Dignity first. Then everything else.
Shelter is a Christian ministry serving adults and families in Toledo who are without a home. We serve everyone, whatever they believe.
Twelve years of open doors
In the winter of 2012, a pastor named Ruth Calloway opened the basement of Grace Chapel to eight men sleeping near the river. She had two cots and a coffee urn. By March, the basement held twenty-two.
Those first nights taught us that shelter is only part of the answer. People need identification, income, medical care and someone who will answer the phone. So we added a kitchen, then a clinic partnership, then case managers.
Today Shelter employs 14 staff, trains more than 300 volunteers a year and operates with a simple standard: treat each guest the way you would want your own family treated.
How we serve
Dignity
Guests are called by name, offered choices and never required to attend a service.
Safety
Trained staff, clear rules and a trauma-informed approach on every shift.
Accountability
We publish outcomes each year, including what did not work.
Partnership
We work with hospitals, courts, employers and landlords to open doors.
How we got here
A few moments that shaped who we are today.
Basement beginnings
Eight men, two cots and one coffee urn at Grace Chapel.
Our own building
A renovated warehouse on Water Street opens with 30 beds.
Family wing
Eighteen new beds for parents and children.
312 housed
Housing placements reach 312 since our founding.
Staff you can ask for
Founder and ChaplainRuth Calloway
Leads morning devotions and still works the Thursday dinner line.
Executive DirectorJames Whitfield
Former county housing administrator with 20 years in the field.
Director of Case ManagementDenise Alvarado, LSW
Leads a team of five case managers and two housing navigators.
Overnight Shelter ManagerTyrone Banks
Has not missed a Christmas Eve shift in nine years.
What guides us
- Every person bears the image of God and deserves respect.
- Hospitality is a calling, not a program.
- Faith is offered, never required.
- Lasting change happens in relationship.
- We serve alongside neighbors, not above them.
$25 provides a night of safety
Walk in after 7 PM or call us now. Here is what to know before you arrive.