Always Home

Our Mission

Always Home (formerly Mystic Area Shelter and Hospitality) was founded in 1998 to address the needs of Southeastern Connecticut's homeless and imminently homeless families. Our mission is Preventing Family Homelessness. As the region's leading service provider focused exclusively on serving families with minor children, we offer one-on-one case management support as well as access to the critical emergency services families need to establish lasting housing stability. Always Home’s core programs include Shelter Diversion/Homelessness Prevention, Emergency Shelter and Rapid Re-housing.

Our History

In 1997, a homeless woman slept on the steps of the Union Baptist Church for three nights in a row. On her last morning there, she joined the worship service and left a dollar bill with a note in the collection basket. The note explained that after losing her job, she couldn’t pay her rent and had become homeless. The Union Baptist Church’s minister at the time, Rev. Dr. G. Kenneth Carpenter, shared his concern about the growing homeless population with his and neighboring congregations. Together, they recruited the help of human service agencies, local business groups and the faith community. This regional collaboration led to the formation of our 501(c)(3) non-profit, social service agency. From the start, our mission has been to help parents and their children avoid the lasting trauma of homelessness.

The Continuing Need

Family homelessness is not a choice. For parents earning minimum wage, making ends meet is a daily challenge. Keeping a roof over your head is even harder when you live in a State that has the 9th highest rental housing cost in the nation! Many local families are so precariously housed that a relatively minor crisis (lack of childcare, a costly car repair, a reduction in shifts) can result in homelessness. With the support of the local community, Always Home is working in new ways to prevent family homelessness before it happens. To learn more about how we help local families stay together and remain housed, visit our website, www.alwayshome.org or contact us at (860) 245-0222. Together, we are making a lasting difference.