Our Mission
Family Promise North Shore Boston aims to prevent and end family homelessness.
We promote access to economic opportunity and housing stability through a holistic, family-centered, community-based response.
How We’re Different
Since May of 2013, Family Promise North Shore Boston has worked with local organizations and congregations, hundreds of volunteers, and dedicated staff, to further our mission of promoting access to economic opportunity and housing stability.
Prior to 2020 our Emergency Shelter program worked intensively with a small number of families at a time, dedicating many hours per week to ensure each family has the services they need to be successful. We used existing resources through a network of local congregations. Families received meals and overnight lodging at local houses of worship, which took turns sheltering families one week at a time. During the day, our guests had access and transportation to our Day Center, where staff and case managers helped them attain employment, sustainable housing and other services as needed.
In March of 2020, our shelter model shifted permanently from a rotation through local congregations, to a permanent single site model. We continue to be a unique and important asset to the North Shore community as we are one of the only privately funded shelters for families in all of Massachusetts. Currently, when a family seeks shelter they are directed to their local DTA office where they are determined “eligible” or “ineligible” for shelter. In many cases, families who have nowhere else to go can still be considered ineligible for a variety of reasons, such as being “over-income.” Family Promise fills an important gap by being a resource for families who are being turned away from the state shelter system.
In January of 2021, our programs also expanded to include Homelessness Prevention and Shelter Diversion.
Who We Are
National Model
170 affiliates in 41 states, with 180,000 volunteers from 5,000 congregations, touching the lives of 50,000 people in need each year
Volunteers Like You
Today, there are over 1400 volunteers across the North Shore working directly with the families that we serve.