FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Release Date: January 16, 2024

1.16.24 Statement

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[Spokane, Washington] - It is with deep sadness that we share that last night, a mother staying at Family Promise of Spokane’s Emergency Family Shelter passed away in her sleep. We will not know the cause of death until the medical examiner’s report, but at this time, it is presumed to be due to natural causes. She is survived by her partner and three young children.

During her time with us, this mother exhibited resilience, perseverance, and unwavering love for her children despite the challenges they were facing. Family Promise grieves alongside her family and friends, especially her three children who are now grappling with the absence of their mom.

In the face of this tragedy, Family Promise of Spokane will be providing on-site grief counseling for guests and staff. Additionally, the school counselors for our school-aged children have been notified and will be checking in to support our children that are students at their schools.

To protect the identity of the mother and family, we’ve chosen not to disclose their names at this time. We ask for privacy and respect for our families during this time of mourning and readjustment. As a community, please extend your thoughts and prayers to all those involved.

For media inquiries or further information, please contact:

CONTACT INFO

Family Promise of Spokane

Joe Ader | (509) 818-7587

jader@familypromiseofspokane.org

ABOUT FAMILY PROMISE OF SPOKANE

Family Promise of Spokane equips families and communities to end the cycle of homelessness. Our organization helps families get housing and keep housing because every child deserves a place to call home. For more information, visit us at www.familypromiseofspokane.org

CONTACT INFO

Family Promise of Spokane

Joe Ader | (509) 818-7587

jader@familypromiseofspokane.org

Emma Hughes | (509) 828-0558

ehughes@familypromiseofspokane.org

Family Promise Public Statement on 12/20/23 Incident

For Immediate Release:

All guests and staff at the Family Promise Emergency Family Shelter are safe after an incident where a neighbor pointed a gun at one of our staff members.

Tonight, 12/20/23 around 6:45pm, Alex Crosen, who resides at 2011 E Sinto pointed a gun at one of our staff members while she was disposing of the trash. This was the eighth incident where Mr. Crosen made threats to our staff or guests in recent weeks. The police were called and the Emergency Family Shelter was immediately put on lockdown. The police responded quickly and encircled the house at 2011 E Sinto and Mr. Crosen was taken into custody.

Although we do not know any motive at this time for his actions, Mr. Crosen, who flies a confederate flag at his home and who has made multiple derogatory comments about our guests and staff of color, did point his weapon at one of our black staff members tonight. We take threats against our staff and guests very seriously and intend to ensure justice is served.

We are grateful for the quick police response and thankful that no one was seriously injured in this very dangerous situation. We would like to commend our staff who stayed calm during the incident and performed our safety protocols perfectly to ensure everyone’s safety. We will be working in the days ahead to provide the staff and guests with the counseling and support they may need. Our guests and especially the children in our care were very frightened by this situation. We ask that the community keep our children, families and staff in your thoughts and prayers.

Further questions and comments can be directed towards Spokane Police or Joe Ader Executive Director of Family Promise of Spokane at 509-818-7587

Family Promise Public Statement 12-20-23

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The Fight for Stability

Written by: Bre Hayden

When childhood and early adult life is spent in cycles of constant chaos, it takes bravery, faith, and a community of people who believe in your ability to succeed for transformation and healing to occur.

Jen has always described herself as a “wanderer.” For most of her life she experienced housing instability and as an adult would drift from one place to the next. She met her partner, Pat, at a homeless shelter in the midwest. With Pat also having an adventurous spirit, the couple traveled the nation while living out of their car, in motels, staying with friends and family, utilizing various shelters, and surviving anyway that they could. “Through the years I learned survival skills, that’s for sure,” Jen stated.

When Jen found out she was pregnant in 2018, the couple began one of their most daunting journey’s ever: creating a path of stability for their unborn child. This landed them at Family Promise of Spokane, one of the only emergency housing programs in the Inland Northwest that accepts the entire family, including pets. They stayed at Family Promise’s emergency housing program based out of Richard Allen Court for 3 months before moving into a transitional housing program in Spokane. Sadly, it was not the right fit for them. The rigid program structure and inability to bring their 2 dogs into the apartment caused them to leave shortly after entering the program. They then moved to Oregon to be near a longtime family friend. Pat worked construction for a while, they saved up some money, bought a $300 1998 Chevy, and were off on their next adventure.

“We've been to 520 cities in the past 6 years,” Jen explains. “We’ve been homeless for most of Zuri’s life.”

And yet, of all of the places Jen’s family has explored, 4 years after their first experience with Family Promise, when they were ready to settle, they came back to Family Promise of Spokane. “We were ready to fight for stability for our daughter,” Jen describes, “and we knew that Family Promise would accept ALL of us and be there to help.”

Family Promise Staff worked closely with the family and helped them overcome their barriers to housing. Months after coming back to Family Promise of Spokane for the second time, the family now has their own place to call home. Zuri has her own room filled with all the toys and books a 4 year old could imagine. “It’s amazing having our own house and not having to deal with shelter life,” Jen reveals. “Plus, our dog has a huge back yard to roam around in.”

With their own home, Jen has the space to teach Zuri all of the life skills she wasn’t taught growing up. “The biggest transformation I’ve seen in Zuri is a sense of independence. Just last week she helped me do the dishes.”

Jen and Pat will always be venturesome at heart, but now, as they are expecting their second child, they won’t be drifting from place to place, “Before we ever move again, we are going to make sure that we have another house lined up.”

Breaking generational cycles takes time and doesn’t always happen in a linear fashion.

If Jen could impart one piece of advice to anyone experiencing housing instability, she’d let them know, “Come to Family Promise, and hold on to every ounce of hope you have.”