Blog

This week we spoke with Housing Resource Coordinator, Melissa Robinson about her experiences at Carpenter’s Shelter. How did your background prepare you for this job at the Shelter? Coming from a background where I managed (2) 24/7 residential programs for homeless youth, I understood the importance of providing positive structured case management to clients. I […]

As you can imagine, the stress of inconsistent housing can take a toll on our families. For many of them, finding the extra money to celebrate an occasion such as a birthday can be impossible. At Carpenter’s Shelter we try and provide a sense of normalcy for each of our clients and birthday celebrations are

Finding and maintaining employment can, at times, be a struggle for our clients. They often face an uphill battle due to an inconsistent employment history or lack of experience. At the shelter, we offer a variety of classes geared towards encouraging our clients to become self-sufficient. Every Saturday, Carpenter’s offers job coaching classes to our

Carpenter’s kitchen is run entirely by groups of volunteers. Each group comes up with the menu, purchases the food, prepares each meal, and cleans up afterwards. Last year, our volunteers prepared 834 meals, saving Carpenter’s Shelter over $200,000 annually. Our kitchen volunteers are made up of a variety of groups including local businesses, religious groups,

Amazon is an invaluable resource for us at the shelter. It allows us to keep our donors up to date on our needs while giving them the ability to shop quickly and affordably.  Take advantage of Amazon’s great programs and shop our wish list today! We are always in need of toiletry items such as

Carpenter’s is currently recruiting applicants for our Development Internship. Our internship program offers real world, hands on experience, while giving students the opportunity to further their skills outside of the classroom. The internship will begin on September 15th and go through December 19th. The position requires a commitment of 20 hours per week, with flexible

Fall is quickly approaching and with that comes a new school year. The children at Carpenter’s do not lead the same lives as their peers. Many are shuffled around and change schools regularly due to the effects of homelessness. This can, at times, lead to anxiety, depression, or the development of a learning disorder. With

Carpenter’s is excited to partner with Nando’s Peri-Peri (702 King St. in Alexandria, VA) on Thursday, July 31st for our first ever restaurant night. Join us from 11am to 6pm when 40% of all the proceeds will benefit the shelter. Carpenter’s first teamed up with Nando’s last winter when they provided lunch to the entire

This past weekend we hosted a community resource fair at the shelter. Our clients were able to get information and connect with various local businesses and people in the community. Events like this are beneficial to those living at the shelter as it is a way for them to network with many potential employers and

Recently we spoke with volunteers Sue and Joyce about their experiences at Carpenter’s Shelter. Both volunteers have been with the shelter for 25 years, serving lunch twice a week to our clients. We are so thankful to them for their years of dedication and service to Carpenter’s. When did you get involved with Carpenter’s? What