From Guest to Leader: Jeri Apodaca's Story
More than 20 years ago, Jeri Apodaca was a single mom of five with nowhere to call home.
Anyone who has lived through that moment knows what it asks of a parent. You still pack lunches and sign permission slips. You still answer every “Where are we sleeping tonight?” with a calm you may not feel. And you do it all while searching for a way forward that you can’t yet see.
Finding a way forward
For Jeri and her children, that way forward began at Family Promise. Our network of volunteers and congregations gave the family more than a place to sleep; they gave them shelter and provided stability. Most importantly, they restored hope. Family Promise walked along with them, step by step, until they were home again.
That support didn’t just change one season of their lives. It changed the course of generations. Five children grew up knowing that when life falls apart, a community can help put it back together.
Coming full circle — from guest to leader
Today, Jeri is the Executive Director of Family Promise of Greater Denver, leading the very organization that once carried her family through. She knows what families feel when they walk through our doors, because she was once one of them.
She is also honest about the season we’re in. Grant funding is down. The need is up. Community support matters more than ever. Families across Greater Denver are facing the same uncertainty Jeri once did, and they’re counting on the same kind of supportive community that showed up for her.
An opportunity to help change a family’s story
Jeri’s story proves what’s possible when a family is met with dignity instead of judgment. It’s also an invitation to support the next family, help rewrite their story, and to help take a family from a place of surviving to thriving.
Give: Every gift provides shelter, meals, and a path to stable housing. https://www.coloradogives.org/donate/family-promise-denver
Volunteer: Cook a meal, host a family, or share your skills. https://www.fpgd.org/volunteer
Share: Pass these stories along so more neighbors know help is here.
Learn more at fpgd.org or reach us at hello@fpgd.org, (303) 675-0713.
Comments