Our Story

With a national program that started as a simple act of compassion, Family Promise of Gwinnett has helped stabilize housing for more than 3,000 guests since 2005.

OUR TIMELINE

2003: Taco Bell Beginnings

Carter McInnis, then associate pastor at Lawrenceville First United Methodist Church, overheard a conversation at a Taco Bell about an organization that used houses of worship to shelter families in need. This program, called the Interfaith Hospitality Network, intrigued Carter. After discussing it with his Senior Pastor, they decided to host a meeting to explore this opportunity further.

2004: First Team Meeting

In March, Tom Cioffi from Lawrenceville First United Methodist Church shared the idea of hosting families in need with several church members. Together with individuals from other congregations, they formed a steering team, with Tom becoming the first Board of Trustees President. Around this time, the national Interfaith Hospitality Network rebranded to Family Promise, emphasizing communities’ commitment to helping families and recognizing their inherent potential.

2005: First Family Served

The first Family Promise of Gwinnett Director, Brent Bohanan, was hired in March. St. Edward Episcopal Church in Lawrenceville donated part of its facility for a Day Center, and the first family was served in April.

2008: Day Center Opened

The current Day Center opened, and it was leased from First Christian Church in Lawrenceville for only $1 per year. We also acquired our first transitional house.

2010: Mentoring Began

In order to offer ongoing support to families who graduated from Family Promise, we began the mentoring program.

2011: Ministry Expanded

We expanded our ministry by acquiring a second transitional house in March and opened the SaltLight Center in October. The SaltLight Center serves as an emergency shelter for homeless single women and women with children in Gwinnett County. Its mission is to provide opportunities for the community to meet the immediate needs of these individuals.

2013-2019: New Leadership

In 2013, Brent Bohanan resigned as Network Director to lead the Gwinnett County Habitat for Humanity program. In July, Chuck Ferraro, a former board member and volunteer, was hired as the new Director. Chuck served until February 2017.

Matt Elder became Executive Director on March 1, 2017, bringing experience from Gwinnett County’s community development, affordable housing, and homeless programs. He resigned in June 2018 to join the United Way of Greater Atlanta, focusing on homelessness and affordable housing.

In August 2019, Carol Love became Executive Director. She was the founding Director of Family Promise of Gwinnett’s SaltLight Center and worked at Wilbanks Partners in marketing and client relationship management. Carol began her career at Ernst & Young and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business.

2021: Promise Haven Began Building

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 caused us to end the program of congregations hosting families experiencing homelessness for one week at a time. Instead, the community united to refurbish a house for families to stay throughout their time with us. This home, named Promise Haven, was officially opened and blessed in November.

2022: Promise Haven Opens

Promise Haven officially accepted its first two families in January.