East Idaho Moms is excited to feature Promise Ridge as our nonprofit for July 2022. Eastern Idaho is fortunate to have a wealth of nonprofit and service organizations. By highlighting some of these groups, we hope to encourage moms and families to get involved and learn about all that our wonderful community has to offer.
Promise Ridge is a shelter for women and children throughout Southeastern Idaho who are experiencing homelessness due to a housing crisis. Promise Ridge opened its doors in the spring of 2018 and has assisted 312 people (121 adults and 191 children) to date. Just under 100 families have moved on to permanent housing, an average of 28 families per year. Most homeless individuals and families fall into homelessness after a housing or personal crisis, leading them to seek help from the homelessness assistance system. For these families and individuals, the Housing First Approach is ideal, as it provides them with assistance to find permanent housing quickly and without conditions.
Promise Ridge was founded on the vision of Peggy Sharp. It can hold 8 to 9 families, depending on family size. Families can stay for 90 days to ensure they are able to secure the help needed. This assistance includes case management, connecting families to community resources, lessons on budgeting, family time to build relationships, and assistance with individual goal setting; these activities impact overall well-being and housing stability.
In other words, Promise Ridge provides a “hand up” for families in need due to a variety of reasons. This is shown through the following antidote from Promise Ridge Client Manager, Amanda Woodward:
“I landed on the doorsteps of Promise Ridge the first day they opened. My daughter (who was just a little over a year old) and myself found ourselves in a housing crisis. I called Club Inc and they sent us to PR. It was so scary, I raised her older brothers (they are 23 and 21 now) by myself most of their lives and this was the first time I had ever been without a home. We lost our home to a no-cause eviction which created panic and left us with absolutely nowhere to go. PR had not hired a night attendant yet and I simply asked how to apply for the job because it meant a little studio apartment and a full-time job. I was told to speak with Peggy, she came in later that day wanting to talk to me. She asked if she could run my background because she wanted to offer that position to me. I said, ‘really? I was going to ask you for an application’. From that moment on, she took me under her wing. She mentored me about homelessness and background items needed to run a 501c3, got me in contact with many experienced people to train me on case management, provided me with any support needed for the shelter, and helped me see my real potential. She changed my life forever. I struggled in my youth and early adult years with addiction, and I felt she needed to hear my testimony before hiring me and she learned that day that my experience with addiction and the ability to pull myself out of it would be a huge difference when it comes to case management.”
Most years, Promise Ridge holds an annual birthday celebration on May 28th. However, with the recent passing of its Founder and Executive Director, Peggy Sharp, this year’s celebration consisted of an intimate gathering. Next year, Promise Ridge will return to an annual community birthday bash to celebrate its fifth anniversary. This will be the time that Promise Ridge will let the community know of its material and financial needs.
More information can be found through the first point of contact, Club Inc., and through the Promise Ridge Facebook page. The community can contact the shelter directly at (208) 346-8320. Amanda Woodward, Client Manager, can be reached via email at amandaw.promiseridge@gmail.com or by cell at (208) 521-4236.
