David Fleck’s father spent a lot of time volunteering for his local Family Promise Affiliate. So much time that it became a second home.
“It was always a running joke in the family,” Fleck said. “‘Where’s dad?’ Oh, he’s at Family Promise.’”
After his father passed away, Fleck and his sister decided to donate to Family Promise in his name. That simple act of generosity led to Fleck becoming a board member for the organization his dad dedicated so much time to.
“Somebody at Family Promise saw the donation come through and looked me up on LinkedIn,” Fleck said. “It was a dream come true to become nationally involved with the organization my dad was part of in a local way.”
On top of Fleck’s personal ties to Family Promise, he chose to dedicate his time as a board member because of his firm belief that every child deserves a home.
“I feel viscerally that every child deserves a home and that families should not be broken up,” Fleck said.
Fleck is the Founder and Managing Partner at Freeflow Ventures and refers to himself as a technologist, which explains his macro-level thinking when it comes to combatting family homelessness. He believes the scale of Family Promise is what primes the organization to achieve a lasting impact.
“Family Promise is everywhere,” Fleck said, referring to the organization’s 200 Affiliates. “The ability to work with an organization that has its tentacles all over the country is interesting because we can proactively deal with family homelessness wherever it’s popping up across the country.”
When Fleck’s father was an active volunteer, the primary way in which families were served was through a rotational shelter model. However, Family Promise has since evolved into a service provider that offers shelter and works to prevent homelessness.
“Family Promise has grown and earned the right to participate in the full life cycle of family homelessness,” Fleck said. “That means answering the question of why families are experiencing homelessness and preventing the experience before it occurs.”
As Family Promise enters its first full year under new leadership, Fleck is confident that continued positive impact is on the horizon.
“I’m really excited about the new leadership we have now,” Fleck said. “We’ll be able to capitalize on the opportunities that lie ahead.”
