For families facing homelessness, finding a safe place to sleep is only the beginning. Securing employment, arranging childcare and finding permanent housing can make the path forward feel impossible.
Family Promise of Montgomery County is working to change that.
The nonprofit has served the community since 2001, helping families with children move out of the crisis of homelessness and toward lasting independence. It is part of a nationwide network of nearly 200 affiliates, with local programs structured around the needs and resources of its specific community.
“Empowering families for long-term stability, creating that generational change, and transitioning families with children from zero to 18 years out of the crisis of homelessness” is central to the organization’s mission, said Marilyn Kasmiersky, executive director.
A 90-DAY PROGRAM FOCUSED ON LASTING SOLUTIONS:
Family Promise offers a 90-day program for eligible families with children ages 18 and younger. It is not an emergency shelter. Instead, it operates as structured path toward stable housing.
“If they don’t have a job, we help them with workforce development, educational advancement, gas cards, provide childcare so they can work — whatever we can do to remove barriers to help them move forward with success,” Kasmiersky said.
After an intake process, families move into the organization’s guest center and gain access to life-skills support, workforce development, educational advancement, childcare, gas cards, trauma counseling and budget coaching.
The goal is for families to leave the program with the resources and confidence to stay housed.
“We’re not an enabler, but we’re empowering,” she said. “How exciting is that for the family to build that self-confidence to come out of a crisis into a brighter future?” she said.
THE SCOPE OF THE NEED:
Homelessness does not always look the way people expect. Families may be sleeping in vehicles, moving between relatives’ homes or paying for temporary hotel stays while searching for permanent housing.
Local school data reflects the scale of the problem. During the 2024–2025 school year, Kasmiersky said Conroe Independent School District recorded 14 registered students experiencing homelessness. A figure she says does not capture the full scope of need across Montgomery County and surrounding areas.
Kasmiersky said 25% of children who experience homelessness with their parents go on to become homeless adults.
“We want to break that cycle. We want to create generational change, break up the poverty cycle, and help families achieve success,” she said.
Family Promise also works to prevent homelessness before families lose their housing. The organization reported serving 2,516 families through prevention efforts and providing 5,670 bed-nights 2,347 for children and 1,156 for adults.
WHEN A PAYCHECK IS NOT ENOUGH:
Even working families can struggle to stay housed. Kasmiersky pointed to a common affordability scenario: a person earning $15 an hour takes home roughly $2,600 a month. A $1,300 apartment consumes half of that before utilities, food, transportation or childcare.
“Healthy families equal a healthier community,” Kasmiersky said. “It takes our village of our whole community.”
HOW TO FIND HELP OR GET INVOLVED:
Families in Montgomery County experiencing homelessness or at risk of losing housing can contact Family Promise directly to learn whether the program is the right fit.
The local website also includes upcoming events, fundraisers and ways to volunteer or donate.
“We are here and we are part of the solution,” Kasmiersky said.
