Our Story
Every Family Deserves a Place to Call Home
At Family Promise of Cobb County, we help families with children experiencing homelessness regain stability and build a path toward lasting independence. Through a compassionate network of congregations, volunteers, and community partners, we provide safe shelter, housing support, professional case management, and eviction prevention services for families facing housing instability.
Together, we walk alongside families as they move from crisis to stability—helping parents secure employment, children remain connected to school, and families return to homes of their own.
How We Help Families
Family Promise of Cobb County provides a continuum of support designed to meet families where they are and help them move forward. These services work together to help families achieve long-term housing stability and independence.
Our programs include:
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Emergency shelter through our network of partner congregations
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Professional case management and goal planning
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Eviction prevention and housing stabilization services
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Connections to employment, financial coaching, and community resources
A Trauma-Informed Approach
Families experiencing homelessness have often faced significant challenges—from financial crisis to domestic violence to unexpected life disruptions. That’s why Family Promise of Cobb County uses a trauma-informed approach in all of our programs. We focus on creating environments that emphasize safety, dignity, respect, and empowerment, helping families rebuild confidence and move forward with hope.
A Community Working Together
Family Promise of Cobb County is powered by a remarkable community of congregations, volunteers, local businesses, and supporters who believe every family deserves a safe place to call home. Together, we are widening the circle of care in Cobb County—so we can say yes to more families in need. Join us as a volunteer, partner congregation, or supporter and help families rebuild their lives.
It Started with a Sandwich and Grew Into a Promise
In 1981, Karen Olson was a marketing executive who developed promotional campaigns for consumer products. One morning, on her way to a meeting, she saw a homeless woman, someone she’d seen over and over again on her way to work.
She decided to buy a sandwich for the woman. The stranger accepted the sandwich but asked for something else – a moment to be heard, to be comforted, and to be considered as more than a mere statistic on a cold street corner.
Soon, Karen and her two young sons began frequent trips to New York to hand out sandwiches to the homeless. As she came to know some of the city’s homeless people, she began to understand the profound loss and disconnection that homelessness causes. In 1988, that understanding turned into an enduring commitment when Karen founded the Family Promise organization. Today there are over 200 Family Promise Affiliates across the country. Click Here to learn more about Family Promise National.
A Promise Grows in Cobb County, Georgia
2014
Family Promise of Cobb County was founded in 2014 by a group of compassionate and dedicated individuals who recognized the urgent need to address family homelessness in our community. Driven by a shared vision of providing hope and stability to families in crisis, they laid the groundwork for an organization that would offer comprehensive support services to those in need.
2015
In our first full year of operation, we successfully partnered with local congregations to provide shelter and meals to our first group of families. Our case management and life skills programs began to take shape, offering a holistic approach to helping families regain their independence.
2018
By 2018, Family Promise of Cobb County had become a well-established presence in the community. We received increased support from local businesses, schools, and civic organizations, which enabled us to enhance our services and offer more robust support to families in transition.
2020
2026
When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, Family Promise of Cobb County faced unprecedented challenges. Despite uncertainty and safety concerns, FPCC implemented strong health protocols and relied on the dedication of its volunteers and congregational partners to keep the rotational shelter program operating. While many Family Promise affiliates across the country were forced to suspend shelter operations, FPCC remained one of the few able to continue serving families experiencing homelessness—demonstrating the resilience and commitment of our community to keep the promise even during a time of crisis.
2026 is a year of renewal and reinvestment for Family Promise of Cobb County. Through our theme, “Widening the Circle to Say Yes to More Families,” we are bringing new partners into our work, strengthening our programs, and expanding our ability to serve families in Cobb County experiencing or at risk of homelessness.