One Big Homeward Bound Family
May 11, 2026
Last weekend, on Mother’s Day, I had the fortune of hearing again the familiar passage “I will not leave you as orphans” during a weekly religious service I attended. The message emphasized how no person journeys life alone. Even when circumstances change, when people leave familiar surroundings, grow up and move from their family home or when separated by distance, illness, or hardship, the human need for connection is a necessary one.
In reflecting on the idea, I contemplated how many people belong to more than one family in their lifetime. There is the family into which we are born, carrying those memories, traditions, and lifelong bonds. But there are also families formed through shared care, daily life, and mutual support. At Homeward Bound, residents and caregivers become part of a living community where people look after one another, celebrate life together, and provide encouragement through difficult days. In this way, Homeward Bound becomes not simply a residence, but a big family.
These same sentiments are echoed in the work of priest and writer Henri Nouwen, whose writings often explored loneliness, community, and the healing power of belonging. In his book The Return of the Prodigal Son, Nouwen reflects on the deep human longing to be welcomed home and embraced as members of a family. His work reminds readers that life as much as anything is about learning to give and receive within a community. The type of community Nouwen talked about sounds to me like one big family.
Communities like Homeward Bound live out the act of being in community every day by creating places where individuals are known by name, valued for who they are, and reminded that they are family here.
The recent service I attended concluded with the understanding that throughout life, family can expand without replacing what came before. Residents remain connected to their original families while also becoming part of the Homeward Bound family, a circle of support shaped by patience, respect, and shared well-being. Moreover, everyone who makes up the community that is Homeward Bound, from the staff and volunteers to the families of the individuals Homeward Bound serves also share in the important context of what we come to know as a big family.
We are grateful for our Homeward Bound Family.
Rob Edwards
President and CEO
