Welcome to Calvary Women's Services
Calvary Women's Services is a nonprofit organization in Washington, DC, that provides housing and support services to homeless women. Calvary's mission is two-fold: To provide homeless women with a place to live and basic services and to help educate and empower women for independent living.
Though the women who come to Calvary face great challenges due to mental illness, addiction, domestic violence, or other issues, we believe that every woman has gifts and strengths that she can build on to be successful. We know that by keeping our programs small, we can meet each woman as an individual, support her as she works to achieve her goals, and empower her to take control of her own life.
Our Programs
Calvary Women's Shelter is a 25-bed transitional housing program for women. All women are welcome. A comprehensive program of support services ensures that women are able to make positive steps toward independence.
Pathways is a transitional housing program that offers stability and support for 10 women who have been chronically homeless. This unique program reaches out to some of the most vulnerable members of our community to offer them the care they need in a safe, comfortable space as they prepare for independent living.
Sister Circle, our permanent housing program for 10 women, offers long-term support and independent housing to women in recovery from substance addiction, many of whom struggle with chronic medical conditions such as HIV/AIDS and cancer. In addition to making support services available, Sister Circle provides a close-knit community of peer support.
At each of Calvary's programs, women have access to the comprehensive services they need to address the reasons they became homeless. These services include:
- Life Skills classes to help women build the skills they need to live independently
- Case management to provide each woman personalized support
- Mental health services provided on-site by a psychiatrist and a licensed therapist
- Addiction recovery services including support meetings held on-site
- Supported employment to assist formerly homeless women re-entering the job market
- Dinner program designed to meet the nutritional needs of women who are homeless and to teach home cooking skills
- Referrals for service including medical services, legal services, GED programs, job training, employment programs, and any other services women may require
The women at Calvary may be struggling with mental illnesses, substance addiction, domestic violence, chronic health issues, and more. With our support these women are doing amazing things.
Our Successes
- Of the women who come to Calvary each year, 50% move into their own homes.
- Last year Calvary provided women in our community with 15,695 nights of safe housing and over 20,000 nutritious meals.
The women who came to Calvary's transitional housing programs worked hard to make positive changes in their lives:
- Two-thirds of the women participated in mental health services
- More than one-third of the women accessed addiction recovery services
- Two-thirds of the women participated in Life Skills educational programs
- One-third of the women began or maintained employment
Why Connect to Calvary?
- You can touch women's lives. By supporting Calvary's small, intimate programs, you can provide each woman the personal care that she needs to change her life.
- You can make a personal connection and see the direct impact of your volunteer work, financial gift, or in-kind contribution.
- Supporting Calvary is a good investment, since we use our resources wisely. Each year the value of volunteer services to the agency is over $180,000 and is the equivalent of 5 full-time employees. Only 14% of our expenses are administrative, compared to an industry standard of 25%.
- Calvary is well managed. We believe that strong management leads to stronger programs. In the last few years groups like Virginia Tech's Nonprofit Excellence Initiative, George Washington University's Institute for Crisis, Disaster & Risk Management, and SRA Touchstone Consulting Group have worked pro bono with Calvary to evaluate our work and make sure we are providing the best possible services.
Awards and Recognition
- Nominated for Acacia Federal Savings Bank's Nice Guys Award 2007
- Chosen as the 2006 Charity of the Year by the District of Columbia Bar
- Selected for the 2004 Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington, a publication that features local non-profit organizations that demonstrate "excellence, innovation and cost-effectiveness"
- Listed in The Washingtonian as one of twenty charities "worthy of the support and investment of Washingtonians" in 2003
- Finalist for The Washington Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management in 2003
- Chosen as the 2002-2003 Agency of the Year by Professional Meeting Planners International
- Selected as one of eight organizations to participate in Women of Washington's Nonprofit Alliance 2002
- Winner of the 1999 Award of Excellence for Outstanding Community Service by the National Association of Social Workers Metro Chapter
If you are in need of shelter, please call Calvary Women's Shelter at (202) 783-6651.
For more information, please call (202) 548-0595, or email CWSinfo@aol.com.