Family Promise director: about 80% of families served are Evanston residents

During the public-comment period on April 9, Tracy Lawson McKeithin, executive director of Family Promise Chicago North Shore, told the Evanston Social Services Committee that the nonprofit serves a higher proportion of Evanston residents than previously reported.

McKeithin said earlier meeting materials or comments had cited that some organizations serve "100% Evanston residents," while Family Promise’s internal accounting had produced a lower figure. After re-examining programs beyond the shelter — including outreach, rental and utility assistance and other services — she said roughly 80% of Family Promise’s families are Evanston residents. She explained that some families counted by other organizations are those who originally came from elsewhere but moved to Evanston and enrolled their children in Evanston schools, which causes differences in how agencies count resident status.

"We have much more services other than the actual shelter program...we have closer to 80% of our total families that we serve are Evanston residents," McKeithin said.

McKeithin also noted that some services are limited to Evanston or Skokie residents, and that the shelter program is Family Promise’s smallest program by enrollment. Her remarks were offered during the meeting’s public-comment slot; the committee did not act on any request arising from the comment during the session.