OUR STORY

The spark for Family Promise began with a woman who regularly encountered homeless people in New York City. Karen Olson, now president emeritus of the national organization, came to know many of the city’s homeless people after she and her two sons began to bring food to them.

Olson soon learned even in her hometown of Union County, NJ, there were hundreds of homeless people, including families. Many families did not turn to shelters for fear of being separated. She realized that the faith community had existing space and motivated volunteers, both needed to end family homelessness.

Within ten months, 11 area congregations committed to provide hospitality space within their buildings. All the pieces fell into place and on October 27, 1986, the first Interfaith Hospitality Network opened its doors.

Since then, Family Promise has established more than 200 affiliates in 43 states, using the services of more than 200,000 volunteers and 6,500 congregations. Family Promise affiliates provide shelter, meals, housing, and job placement support to more than 126,000 homeless family members annually, 58 percent of them children. By 2030, Family Promise seeks to transform the lives of one million children.