Carpenter’s Shelter began in 1982 on a cold winter night when the pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church in Alexandria found a man sleeping in his car and another asleep in the doorway of the church. He responded by opening the doors of an empty church basement and with two volunteers and ten cots called it an emergency shelter. In 1988 we officially became Carpenter’s Shelter.

We moved into our mortgage-free 80-bed emergency shelter in 1999 and immediately began developing a strategic plan that focused on the growing and changing needs of homeless families and adults in the region. Guided by a dynamic board of directors and through a dedicated staff, we serve close to 900 homeless and formerly homeless children, families and adults each year through our interrelated programs that focus on ending the cycle of homelessness through education and life-skills.

Carpenter’s Shelter has been routinely recognized for our achievements and innovative approaches to addressing the root causes of homelessness. Says Executive Director Fran Becker, “Our response to homelessness used to be a reactive one, providing little more than a bed on cold nights. Now, we are focused on developing proactive solutions that keep our clients from ever experiencing homelessness again. I am so proud to be a part of this dynamic agency!”

Today, Carpenter’s is a national model of a community working together to end and prevent homelessness. We began as a small group of concerned citizens and we continue to rely on more than 1,000 volunteers and hundreds of partnerships to fulfill our mission. As Northern Virginia’s largest homeless program, our mission is to end homelessness through services, education and advocacy. We envision the day where everyone lives safely and affordably.

“The simply astounding statistic that 90% percent of those who seek out our Aftercare services return to a healthy place in the community and do not slip back into homelessness is an achievement without comparison! The reasons are numerous: strict but supportive culture in our residential shelter; mandatory educational programs; interview preparation seminars; the required job and enforced 70% of wages savings plan; and our transitional housing apartments.”
— Lee Fifer, Chairman of the Board