Put a Roof Over Someone’s Head

Bethesda Cares (bethesdacares.org) works to prevent, ease and end homelessness throughout Montgomery County. For some clients, homelessness is a difficult but transitory state, while for others, living on the streets is a way of life. Through street outreach and a drop-in center, staff work to build clients’ trust. Many clients then choose to join the daily meal program, use the showers and clothing closet, and access counseling and, ultimately, assistance with housing placement. Once housing is secured, a specialist connects clients to social services and works to ensure a successful transition. For people who have housing but could lose it because of financial crises, small grants (sent directly to landlords or utility providers) prevent eviction.

Headquartered: Bethesda

Serves: Montgomery County

What a donation buys:

• $100 provides winter coats, blankets and gloves for five clients.
• $500 provides rent or utilities for three clients.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• Ongoing: Serve or prepare lunch for clients Monday through Friday.
• Ongoing: Serve or prepare dinner for clients on Sunday.

The Dwelling Place (tdp-inc.org) provides fully furnished housing and support services to help families achieve and maintain self-sufficiency. Lacking job skills, employment track records, and financial education, and often experiencing mental/behavioral and chronic health disabilities, many low-income, single-parent families find that homelessness is not the start of a struggle, but the continuation of one. Through The Dwelling Place, families live in one of 10 units, and a case manager works with them to develop a plan for reducing debt, increasing income, and achieving employment and housing. Partnerships bring job search support, credit counseling, holiday assistance, life skills classes, tutoring for kids and advocacy with their schools.

Headquartered: Montgomery Village

Serves: Montgomery County

What a donation buys:

• $100 provides household cleaning supplies for four families.
• $500 provides new mattresses for two children.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• Ongoing: Serve as program volunteer and helper.
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Hearts & Homes for Youth (heartsandhomes.org) provides trauma-informed care to youths who have experienced abuse, neglect and other complex trauma in the organization’s group homes, therapeutic foster program and independent living units. The youths and families supported are in the child welfare system to include pregnant and parenting teen moms and their child(ren). On any given night, more than 100 youths may be in their care.

Headquartered: Burtonsville

Serves: Maryland

What a donation buys:

• $150 provides a night out at the movies for kids and staff or similar recreational activity.
• $1,000 covers a month of day care for a baby.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• Host a barbecue with youths; help with painting or yard work; adopt a family for a holiday; become a foster family.
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• Internships

Housing Unlimited (housingunlimited.org) owns 76 homes, providing independent housing for 210 adults with psychiatric disabilities. Rents are based on each tenant’s income and are capped both to provide security and encourage employment. Residents remain free to make their own decisions regarding therapy and medical care. A tenants’ council strengthens leadership and organizational skills and ensures that tenants have a voice in their day-to-day lives. The current waitlist for this program is two years.

Headquartered: Silver Spring

Serves: Montgomery County

What a donation buys:

• $100 provides subsidies for tenants’ council social events.
• $500 provides kitchen supplies for a new home.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• Ongoing: Serve as a program volunteer, helping with everything from office work to lawn care.
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Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless (mcch.net) supports 1,600 veterans, families and individuals who have experienced homelessness each year. MCCH provides emergency shelter and supportive housing to create a community where everyone has a safe, stable and affordable place to call home.

Headquartered: Rockville

Serves: Montgomery County

What a donation buys:

• $100 provides essential move in kit items for someone exiting a shelter into a home.
• $500 provides one month rent support for a family in supportive housing.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• One day: Make and serve a meal at the shelter. Collect move-in and cleaning supplies.
• Ongoing: Make and serve a meal at the shelter monthly or quarterly. Deliver food from pantries to families.

Rainbow Place (rainbowplace.org) has functioned as a seasonal overnight emergency hypothermia shelter in Rockville for women experiencing homelessness since 1982. Shelter guests are treated with kindness and compassion and receive assistance to transition out of homelessness into more stable housing. Rainbow Place is in the exciting process of expanding and shifting their mission to focus on transitional age youth, 18-24, with year-round emergency shelter and services. Rainbow is in search of a new location, preferably in the Rockville/Gaithersburg/Germantown area.

Headquartered: Rockville

Serves: Montgomery County

What a donation buys:

• $100 buys 100 Ride On bus trips.
• $1,000 sponsors a bed for a month.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• One day: Prepare meals when the shelter reopens.
• Ongoing: Serve on the fundraising committee.

Stepping Stones Shelter (steppingstonesshelter.org) offers emergency shelter and support services each year to approximately 95 Montgomery County homeless and formerly homeless families with children. Shelter services include case management, financial management and workforce development programs, all geared toward helping families move on to stable housing quickly and responsibly.

Headquartered: Rockville

Serves: Montgomery County

What a donation buys:

• $250 provides 10 cartons of diapers for homeless families.
• $1,000 provides grocery store gift cards for 20 families as they move out of the shelter and into permanent housing.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• Ongoing: Make or order in a meal for six families.