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The two-story tan brick building at 407 State Street, Hackensack, with a Family Promise of Bergen County sign on the front, flower beds out front, and a church steeple in the distance

407 State Street, Hackensack

OurFutureHome

A gift from Tim and Kristie Woods gives Family Promise of Bergen County its first permanent home, where our staff and family services can work side by side.

Visit our website Read the announcement
407 State St.Hackensack, NJ
2,000 sq. ft.Two-story building
A firstOur first permanent home
More to comeUpdates shared here soon

A message from our Executive Director

One step closer to a dream.

Kate Duggan, Executive Director

Kate DugganExecutive Director

Despite the warm welcome we received in Ridgewood 15 years ago, Family Promise has always dreamed of having its own space where staff and family services could work together to prevent homelessness for more working families. We are one step closer to making that dream a reality thanks to the generosity of Tim and Kristie Woods of Demarest, who donated a building in Hackensack to us.

Tim is the son of Nancy Woods, one of the founders of the Interreligious Fellowship for the Homeless, which eventually became Family Promise of Bergen County. Nancy spent her life advocating for working families who struggled with housing and food insecurity. Both Tim and Kristie are active volunteers for Family Promise who understand that this gift is, in their words, “an investment in families, in opportunity, and in the comprehensive support that can create lasting stability and brighter futures” for families facing homelessness.

Nancy’s legacy lives on through the kindness of Tim and Kristie Woods, and we are extremely grateful.

Kate DugganExecutive Director, Family Promise of Bergen County

Our story

Nearly 40 years and four towns. Now, an address of our own.

Since 1987 we have served families from every corner of Bergen County, always from space that belonged to someone else.

  1. Englewood
    Where it began, 1987

    The Interreligious Fellowship for the Homeless opens. A year later, co-founder Nancy Woods successfully advocates for a shelter for parents and children at St. Cecilia’s.

  2. Teaneck
    Rented offices

    As the work grows, the organization operates out of rented quarters.

  3. Ridgewood
    2011 to today

    Newly affiliated with Family Promise national, our staff find a warm welcome at the United Methodist Church.

  4. Hackensack
    Our future home

    Tim and Kristie Woods donate 407 State Street, a permanent home in the city where our Walk-In Dinner has fed neighbors since 1991.

The donors

The answer was a building they already owned.

Tim Woods had been helping Family Promise search for a new headquarters. His construction background made him a natural fit, and he saw that Hackensack was the right place. But location after location fell through. “We looked at five or six buildings and went to the edge and pulled back,” he says.

Then, as the tenant’s lease at his own office building on State Street was ending, Tim and Kristie had an idea. “We thought, ‘Why not just donate our building?’” They floated it past Frank Skuthan, the board member leading the search. Frank was speechless, then recovered enough to say, “That’d be great!”

High school sweethearts from Northern Valley in Demarest, Tim and Kristie are longtime volunteers. “Kristie and I feel that being charitable is in our DNA,” Tim says.

For the Woods family, volunteering is a family affair.
“This gift represents more than an investment in a physical space. It is an investment in families, in opportunity, and in the comprehensive support that can help create lasting stability and brighter futures.”
Kristie Woods
Tim and Kristie Woods standing together in front of their fireplace at home
Tim and Kristie Woods dressed up for an evening event

Tim and Kristie Woods of Demarest

Portrait of Nancy Woods, smiling, in a pink top and glasses

In honor of Nancy Woods

Small but mighty.

In 1987, Nancy Woods helped launch the Interreligious Fellowship for the Homeless and was instrumental in advocating for a shelter at St. Cecilia’s in Englewood dedicated to parents and children with nowhere else to turn. It is there that she left her mark.

A familiar presence there for many years, she spent countless evenings supporting families and welcoming volunteers from congregations across Bergen County. Nancy was admired by all, including her 14 children, for her generous spirit and practical wisdom.

Nancy passed away in 2020 at the age of 92, but her legacy continues through the families served and volunteers inspired by her work.

“If you truly want to honor her, go out today and help someone less fortunate.” From the obituary written by Nancy’s children

Why this home matters

A building made for our mission.

Our vision

A community where every working family has a stable home and the means to create a better life.

Our mission

To prevent homelessness for working families, now and in the future, by promoting housing and food security.

95%

of families graduating from our program move into market-rate housing.

1.5M+

meals served through the Walk-In Dinner since 1991.

70

towns in Bergen County, and we have helped families from every one of them.

Why Hackensack

Our roots here run deep.

Volunteers in aprons and caps serving food along a cafeteria serving line
Serving a community meal
Volunteers in yellow shirts sorting canned food donations
Volunteers make it all possible
  • Walk-In DinnerA free nightly meal, every day of the year, since 1991. Since 2008 it has been held at the Bergen County Housing, Health and Human Services Center.
  • Thanksgiving DinnerFor 32 years, a free holiday meal for 350+ neighbors.
  • Community30 faith-based Hackensack congregations have supported our efforts over the years.

