In Giving We Receive

Karen Olson was rushing to a business meeting in NYC when she passed a woman experiencing homelessness 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 

Rondi Bogwald

from society. Soon after, Karen and her two sons began delivering lunches to people experiencing homelessness on the streets of New York. ​

In 1986, Karen learned of the homelessness affecting her own community in New Jersey and knew she had to do something. She brought together people in need and people who wanted to help, including the existing community resources, the religious community, the YMCA, a car dealership, and most importantly, volunteers.  The first “Interfaith Hospitality Network” opened that year. The community was working together.  

In 1988, the National Interfaith Hospitality Network was formed using Karen’s community model. In 2003, the name was changed to Family Promise. The new name refers to the promise and the potential inherent in every family. The organization continues to grow around the country. They have over 200 community-based affiliates across 43 states and help well over 100,000 children and adults per year. Family Promise has trained and mobilized over one million volunteers over the past thirty years. In 2026, Karen Olson now serves as President Emeritus. She has published one book, “Meant for More,” and is working on her second book. Family Promise now has a national board as well as local boards.     

The Family Promise mission is to end homelessness among families with children, one family at a time, by respectfully empowering them to achieve lasting independence and stabilization through a community-wide response from faith-based groups and civic organizations. The four key areas of focus are: eviction prevention, shelter diversion, shelter, and stabilization. In 2024, our local network served 43 families.  

First Presbyterian Church is one of 16 congregations in CDA and Post Falls that participate in Family Promise. Each year, a schedule of host churches is created.  Our church hosts families about five times a year for a week. Guests arrive on Sunday mornings and depart for their new location on the next Sunday morning. We provide sleeping rooms, upstairs in the Hunter building, including rooms for two volunteers! Dinners are provided by church volunteers. We also coordinate at least two host volunteers to be present during dinner to serve, socialize, and help out in any way. The sign-up board for any of these volunteer duties is put out a few weeks before we welcome our guests. You will see us standing there to answer your questions and get you signed up! Each morning, our guests leave for jobs or go back to the Family Promise offices at St. Luke's Episcopal Church up the street.  Family Promise offers many opportunities to serve in addition to helping out at church. Please feel free to contact them directly or talk to us. Our next guests will be arriving on March 8. 

Special thanks to all of our wonderful volunteers!

In His Name, Rondi
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For it is in the giving that we receive. 
- St.Francis of Assisi