CARITAS

CARITAS was organized nearly 20 years ago to respond to the tremendous unmet need for emergency shelter for homeless adults in the cold winter months. It has since become the largest emergency shelter program in the community and has been expanded to operate year-round.

 Programs Supported by the Community Action Fund:

Each week, host congregations welcome 35-40 homeless guests to eat and sleep at their facilities through its single adult program. More than 170 faith-based communities participate in the program’s congregation-based model, which mobilizes thousands of volunteers who cumulatively donate more than 80,000 hours of service annually.

The Family Focus program at CARITAS provides 24-hour shelter and supportive services for up to 28 family members. It is the only homeless shelter in the Richmond area that accepts families with fathers and adolescent males. Designed in collaboration with Salvation Army and HomeAgain, CARITAS serves as the initial entry point in the system for homeless families in our community. Based on an assessment by a social worker, CARITAS conducts "triage" and refers families to longer-term shelter at Salvation Army or Home Again, transitional housing programs, or permanent housing. Homeless families unable to secure emergency shelter may remain in substandard and unsafe conditions or be forced to place their children in foster care.