In honor of Black History Month, Family Promise is spotlighting Black Family Promise staff members, board members, volunteers, and clergy who are making an impact in their respective communities.
—
In less than a decade, Nicole Rosser has seen Family Promise of Greater Houston County grow exponentially.
“When we first opened, we were in a two-bedroom house that was 700 square feet,” Rosser said. “Today, we’re in a full-blown static site.”
However, Rosser will be the first to tell you that her Affiliate has been blessed with a great deal of luck over the years. When she became the Executive Director nine years ago, she was a one woman show.
“My days consisted of me wearing all the hats that needed to be worn,” Rosser said. “I was a van driver, a social worker, a fundraiser, and a plumber if need be.”
Five years after moving into the 700 square foot space, the Affiliate was approached by a local nonprofit that was going out of business. They wound up gifting their 2,700 square foot facility, that was fully furnished with supplies and furniture, to Family Promise.
“It was something I never even asked for, it just fell into our lap,” Rosser said.
Incredibly, two years later, Rosser received another life-changing call.
“In December 2020, I got a call from a local church,” Rosser said. “They said, ‘We’ve been watching you. We like the way you operate. We have something you might be interested in.’”
Rosser and an Affiliate board member went to meet with a member of the local church who made the initial outreach. They eventually offered Family Promise an even bigger facility for $1 per year. All because they were so impressed and inspired by the work of Rosser and the Affiliate.
“It was such a blessing,” Rosser said. “It tells you a lot about our community and support they have for Family Promise.”
Up until being offered the new facility, Rosser did not have any full-time staff. Because of the size of the property that would soon become a static shelter site for families, Rosser was able to hire employees for the first time. One of the new staff members is a Family Promise graduate.
“She was very successful in our program almost three years ago,” Rosser said. “She actually received a vehicle donation while she was in the program. Now, she’s my colleague!”
