Family Promise

Family Promise Rochester prevents and ends family homelessness through shelter, eviction prevention, and stabilization - keeping families together and thriving.

Before COVID, Gloria Dei was one of many churches in Olmsted County that took turns opening their buildings for a week at a time to host families experiencing homelessness as part of the Interfaith Hospitality Network. Volunteers helped us provide breakfast, dinner, and a safe place to sleep.

When the pandemic came, a new model was adopted and a house in town was found to serve as a home-based shelter. The need for family shelter continued to surpass the available space, however, and in 2025, the Promise House was opened, which houses up to 14 families at a time. Alongside the Promise House, Family Promise Rochester also runs three additional programs that help families stay housed or return to stable housing: Eviction Prevention, Shelter Diversion, and Stabilization. Family Promise Rochester serves over 250 local families each year.

At Gloria Dei, we partner with Family Promise Rochester because they share our vision and embody the radical, all-inclusive love of Christ: responding to families in crisis with dignity and compassion while providing pathways that empower them toward healing, wholeness, and hope.

There are many different ways to join our team and help us partner with Family Promise. Here are a few examples:

• Volunteering as an “adoptive grandparent” to walk alongside families for a few months

• Providing child-care on-site while parents participate in programming

• Giving a ride to a parent to get to an appointment

• Creating a “welcome basket” for a family when they arrive at Family Promise

• Preparing a “move-in basket” for families transitioning into permanent housing