On a cold winter night in Alexandria, a local pastor (with ten cots and two volunteers) opened his church doors. Today, Carpenter’s Shelter is a 60-bed emergency shelter that engages over 1,200 volunteers annually. At the Residential Shelter, families and individuals find a temporary home and the help they need to secure a permanent one: life-skills classes, job-readiness training, assistance with housing placement, as well as school, health, and medical services provided by community partners. A day shelter offers showers, phones, laundry facilities, a mailing address, and shelter and housing placement referrals to chronically homeless adults; a Winter Shelter provides a warm sleeping place in the colder months. Continued case management and educational opportunities are available for those living independently. For 800 homeless and formerly homeless people annually, Carpenter’s Shelter means hope for a better future.

Headquarters: VA-City of Alexandria

Where They Operate: VA-City of Alexandria

Age Groups Served: All

Schools They Work In: Alexandria City Public Schools ; St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School ; George Mason University; Potomac School


  • Number of people (clients, patrons, students, etc) we serve annually:   625

Awards & Recognition

Charity Navigator's 4-star rating for sound fiscal management- Fall 2015
Alexandria Chamber of Commerce Business Award Nominee- 2015
Featured in The Washingtonian Magazine as one of the Best Small Charities in the region - Dec 2008
Charity Navigator's 4-star rating for sound fiscal management - March 2008
United Way Eureka! Award for Nonprofit Innovation - 2006
Bank of America's Neighborhood Builder Award - 2005

Press

  • Governor Makes Meaningful Return
    Thu Jul 29 2010, Alexandria Times  
    Governor Bob McDonnell visited Carpenter's Shelter on July 27 to present a generous contribution to board, residents, and staff.
    connect here

Budget (FY2023)

  • The current budget for Carpenter's Shelter is: $3 million or higher
  • $1 million to $3 million
  • $500k to $1 million
  • Less than $500k

Catalogue charities range in size from $100,000 to $3 million. This graphic indicates the budget range of the organization featured here. If you see an organizational budget above the $3 million mark, that is because the featured charity has grown in size since it first appeared in the Catalogue. We proudly present on our website the work of these "growth" charities.

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