What We Do
One Family's mission is to prevent homelessness and break the cycle of family poverty in Massachusetts by promoting pathways to economic independence through advocacy, education, and innovation.
We take a multi-pronged approach to this work. We offer three direct-service programs: One Family Scholars, Credential to Career Coaching (C2C), and Family Self-Sufficiency. Each program helps parents with low incomes access education and career opportunities, increase their incomes, and achieve lasting economic and housing stability. At the same time, we engage in Public Policy advocacy to promote policies that will prevent homelessness and help families achieve self-sufficiency on a systemic level. Finally, we share our curricula and methodology with other direct-service providers through our Technical Assistance work.
Our theory of change is that if we can create policies focused on homelessness prevention, while simultaneously offering direct-service programs that promote opportunities for economic advancement, then we can end family homelessness in Massachusetts.
Credential to Career
Credential to Career (C2C) is a free 15-month program that helps parents identify and enter family-sustaining career paths, including group workshops and individual coaching sessions. During the program, each participant creates a detailed, personal plan to achieve their education and career goals.
One Family Scholars
The One Family Scholars program provides personalized academic and career coaching to single parents with low incomes in college across Massachusetts. One Family Scholars also receive a scholarship that helps to offset both the direct costs of college (tuition, fees, books, technology) and the indirect costs (transportation, childcare, living expenses).
Family Self-Sufficiency
One Family provides self-sufficiency coaching to families with Section 8 housing vouchers across the Metro Boston region. This program includes both a financial incentive in the form of an escrow savings account, as well as a coaching component to help participants reach their education, career, and financial goals.
Technical Assistance
Over the past two decades, One Family has developed deep expertise and highly-effective strategies around supporting families on the road to self-sufficiency. Through our Technical Assistance work, we share our learnings and coaching methodology with direct-service providers from government agencies and other nonprofits.