“We can think of no better community to call home than Hackensack.”Paul Shackford, President, Board of Trustees

News

News release

Family Promise of Bergen County receives gift of Hackensack building

Longtime supporters Tim and Kristie Woods have donated a 2,000-square-foot building at 407 State Street, giving the nonprofit a permanent home for its offices and programs.

Read the full release

HACKENSACK, N.J. Family Promise of Bergen County has received a donation of a 2,000-square-foot building, located at 407 State Street in Hackensack, from longtime supporters Tim and Kristie Woods, providing the nonprofit with a permanent home for its offices and programs that aim to prevent homelessness and hunger among working families.

The donation carries special significance for Family Promise. Tim Woods’ mother, Nancy Woods, helped found the organization in 1987, which was previously known as the Interreligious Fellowship for the Homeless before becoming an affiliate of Family Promise National in 2010. The gift honors her decades of service to families facing housing insecurity and hunger.

“We are extremely grateful to Tim and Kristie for this extraordinary gift,” said Kate Duggan, Executive Director of Family Promise of Bergen County. “This new home will give us a permanent place to bring together the people, programs, and partners that advance our mission of helping working families achieve housing and food security. I worked with Nancy for many years and she would be delighted that Tim and Kristie have made such a meaningful gift to the organization to which she gave her heart and soul.”

In a statement, the couple said the donation “reflects both our desire to honor Tim’s mother’s legacy and our commitment to creating lasting impact for families in need. Nancy devoted 40 years of her life to advocating for working families facing homelessness and hunger. Her compassion, dedication, and belief in the power of community continue to inspire us. We are grateful to be part of this important work.”

Family Promise has served Bergen County for nearly 40 years, empowering thousands of families to overcome housing instability and achieve permanent self-sufficiency. In addition to temporary housing and rental assistance, the organization provides wrap-around support services, including case management, financial education, job training, childcare, and other resources, designed to help families build the skills needed to remain housed and avoid the trauma of homelessness for future generations.

“Family Promise envisions a community where every working family has a stable home and the means to create a better life,” Duggan said. “We often say that we don’t offer families a handout; we offer them a hand up.”

Family Promise has been based at the United Methodist Church in Ridgewood since 2011 but has been seeking a permanent space that could accommodate its staff and provide a central location for its expanding services.

The new headquarters also strengthens Family Promise’s longstanding presence in Hackensack. The organization’s nightly Walk-In Dinner Program, which provides free meals to community members and residents of the county shelter, has been held at the Bergen County Housing, Health, and Human Services Center since 2008. Since its inception in 1991, this program has served more than 1.5 million meals to individuals and families facing food insecurity.

“We’ve been looking for a permanent place to create a full-service headquarters for many years,” said Paul Shackford, President of the Family Promise Board of Trustees. “Tim and Kristie Woods have answered our prayers. We can think of no better community to call home than Hackensack.”

“We are proud to support an organization whose mission reflects the values Nancy lived every day,” Kristie added. “This gift represents more than an investment in a physical space. It is an investment in families, in opportunity, and in the comprehensive support that can help create lasting stability and brighter futures.”

About Family Promise of Bergen County

Family Promise of Bergen County’s mission is to prevent homelessness for working families, now and in the future, by promoting housing and food security. Since 1987, the organization has been dedicated to empowering children and parents facing homelessness by providing temporary housing, homeless prevention services, and holistic, targeted support tailored to their unique needs. The nonprofit also addresses food insecurity through its nightly Family Promise Walk-In Dinner in Hackensack, which has served more than 1.5 million meals to individuals and families in need since its inception in 1991.

Media contact: Amy Ebeling, Director of Development, aebeling@bergenfamilypromise.org

How we help

A hand up, not a handout.

Each family is assessed individually. A permanent home lets us bring all of this support together in one place.

A smiling mother and her young son resting on a pillow together

Life coaching

One-on-one case management built around each family’s goals.

Job training

Career exploration and training to help parents increase their income.

Financial education

Budgeting skills plus a savings program that builds a nest egg.

Help with childcare

So parents can keep working while children are safe and cared for.

Transportation

Getting to work, school, and appointments without any disruption.

Life skills workshops

Practical workshops that build confidence and independence.

Our program takes discipline, desire, and drive. We partner with families that are already putting in the effort, and we hope our assistance helps them go further.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Who does Family Promise serve?

Working families with children under 18. A typical family is a single mother with one or two children, though we also serve single fathers and two-parent families. Our core principle is keeping families together.

How do families join the program?

At least one adult must be currently or consistently working. Intake includes a phone screening, an in-person interview, a review of pay stubs and bank records, and a conversation about the family’s goals. Families who are invited to join agree to the program’s expectations, and a background check is completed.

Where do families go after the program?

About 95% move into market-rate housing. While with us, families take part in a mandatory savings program, putting at least 40% of their income into an escrow account overseen by Family Promise. Most graduate with enough savings to cover rent, security deposits, and moving costs.

Where do families come from?

All over Bergen County. We have helped families from every municipality in the county, because housing insecurity exists in every one of them.

What happens next at 407 State Street?

Day-to-day operations for Family Promise will move to our new headquarters in Hackensack, so all of our services will take place in one central location. We are also exploring other opportunities to expand our ability to serve more families.