History

THE BEGINNING

Karen Olson was rushing to a business meeting when she passed a homeless woman on the street. On impulse, Karen bought her a sandwich. The woman, Millie, accepted the sandwich but asked for something more — a chance to be heard. Karen stayed with Millie and listened. What she heard made her understand that homelessness brought profound feelings of diminished self-worth and disconnection from society.

Soon after, Karen and her two sons began delivering lunches to homeless people on the streets of New York. In 1986 Family Promise was founded as a local response to the crisis of family homelessness in Union County, New Jersey. More than 30 years later, we’re a national movement with a presence in almost every state and serving nearly a quarter of a million people a year.

2016 - THE BEGINNING OF FAMILY PROMISE OF GRAYS HARBOR

For many years, family shelter was not an option in Grays Harbor. When a family became homeless, it was almost a certainty that they would have to split up. A dedicated group of local citizens, local pastors, and members from different congregations came together to address the growing need for a shelter where families could stay together. They learned of a national organization that focused specifically on families with children. After inviting representatives from Family Promise to come speak to a group of interested and curious individuals, the process of laying the groundwork for a local affiliate began.

2017 – FAMILY PROMISE OF GRAYS HARBOR WAS BORN

We officially became one of more than 200 Family Promise Affiliates across 43 states addressing family homelessness in America. Becoming an affiliate of National Family Promise provided a model that has succeeded throughout the country - sheltering families at host congregations and rotating weekly.

Several elements were necessary for this effort to come to fruition:

A Day Center with a main office
Host Congregations
Support Congregations
A Fifteen Passenger Van

2019 – THE DREAM BECOMES A REALITY

We secured a Day Center thanks to Amazing Grace Lutheran Church in Aberdeen, WA offering the first floor of their Fellowship Hall with a cost-share/maintenance agreement. The space includes individual family rooms, staff offices, a shower/laundry room, kitchen, common room, and a computer lab.

Ten congregations joined our effort as overnight hosts, spanning from Hoquiam to Elma. Three support congregations attached themselves to several host congregations as additional support, and a fifteen-passenger van was donated by Emmanuel Baptist Church

2019 – OUR FIRST YEAR

Family Promise of Grays Harbor officially begins operations in January. In March, the first family was welcomed into our Shelter Program. For the first year, our families rotated to a different Host Congregation each week where they were provided shelter, meals, and hospitality. Our Shelter Program provides not only shelter, hot meals, and necessities but also connections to local resources, housing and financial planning, referrals, financial assistance, and intensive case management focused on self-sufficiency and securing permanent housing ideally within 30 days.

Our Stabilization Program provided families with anything from furniture donations to moving assistance as well as case management focusing on housing & financial stability after “graduating” and transitioning from shelter to permanent housing.

Family Promise of Grays Harbor officially began operations in January. In March, the first family was welcomed into our Shelter Program. For the first year, our families rotated to a different Host Congregation each week where they were provided shelter, meals, and hospitality. Our Shelter Program provides not only shelter, hot meals, and necessities but also connections to local resources, housing and financial planning, referrals, financial assistance, and intensive case management focused on self-sufficiency and securing permanent housing ideally within 30 days.

2020 – A NEW CHALLENGE

And then the pandemic hit in March of 2020. Our Shelter was temporarily suspended while Congregations were unable to meet in person nor host families. What looked like an insurmountable issue became a static shelter in a matter of months. Through the hard work and dedication of a fantastic group of volunteers and staff, the Day Center became our overnight shelter, and we were able to resume hosting one family at a time. Soon we were able to host three families at a time again and continue to do so today.

In September 2020, Family Promise of Grays Harbor introduced three skill building curricula for the parents in our shelter program. The classes were specifically designed to address the unique needs of families battling homelessness, housing instability, and poverty.

New Beginnings is a comprehensive financial literacy curriculum designed to address the most pressing financial challenges of low-income families. Pathways to Workplace Success is intended to provide professional development to guests entering or currently in the workforce with an emphasis on empowering families to succeed in today’s digital job market. Keys to Good Tenancy is a comprehensive curriculum that consists of a broad spectrum of elements, including budgeting, leases, home repairs, maintenance, landlord and neighbor relations, renters’ rights, and more. The curriculum was designed to help families learn about living in rented and owned homes.