Stories of Hope: How Mentoring and Rental Assistance Changes Lives

Mom J's story is an inspirational testimony of how FamilyForward helped her adapt to changes and rebuild her life after a family tragedy.

Erica Chianelli helped raise the awareness and reputation of FamilyForward to new heights, laying the groundwork for our continued success.

As she prepares to move on from her role as executive director, Erica Chianelli reflects on her time at FF and the continuing mission.

Donna Myers and Vince Kelley are making a difference, one family at a time, by serving as FamilyForward mentors.

We are sincerely grateful to Kelly Hutchison and Home Instead of Itasca for a significant donation of $30,000 to help FF families.

Relationships are central to everything we do. As we nurture important long-term relationships, we are constantly developing new ones.

With help from her FamilyForward mentors, Mom T achieved several successes. But the greatest success of all was a sense of hope.

Donna Anderson, one of FamilyForward’s longest serving leaders, has left the board of directors as of July 2024.

Read these Joy Stories as of early 2024: Brief stories of progress and hope from four families in the FamilyForward program.

Finding financial stability varies for low-income families. How-to checklists are often inadequate. That’s where FamilyForward comes in.

FamilyForward co-founder Lou Walton has retired from the board of directors, effective May 2024, leaving a legacy of service and growth.

After nearly two decades of dedicated service to FamilyForward, Paul Cochran has retired from the board of directors, as of May 2024.

Thank you, Lou, and Paul, for your long-enduring enthusiasm and commitment to helping FamilyForward in its mission to strengthen families.

The FamilyForward debt-reduction matching program allows parents to pay down debt twice as fast, helping families break the cycle of debt.

With a household budget and other strategies, “Stephanie” felt more in control of her money and had a toolkit to survive—and thrive.

All of us, as members of communities who care for our neighbors’ well-being, have a call to actively take steps toward potential solutions.

Read these brief stories of progress and hope from five families in the FamilyForward program as of late 2023.

When people ask me, “How, exactly, does FamilyForward empower people?” I respond, “We show up for them.”

For “Ellie” — and for many FamilyForward participants — the benefits of our program were more than just financial.

As we enter 2024, FamilyForward is committed to finding new and inventive ways to address the mounting challenges our client families face.