Coalition for the Homeless, Inc. (DC)

The Coalition for the Homeless provides transitional and permanent housing, shelter, employment placement assistance, substance abuse counseling and supportive social services to individuals and families who are homeless or vulnerable.

How do you help people in my community?

The Coalition manages 12 program sites in the District of Columbia. These sites include two permanent housing facilities, five transitional housing programs for men, three transitional housing programs for families, one overnight emergency shelter for men, and the central intake office for all families seeking emergency assistance and shelter in the District - the Virginia Williams Family Resource Center.

The Anacostia Road Apartments and the Sherman Avenue Single Room Occupancies (SRO) provide permanent rental housing to formerly homeless individuals and families who have returned to independent living.

Why do you need my support?

The Coalition needs continued community support in order to purchase food, bus tokens, household supplies, diapers, and other related items to support the 560 homeless men, women and children we serve daily. For example, with the support of the Philip Graham Fund the Coalition was able to install commercial kitchens at our Blair and La Casa Transitional Programs which have the capacity to serve 175 homeless men daily who are in recovery from substance abuse.

How can I be sure that you will use my money wisely and won't waste it?

Based upon our annual external financial audit, .92 cents of every dollar received by the Coalition goes toward direct services for the participants in our program. We are audited by the accounting firm of Walker and Company. Copies of our annual report and audit reports are available by writing us at 1234 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C., or calling 202-347-8870, fax 347-7279.

Can I Volunteer? How?

Persons interested in volunteering should call the Coalition 202-347-8870, Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Some volunteer activities include serving food, reading and tutoring children, and special repair and painting projects. If you have special skills such as legal, accounting, taxation and computers, we can use your skills to help our participants with their special needs. We are also looking for employers who are willing to hire capable individuals who have been pre-screened by our Employment and Training Division. If you are an interested employer, please call Linda Fields at 202-347-8870 for further information.