Carpenter’s Shelter is Northern Virginia’s award-winning homeless program, dedicated to offering housing and hope through respect, responsibility and results. In the beginning, we provided little more than bedding on cold nights in Alexandria churches. Since then, for the past 20 years Carpenter’s has helped children, families, and adults stabilize their lives, overcome homelessness, and become contributing members of their communities.

We believe everyone deserves to live in safe, affordable housing. We know others believe the same, because it is through community-wide partnerships and an aggressive strategic plan that we are eliminating family and chronic homelessness.

As we fulfill the needs of more than 1,000 children, families and adults each year as they work towards a better tomorrow there are many opportunities for you to contribute.

Carpenter’s teaches our clients a positive way of living to prevent repeated episodes of homelessness. We empower clients to permanently make the transition from street or shelter to independent living.

Our array of programs addresses homelessness at each stage, from the chronic homeless adult living on the streets to our recent shelter graduates who are living successfully on their own but still need our support. We operate a day shelter, a long-term emergency shelter, and transitional housing apartments, all with comprehensive case management and education classes focused on life skills.