with an intake counselor and tailor the program to the individual. They also move people from the large group shelter to a small shelter before letting them move out on their own. This way, it isn’t such a shock to go from a shelter to living in their own place.”
Tricia Faust

Anything else you’d like to add? 

“I want to encourage anyone learning this new information about homelessness to talk about it with others so we can all contribute to reducing the many misconceptions surrounding this area.” 
Olivia Smith

“Anyone who lives in the United States and isn’t currently homeless is in a terrific place to help others, and I encourage people to do so. It can be an easy flip of the coin to be on the other side. It doesn’t take much time or money to make a real difference. Companies like FPS are making an actual measurable difference.” 
Allen Monroe

Want More?

Visit the Family Promise of Spokane website to learn more about their programs and donate to the organization. If you’re curious about the other organizations we partner with, look at our philanthropy stories.

Written by Nicole Glidden.

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