Family Service Inc.

History

We were organized in 1906 by a group of Billings ministers who recognized the needs of their fellow citizens and set about to do something to help them. Although Billings was growing by leaps and bounds, not everyone was prospering, and the area's low-income and underemployed—then, as today—were struggling to meet basic needs for food, clothing and shelter.

Although our services have grown over time to meet some different and additional needs, we still cling to our core mission of trying to help people with a “hand up, not a hand out.” This means we are ready and willing to step into the picture in hopes of creating a better living situation that will restore people to self-sufficiency and dispel feelings of hopelessness. Sometimes people just need a little bit of help to overcome their temporary setbacks. We’re privileged and grateful to be able to do that because of generous and loyal donors to Family Service, Inc.

The majority of people we see on a daily basis are hard-working and responsible.  Many tell us they have to “swallow their pride” to ask for help. Quite a number of people are infirm or on a fixed income that often isn’t sufficient to pay for higher utility costs, rent hikes and higher gasoline prices.  Emergencies arise that cause them financial turmoil and because of you, we are there to give them the lift they so badly need.

In 1993, our Family Service Foundation was formed expressly to raise money for Family Service, Incorporated. You can read about our foundation and some of the opportunities you have to make tax-wise gifts that also provide a charitable donation for the mission of Family Service, Inc.