Carpenter’s vision:

A community where all live safely and affordably

Carpenter’ mission:

To end homelessness through services education and advocacy

For twenty years, Carpenter’s Shelter has helped homeless children, families and adults stabilize their lives, overcome homelessness, and become contributing members of their community. We believe that everyone deserves to live in safe, affordable housing. We have evolved from providing little more than bedding on cold nights in Alexandria churches into Northern Virginia’s award-winning homeless program in Northern Virginia that offers housing and hope through respect, responsibility and results. We are focused on eliminating family and chronic homelessness through community-wide partnerships and an aggressive strategic plan that serves as a blueprint to enhance our supportive services. We hope you will join us in our efforts to fulfill the needs of more than 1,000 children, families and adults each year as they work towards a better tomorrow.

Carpenter’s believes that we are more than just a roof to our clients; we are teachers exemplifying a positive way of living that prevents repeated episodes of homelessness. Our programs empower clients to permanently make the transition from shelter to independent living. Programs include our day shelter for the chronically homeless adults; emergency, temporary and transitional housing; comprehensive case management; life skills and educational classes for current residents and shelter graduates; and an education fund.
Carpenter's offers four interrelated programs aimed at ending homelessness:

David's Place Day Shelter:
David’s Place assisted 286 chronically homeless individuals last year who were living on the streets in Northern Virginia. Open 7 days a week, David's Place is a safe alternative to street living, offering showers, laundry and locker facilities, phone and voice mail services, a mailing address and outreach services such as substance abuse treatment, job search assistance, legal aid, medical care and art therapy. A comprehensive case management system—including life-skills workshops--was recently implemented and as a result, 65 clients transitioned off city streets.

Winter Shelter:
Carpenter's coordinates the Winter Shelter for the City of Alexandria from November to April offering shelter one night at a time from 7pm to 7am each day. In partnership with local churches and agencies, the Winter Shelter served 306 homeless children, women and men last year, providing a safe refuge from illness, injury, and even death due in harsh winter weather.

Transitional Services Program:
Several of Carpenter’s signature programs are included under the umbrella of this program. All aim to prevent repeated episodes of homelessness through our Center of Learning. They include:

• Residential Shelter is an 80-bed temporary shelter located at 930 N. Henry Street offering case management and coordination of services. Last year, 339 individuals and families (including 105 children) were helped. The shelter provides a comprehensive and structured case management program that is goal-oriented and encourages clients to become self-reliant. Residents include the working poor, and services include assistance with life-skills and job readiness training, substance abuse and mental health disorders, access and referrals to other social services agencies and community partners, and assistance with housing searches.
• Aftercare, our innovative and nationally-recognized program, continues to be the lynchpin of our Transitional Services. Shelter graduates participating in our Aftercare program represent our largest and fastest-growing client base. 90% of the Aftercare participants remain in stable housing – with some celebrating their fifth anniversary in the community. Last year, Aftercare served 136 adults and 255 children.
• Transitional Housing offers long-term transitional housing in off-site apartments for families and adults for up to two years after graduating from the shelter.
• Child and Family Services works with families in all three of the above programs to ensure developmental, emotional, educational, medical, legal, physical and social needs of children served by Carpenter’s are addressed. More than 300 children (from newborn to 18 years of age) were served last year.

Carpenter's Shelter Education Fund
This board initiated scholarship fund offers access to life-altering educational opportunities for all Carpenter’s clients. In its first three years, the fund awarded $60,000 to nine adults who are improving their quality of life through education. The fund operates under a separate budget and endowment fund.