No parent should ever have to look their child in the eye and say, “Tonight, we’re sleeping in the car.” Yet this is the reality families in Massachusetts are facing. Under new shelter rules and broken housing programs, parents are being forced into impossible choices—protect their child for one more night or qualify for help by enduring the trauma of the streets. These moments leave scars that last a lifetime, and they are happening right here in our community.

Many of the families we serve are fully employed: teachers who fund their own classrooms, bank tellers who greet us daily, service workers who keep our community moving. They are the helpers we count on. But when an unexpected setback strikes, even the helpers can find themselves choosing between hunger, health, or housing. You can read the full story and see how you can help us be there when they need it most.

Chelsea was a young mom doing everything she could to keep her baby safe in an apartment with no heat or hot water. When she stood up for her rights, a missing page in court filings left her with an eviction record that kept her locked out of housing for a year. With the help of Family Promise, that record is finally cleared — but her story shows just how much the system stacks against families. Read her story and join us at the Walk to End Homelessness to stand with families like hers.