Years ago, I did not come to Family Promise as a leader. I came as a parent in crisis. Like so many families in Alachua County, my family and I were moving from couch to couch, never knowing where we would sleep next. Childhood homelessness does not always look like the streets. Sometimes it looks like borrowed beds, packed bags, and families just trying to survive one night at a time.

Family Promise stepped in and gave us more than shelter. They gave us stability, dignity, and a way forward. That moment changed my life.

Today, I serve as the Executive Director of the very organization that once served my family. And that is why our Annual Bed Race means so much to me. A bed is not just furniture. It is rest. It is safety. It is a child knowing where they will sleep at night.

I am living proof of what is possible when a community shows up. I was once a participant. Today I lead the mission. And together, through events like the Bed Race, we are making sure that the next family does not have to move from couch to couch, wondering when their break will come.

Because hope changes everything, and sometimes, it starts with a bed.

Join us for a day of fun, excitement, and community!

Rachael Ryan, Interim Executive Director