Myth: The homeless are to blame for their own condition.
Fact: Most homeless people are victims. Some have suffered from child abuse or domestic violence. 20% are children. Many are mentally ill. Many have lost their jobs after years of employment.1
Myth: Not many children are homeless.
Fact: Children make up at least 20% of the homeless population. Families with children are the fastest growing group of homeless. Many homeless children are alone and homeless, either runaways or "throwaways".2
Myth: Homeless people don't work and get most of their money from public assistance programs.
Fact: Many homeless people are among the working poor, and a relatively small percentage of them receive government assistance.3
(1,2Good Will Inn Homeless Shelter 3National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2001)

Academy of Hope
Washington, DC (202) 328-2029
Contact: Patricia Deferari, patricia@aohdc.org
http://www.aohdc.org
Provides low-cost classes and individual tutoring in literacy and computer training for low-income and homeless adults in the D.C. area.

Bethesda Cares
Bethesda, MD (301) 907 – 9244
Contact: info@bethesdacares.org
http://www.bethesdacares.com
Offers outreach to people who are homeless and in need. Coordinates a six-day per week lunch program, drop-in center, and eviction prevention. Volunteers needed for fundraising drives, clothing closet and lunch program, and office work.

Bread for the City
Washington, DC (202) 265-2400 ext. 55
Contact: nfertakis@breadforthecity.org
http://www.breadforthecity.org
Provides free healthcare, food, clothing, legal assistance, social services, referrals and counseling.

Bright Beginnings, Inc.
Washington, DC (202) 842-9090
Contact: Doris Dupuy, ddupuy@brightbeginningsinc.org
http://www.brightbeginningsinc.org
Serves children ages 6 weeks to 5 years who are homeless. Runs a full-day daycare center.
Calvary Women's Services
Washington, DC (202) 783-6651
Contact: cwsvolcoord@aol.com
http://www.calvaryservices.org
Calvary Women's Services is a non-sectarian, non-profit organization that provides housing and support services to homeless women in D.C. Their mission is to provide "a safe, caring place for tonight; support, hope and change for tomorrow."

Capital Area Food Bank
Washington, DC (202) 526-5344 ext 286
Contact: pbordon@cfoodbank.org
http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org
One of D.C.'s largest non-governmental, non-profit, food and nutrition education resources. Distributes food and offers cooking and nutrition classes.

Carpenter’s Shelter
Alexandria, VA (703) 548-7500 ext 205
Contact: Laila Ali, lailaali@carpentersshelter.org
http://www.carpentersshelter.org
Promotes self-sufficiency for homeless men, women, and families in a safe environment. Provides a temporary shelter, including educational, and family services, a daytime drop-in center; and an overnight hypothermia shelter, and aftercare program.

Carroll House
Silver Spring, MD (301) 495-4900
Provides a transitional shelter, housing program, and services for men who are homeless.
Community for Creative Non- Violence
Washington, DC (202) 393-1909
Contact: ccnv@erols.com
http://www.erols.com/ccnv
Operates a 1,400-bed federal city shelter for homeless men and women. Provides advocacy, medical care, legal and social services, food, clothing, job training and more for over 2,000 people.

D.C. Central Kitchen
Washington, DC (202) 234-0707 ext. 110
Contact: Elizabeth Fish, efish@dccentralkitchen.org
http://www.dccentralkitchen.org
Uses refrigerated vehicles to efficiently rescue surplus food from restaurants, caterers, hotels, and other food service businesses. Once picked up, this donated food is brought to the kitchen and used to prepare 4,000 meals every day.

Dinner Program for Homeless Women
Washington, DC (202) 737-9311
Contact: Christine Moore
Provides a safe, dignified place for women to receive a good, nutritious dinner and the support they need to make their homelessness a transitional state. Programs also include computer workshops.

Families Forward, Inc.
Washington, DC (202) 639-9760
Contact: Ruby King-Gregory, rkgregory@familiesforward.org
Helps low-income and homeless families attain and maintain self-sufficiency. Services include transitional housing, case management, employment training and placement assistance.

Food & Friends
Washington, DC (202) 269-6878
Contact: Regan Davis, rdavis@foodandfriends.org
Or volunteerinfo@foodandfriends.org
http://www.foodandfriends.org
Prepares and delivers fresh meals and groceries to people living with HIV/AIDS and other life-challenging illnesses in Washington, D.C., suburban Maryland and northern Virginia. The service is free and performed by volunteers.

Garden Harvest, Inc.
Glyndon, MD (410) 526-0698
Contact: garharvest@aol.com
http://www.gardenharvest.org
Works to alleviate hunger by growing and distributing fresh organic produce to agencies that feed the hungry. Teaches methods of sustainable agriculture and organic gardening, nutrition, and issues of hunger and homelessness.

Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center Inc: Homeless Shelter
Columbia, MD (410) 531-6006
Contact: Bonita Hudak
Operates a twenty-bed family shelter, a 12-bed men's shelter, and a 12-bed transitional housing program. Grassroots also operates a 24-hour certified suicide prevention center. Volunteers are greatly needed to prepare and cook meals for the shelter.

Jobs for Homeless People
Washington, DC (202) 393-7117
Contact: Yolanda Bailey, ybailey@jobshavepriority.org
http://www.jobshavepriority.org
Helps promote the economic self-sufficiency of the homeless in the D.C. area through a comprehensive program of management, employment training, job development and placement, and affordable, short term housing.

Loaves & Fishes of Saint Stephen's
Episcopal Church
Washington, DC (202) 232-0900
Contact: staff@saintstephensdc.org
Provides nutritious noon meals every Saturday and Sunday to the homeless, elderly, or anyone in need.

Martha’s Table
Washington, DC (202) 328-6608
Contact: volunteer@marthastable.org
http://www.marthastable.org
Provides low-income children and teens with nutritious meals and supervised learning and literacy activities. McKenna's Wagon, our 7 day a week mobile soup kitchen, feeds the hungry and homeless at 9 locations in D.C.

Miriam’s Kitchen
Washington, DC (202) 452-8926
Contact: info@miriamskitchen.org
http://www.miriamskitchen.org
A breakfast feeding program for men and women in northwest D.C. Serves 160 individuals each weekday morning and provides a variety of social services. Volunteers are needed to help with meals, as well as other services.

My Sister's Place
Washington, DC (202) 529-5261
http://www.MySistersPlaceDC.org
A shelter for battered women and their children. Services include 24-hour crisis hotline, transitional housing, support groups, children's activities and advocacy. Confidential location--it is accessible by metro bus.

N Street Village
Washington, DC (202) 939-2096
Contact: nsvolunteers@worldnet.att.net
http://www.nstreetvillage.org
Offers a continuum of care to homeless women and low-income families including a drop-in care center.

New Hope Housing
Alexandria, VA (703) 799-2293 ext 22
Contact: Chris Bonifant, cbonifant@newhopehousing.org
http://www.newhopehousing.org
Provides homeless families and individuals shelter and opportunities to seek a better life.

Our Daily Bread
Baltimore, MD (410) 659-4016
Contact: commserv@catholiccharities-md.org
http://www.catholiccharities-md.org/Community/ourdailybread.html
A soup kitchen that serves lunch every day of the year to an average of 750 guests a day. A hot nutritious meal is served based on casseroles provided by over 80 churches, synagogues, and other organizations.

Project Northstar
Washington, DC (202) 223-0144
Contact: jgreenfield@ projectnorthstar.org http://www.projectnorthstar.org
Provides tutoring for homeless and at-risk children in DC. Sponsors field trips that aim to broaden the children's experiences and help them overcome some of the obstacles they face.

Sasha Bruce Youthwork
Washington, DC (202) 675-9340
Volunteer@sashabruce.org
http://www.sashabruce.org
Administers 15 residential & non-residential programs providing shelter, counseling, education and family intervention to homeless, runaway, alleged delinquent and “at-risk” youth and their families.

Sarah’s House
Fort Meade, MD (410) 551-7722
Contact: commserv@catholiccharities-md.org
http://www.catholiccharities-md.org/Community/sarahshouse.html
A supportive housing program for homeless women, children, and men in Anne Arundel County providing case management, childcare, transportation and employment services. The Anne Arundel Department of Social Services performs initial screenings for potential guests of Sarah's House.

Share Food Network
Hyattsville, MD (301) 864-3115, ext. 11
Contact: twittyn@catholiccharitiesdc.org
http://share-dc-metro.iwarp.com/
Distributes food to families in the community. Volunteers are always needed to help in the preparation and distribution of these food items.

Shelter House, Inc.
Falls Church, VA (703) 536-2155
Contact: volunteer@shelterhouse.org
http://www.shelterhouse.org
Provides temporary emergency housing and supportive services to homeless families in order to enable them to transition to permanent housing and a stable family life.

Shepherd's Cove Shelter
Capitol Heights, MD (301) 322-3093
Contact: Sandra Gammons
A 100-bed shelter for women and children. Also provides adult education, after school child care, tutoring, and workshops.

So Others Might Eat (S.O.M.E.)
Washington, DC (202) 797-0701
Contact: dbright@some.org
http://www.some.org
An organization that exists to help the poor and homeless of D.C. They meet the immediate daily needs of the people they serve with food, clothing, and health care. They help break the cycle of homelessness by offering services such as affordable housing, job training, addiction treatment, and counseling, to the poor, the elderly and individuals with mental illness.