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Our Mission
To end homelessness, one family at a time, by engaging the community to work together to provide emergency shelter and basic needs to families with children who are in a housing crisis and to provide additional programs to assist them in finding housing and sustaining their independence.
Our Values
- Has Passion for Mission
- Prioritizes Accessibility, Belonging and Community
- Is Dedicated to Hospitality
- Collaborates Intentionally
- Is Hungry, Humble, and Smart
- Assumes Good Intent
- Strives for Excellence and Sustained Impact
Our Priorities
Respond with compassion to the crises that often trigger first-time—and for many, only-time—homelessness, including job loss, illness, divorce, domestic violence, and other unexpected hardships.
Keep families together—including fathers and older boys—so parents can focus on rebuilding stability without the added trauma of separation.
Support families in securing sustainable, independent housing that puts them on a path toward long-term stability.
Connect parents with mentors, resources, and ongoing support to help them build the skills and confidence needed to achieve lasting self-sufficiency.
Reduce the trauma and stress children experience during homelessness by helping families find stability quickly and breaking the cycle of housing insecurity for good.
Our History
Family Promise of West Michigan began in 1997 when twelve Grand Rapids congregations came together around a critical need: ensuring that families experiencing homelessness could access emergency shelter without being separated. These congregations formed the Greater Grand Rapids Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN), offering their buildings and volunteers to provide safe, rotational shelter and hospitality to families in crisis.
As this model grew nationwide, our organization rebranded in 2007 under the Family Promise name, joining a national network committed to addressing family homelessness. In 2008, we purchased and rehabilitated our first manufactured home, marking the beginning of our Partners in Housing program, where volunteers and staff renovate manufactured homes to create affordable homeownership opportunities for families.
In 2015, through the Journey Home Campaign, we moved into our current headquarters at 516 Cherry Street, expanding our capacity in response to the rising number of local families impacted by the affordable housing crisis. By 2019, Family Promise of West Michigan deepened its focus on long-term stability. Utilizing EMPath’s nationally recognized economic mobility model, we provide strengths-based coaching to help families not only remain housed, but also build pathways toward lasting independence and thriving futures.
In 2024, we further expanded our impact with the opening of the Wyoming Park Family Shelter, reflecting the increasing need for family-centered shelter solutions in our community. Today, Family Promise of West Michigan offers a full spectrum of services across the homelessness-to-housing continuum. We serve nearly 1,000 families each year and are one of the largest of over 200 Family Promise affiliates nationwide working together to end homelessness, one family at a time.
The Impact
Because of our community-driven model, the success families experience at Family Promise of West Michigan has been remarkable.
90%
of families find a place to call home
90%
of families that found housing remain stably housed
4,000+
families helped
10,000+
children impacted
Together, We Make It Happen
It takes a village of support to make this possible each year.
3,500
volunteers
150+
congregations
100+
businesses
