We find our clients by going to them directly. Our street outreach team goes out into the community every single day, engaging with the population of individuals experiencing homelessness where they live: our parks, our Metro centers, our parking garages. By doing this, we develop relationships and trust with our clients, so that we can begin the difficult work of getting them off the streets and into permanent supportive housing units.
We employ a series of subprograms designed to ease the burden of homelessness for our clients, and to help us foster meaningful relationships with them. These programs are:
Drop-in Lobby
Our headquarters office is also a drop-in lobby open five days a week, where any time of day you will see our clients getting a cup of coffee, a snack, or simply enjoying a comfortable space where they are welcome for as long as they’d like. The Drop-In lobby is also a place where our clients can find contact with the outside world. They can use our address to have their mail delivered, use a special landline phone designated for them, use the bathroom, receive clothing, and charge their personal phones.
Clothing Closet
People suffering homelessness have no access to fresh clothing. The clothes they wear on their backs are at the mercy of the elements and their living conditions. We help them with this by providing our clients with seasonal donated clothing, shoes and accessories through our Clothing Closet. The Closet is located at the B-CC Regional Services Center and operates every Tuesday.
Shower Program
On Tuesday afternoons, Bethesda United Methodist Church hosts a shower program for our clients. In addition to offering the space, volunteers work with our staff to greet clients and provide small incentive gifts and donated toiletries, which are donated to us by the community.