Karen Olson

Karen Olson is the Founder and President of Family Promise. In 1986, Karen Olson began a countywide mobilization of religious communities to provide homeless families with shelter and meals and help them get back on their feet from her home state of New Jersey. The organization, now known as Family Promise, expanded to 39 states and now involves more than 125,000 volunteers and 5,000 congregations of all religious faiths. It is recognized nationally for its innovative and effective work in mobilizing volunteers. Under Karen's continuing direction, Family Promise has expanded its mission beyond providing immediate assistance to homeless families to include a homelessness prevention program along with initiatives to address the underlying causes of homelessness. Family Promise also has developed a multi-media community education program, Just Neighbors, to raise awareness about poverty-related issues, and is engaged in public policy work.