Fortifying Families of Faith is a company started in 2008 by Linda and David Kracht of St. Paul, Minnesota.  You are eyewitness to the birthing of this company, whose purpose is to support marriages, families and parenting faithfully and seriously. 

While it may appear that we have yet to undergo the “test of time”, we actually have. The first product behind the company began more than a decade ago when Linda created the program Daughters Forever/Sons Forever for a small, private high school. The purpose was to facilitate discussions between parents and their senior son or daughter about important issues facing them as they prepared for college. The daylong event continued for ten years, changed slightly but grew in popularity while gaining recognition from others. Some parents asked Linda to record the event for family and friends unable to attend the program. She eventually took their advice, took a year off to write the book Daughters Forever/Sons Forever and its accompanying workbooks. So the program is complete having a “text” book, individual workbooks for mothers, fathers, daughters and sons as well as podcast downloads and DVDs. These products led to the creation of Fortifying Families of Faith. 

Almost simultaneously, Linda was asked to write another book entitled The Art of Breastfeeding: Empowering Women to Give their Babies the Best Start. This book is also available for sale and we are proud to make it available for families. Giving babies their best start in life goes a long way toward establishing strong, balanced and healthy cores within individuals. Mothers choose well when they decide to learn and practice the art of breastfeeding – this book advocates such a decision. Fathers are not left out of the picture simply because mother is breastfeeding – you can read how they are essential to facilitating breastfeeding. Furthermore you can read about the EIGHT big reasons to breastfeed as well as the benefits to baby, mother, father and society.

We also have a Mary Kay Cosmetics Link. You may wonder: Why the Mary Kay link? In 2004, Linda wanted to teach daughter Kelly how to run a small, in-home business which she could operate from college with a bit of assistance. We loved Mary Kay products for different reasons: Linda enjoyed the skin care products which relieve some of the consequences of aging and Kelly enjoys their subtle, “hip” beauty products.

We have joined these very different products into gift packages for your benefit – easy shopping. Many of you will find that you love our book products coupled with MK products. You can give these meaningful and personal “pinked” gifts to your children, family and friends at notable occasions in their lives or even for everyday events. Rest assured knowing that all our products are being sold by a family committed to other families and committed to servicing you without asking for your help unless you wish to give it. 

For a more complete list of products visit us at our store.

Fortifying Families of Faith takes marriages and families and parenting seriously and faithfully. We will continue to add to our product line over the course of the years to come. Linda plans include more books ranging from breastfeeding the special needs baby to menopause. All of our products will serve the purpose and mission of supporting family, marriage and parents. We also intend to provide products with values that will appeal to the whole family over the course of a lifetime.  These products while supporting family and marriages ultimately will help set the course for a stronger community/society.  

Linda and Dave have been married for 33 years. We are the proud parents of seven children. We are also proud to boast that we have 3 West Point graduates, one Air Force Academy graduate; four of our children are girls and three are boys. Our youngest child has Down Syndrome! We also have bragging rights to eight grandchildren (including a set of twins).

Dave and Linda are both trained Chemical Engineers with Master’s Degrees in Business Administration Degrees. Dave is employed full time by 3M Corporation. For the past five years Linda has been Chairman of the Board for the Couple to Couple League, a nonprofit organization teaching natural family planning. (http://ccli.org/aboutccl/boardofdirectors.php) As head of the board, Linda has had much influence in changing the course of CCL.

Linda and Dave are also a volunteer teaching couple for the last 30 years. Linda has served on the Archdiocesan Board for Family Life, along with having been a private school board member and other leadership positions. Currently, Linda is also working with others to create a new school faithfully serving the needs of the entire Catholic families and with an interfaith outreach. This school would include those students with special needs as well as their brothers and sisters while also making room for the senior citizens of our community who feel they want to provide service to others in their sunset years.

We have included a short portfolio of our family life via video. Enjoy and let us hear from you!