About Us
Kindness Crosses All Barriers
Our Mission Statement: Our mission is to end homelessness, one family at a time. Through safe housing and education, Family Promise guides families as they break the cycle, and rise from homelessness to sustainable independence.
Our staff, board members, congregations, and volunteers all provide valuable services that impact the lives of the families we serve. These donations of time, talent, and treasure mean the world to us and we are incredibly grateful for their support.
Family Promise of Southern New Hampshire Staff
Pam Wellman
Executive Director
Joanne Perez
Prevension and Diversion Program Director
Michelle Guerrin
Finance and Compliance Director
Karen Berniche
Grants Director
Matt Hodgkiss
Operations and Volunteer Program Director
Faith Ayala
Major Gifts and Development Officer
Melissa Johnstone
Director of Programs and Services
Deb Federico
Marketing Director
Minely Rosa
Administrative Manager
Arwen McCaffrey
Case Management
Family Promise of Southern New Hampshire Board of Trustees
Marc Siragusa, Chair
The Siragusa Companies
Bob Mack, Vice-Chair
Welfare Officer, City of Nashua
Brian Crawford
Retired Corporate Executive (Emeritus)
Steve Estes
Retired Corporate Executive
Lori Piper
SVP Commercial Lending, Enterprise Bank
Timothy Powers
Headmaster, Pinkerton Academy
James Murguia, Secretary
President, Solid State Scientific
Cheryl Ruane, Treasurer
Finance Manager, Raytheon
Pamela Wellman
Executive Director, Family Promise of Southern NH
Rev. Dr. Andrew Armstrong
Pastor, First Church Nashua
Chuck Nuskey
ServPro of Derry/Londonderry
Marleen Paquette
Senior Loan Officer, Guild Mortgage
Damian Deanault
Retired Engineer
Kevin Rourke
Chief of Police, Nashua Police Department
Lisa Scheib, MD
Nashua West Adult Medicine
Nicole Shultz-Price
Divine Millimet Attorneys at Law
Donald Stokes
Community Relations Director, Eversource NH
Our Congregations
Amherst Congregational Church
Christ the King Lutheran Church
Christ Presbyterian Church of Nashua
Crossway Christian Church
First Baptist Church of Nashua
First Church of Nashua, UCC
First Parish Congregational Church
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
Londonderry United Methodist Church
Main Street United Methodist Church
Messiah Lutheran Church
Milford United Methodist Church
Nashua Presbyterian Church
New Life Christian Church
Our Lady of Mercy Parish
St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church
St. David’s Episcopal Church
St. Kathryn’s Catholic Church
St. Mark’s Catholic Church
St. Patrick’s Church
Temple Beth Abraham
Triumphant Cross Lutheran Church
Unitarian Universalist Congregation Milford
Windham Presbyterian Church
Our History
In 2000, 7 local congregations came together to address the issue of family homelessness in the Greater Nashua community and created the Greater Nashua Interfaith Hospitality Network (GNIHN). In 2001, they began hosting families overnight at their facilities on a rotational basis while providing support and case management to help them achieve financial independence. In 2002, the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary approached the United Way of Greater Nashua seeking a dynamic, new ministry for their under-utilized noviate building. The United Way put them in touch with the GNIHN and in 2002, families began to stay at their Home for Now at Anne Marie House.
Over the next 10 years, dozens of local families achieved permanent stability and a path out of homelessness. In 2012, GNIHN joined as an affiliate of the national non-profit Family Promise, which leveraged national resources for the local community. The name of the program was formally changed to Family Promise of Greater Nashua (FPGN), but families continued to reside at Anne Marie House. In 2018, FPGN started to serve families in western Rockingham county after the Family Promise affiliate there ceased operations. In 2019, to reflect this expanded service area, the name was again changed to Family Promise of Southern New Hampshire (FPSNH).
In 2020, Family Promise of Southern New Hampshire entered into an agreement with St. John XIII parish to convert the former Infant Jesus School in Nashua into a new transitional housing facility for local families experiencing homelessness.
In February 2021 families were able to start moving in to the new building at 3 Crown Street, Nashua, NH. The successful renovation of Infant Jesus School allows Family Promise to provide transitional housing for up to 24 families, doubling its former capacity.
Given the level of homelessness in southern NH, we will be opening a new residence facility in Derry. This facility will house up to 8 families and will be closely modeled on our Nashua residence. Construction will begin soon and is expected to be completed in late 2023 or early 2025.
