Editor’s Note: This is the sixth installment in a series of articles focused on the partner agencies and programs that are served by the United Way in Montgomery County.
The year is 2009. Upon her retirement from working as a case manager for a transitional housing center in Lafayette, Cheryl Farr wanted to continue providing support services to unhoused women in Montgomery County. This was when she met an individual named Charles, whose wife, Pam, strived to do the same. However, Pam had little time to commit to her mission, as she was dying. To keep his promise to his wife, Charles had scrounged up enough donations and offered Pam’s life insurance money to Cheryl to start a transitional housing center for women and their children. This haven is known as Pam’s Promise.
Designed as a three- to six-month-long program, Pam’s Promise’s mission is to ensure the safety and prosperity of women during their time of need. This is done through weekly appointments with a case manager, who works to connect with resources; help teach life skills; and bring stability to those in active recovery from substance abuse. Around 20 women can be served annually, with doors being open to all walks of life.
“We serve women from all over the state — even out of state,” said Executive Director Daniella Davis, who had started working for Pam’s Promise in January this year. “Some come from out of addiction; some come out of incarceration; some had experienced a financial crisis that caused homelessness. We work with all races and economic backgrounds.”
Davis said her interest in the non-profit sector developed by accident. Prior to joining Pam’s Promise, she worked for another transitional housing center in Lafayette, where she had encountered a scene unfolding just before her interview was scheduled to begin.
“There was a young mother who came in with her child, and she needed laundry soap that was dye-free and perfume-free because all the other options were causing her child’s skin to develop rashes,” Davis said. “The gentleman behind the desk dug to find suitable soap for 20 straight minutes. It was simple experiences like this that got me hooked from day one. Helping people in different capacities is what I was meant to do.”
Pam’s Promise also works with the Indiana Department of Child Services, as well as Firefly Children and Family Alliance, to help get families reunited.
“We do work with children,” Davis added. “We have families and single women here at the center. If their children are in a DCS program, we help work towards reunification.”
The positive impact Pam’s Promise has made on the community extends after individuals have graduated from the program, where many divided families became whole once more.
“One success story that happened earlier this year involved a woman who had gotten into substance abuse after falling into homelessness,” Davis said. “After graduation, she has since gotten clean, and is now housed and doing well. Another was an older woman who was fighting an addiction issue. We helped her achieve sobriety and get back to her job as a nurse, and she now has her own home and car ... It’s stories like these that remind me of my passion for this field.”
After-program support services are available to those who struggle after leaving, even if it’s just a small difficulty they’re experiencing.
“If they are struggling with how to deal with a landlord or a neighbor, we try to coach them through that,” Davis said. “It can be anything. If they even need to know about what resources are available to them outside of our program, we help guide them with that next step.”
Pam’s Promise is a non-profit that relies solely on donations. While residents are responsible for their own well-being in regards to necessities like groceries, the center takes care of utilities, housing and some linen supplies. Events like its annual pie fundraisers help cover these expenses. Monetary and tangible donations, such as cleaning supplies, are always welcome. They are also in need of volunteers who help with general upkeep of the center, such as landscaping, making kitchen boxes, and even stuffing envelopes.
As part of being a partner agency of the United Way in Montgomery County, each dollar goes a long way into keeping Pam’s Promise a success. Funds help pay for the case management services that help guide women into a future of stability.
“The United Way has several programs our women are involved in, especially First Door,” Davis said. “They serve so many people at different levels. Even a $10 dollar donation could help our folks help themselves.”
The United Way in Montgomery County gave Pam’s Promise $20,000 in 2025.
“You can see positive change happening because of that money,” said Shari Patton, who is currently serving as board president for Pam’s Promise. “All that money stays in the community.”
The United Way in Montgomery County is raising $320,000 in 2026 to help local non-profits like Pam’s Promise to continue providing their services. Learn more about their impacts by visiting www.uwlafayette.org/montgomery.
To learn more about Pam’s Promise, visit online at www.pamspromise.org or call 765-366-3203.
Kurtis Broadstreet is the 2026 campaign chair for the United Way in Montgomery County.
