The work of Abba's Family focuses on transformation of the faith community through relationships of service with the poor.

Abba’s Family, a private nonprofit organization in Tulsa, was founded in 2007. Their primary operation, called the Housing Faith Alliance, builds bridges of connectivity between the faith community and formerly homeless mentally ill men and women. This effort is designed to end homelessness and allow for formerly homeless individuals to become fully included in the community. Through the Housing Faith Alliance, Abba’s Family connects people in a faith community to individuals in a housing program. Executive Director Robert Althoff says that these friendships are transformational for both the people in the churches and the individuals in the housing program who want to be included in the community. In addition to the friendships formed in the Housing Faith Alliance there is also what Althoff refers to as Neighborhood Acts of Kindness. Neighborhood Acts of Kindness include services like cleaning up parks, raking leaves, gathering and delivering food for the needy and elderly in the neighborhoods of the housing programs and churches. The work that Abba’s Family does is unique on a national level because of the many faith communities in Tulsa and the housing programs that are available to formerly homeless individuals in the Tulsa area.

Althoff encourages leaders and members of faith communities to contact him about getting involved with Abba’s Family working with formerly homeless individuals. For more information see www.abbasfamily.org and contact Bob Althoff at [email protected] or 918-671-3437. Also Abba’s Family needs help conducting a large furniture drive for 100 chronically homeless people who are getting apartments. These apartments will be furnished with gently used furniture as well as household items like knives, forks, spoons, cups, glasses, bed, bed frame, pictures for the wall, couches, chairs, etc. Abba’s Family is working with faith communities who are as a church congregation organizing all the furniture and items to furnish an apartment. Any church interested in providing for an apartment should contact Mr. Althoff at Abba’s Family.

According to Althoff, 82% of formerly homeless mentally ill say that their relationship with God is very important to them. Because of this, these formerly homeless people need the faith communities in their neighborhoods to include them in their churches. Currently Abba’s family is working with 15 different faith communities and 9 housing programs in 6 different Tulsa neighborhoods.

www.abbasfamily.org