The Family Promise History
Over twenty years ago a woman named Karen Olsen made a stop on her way to work that changed her life and changed the lives of homeless families with children. Karen lived in New Jersey and worked in New York City. She often passed homeless people on her way to work. One morning she noticed a homeless woman and felt moved to stop and buy her a sandwich. When Karen handed the woman the sandwich the woman took the sandwich but also took Karen’s hand to talk for a little while.
That experience taught Karen that homeless people need compassion as much food. She and her two sons began taking food regularly to homeless people living on the streets. She soon turned to her community for help and the Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) was officially born in 1988. It became a national organization when other communities across the country began to form their own IHN affiliates.
In 2003 Mobile formed an affiliate, the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Coastal Alabama. The Homeless Coalition originally brought the idea of IHN to Mobile and turned to Government Street Presbyterian Church for support. The church gave the organization a two year grant to help jump start its mission. Other local congregations signed on to shelter families for one week at a time on a rotating basis.
While this was happening, national Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) changed its organizational name to Family Promise and kept IHN as its shelter program name.
National Family Promise continues to serve as a model of American volunteerism in the U. S. and abroad. It also received a Points of Light award. There are now approximately 140 affiliates across the country. 2008 marked its twentieth anniversary of sheltering homeless families. What a difference one stop of compassion can make!
We welcome you to join our Friends of Family Promise eMailing List, or feel free to donate and support local homeless families today.
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