St. John Center for Homeless - Louisville, KY

About Us

Called to serve

Founded in 1986, St. John’s is a day center for chronically homeless men. We are housed in a former Catholic church built in the 1850’s as a safe haven for immigrants following Bloody Monday. We carry on this rich history today, providing daytime sanctuary for those who have no place else to go. We treat each person who comes through our doors with dignity and respect, encouraging them to develop and address problems at their own pace.

*Facts about homelessness and St. John Center

1,915 men, who visited St. John Center 59,908 times, were served in 2006.
When St. John Center opened in 1986, visits totaled 31,477

According to the Coalition for the Homeless census of services used and their annual Point in Time:

11,251 homeless people were served in Louisville in 2005
2,043 were chronically homeless
6,907 were men

Definition of chronic homelessness – An unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for a year or more or has had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years. (US Department of Housing and Urban Development)

Unique outreach to a unique population

Our doors are open from 7 AM – 3 PM every single day of the year, including weekends and holidays when most places are closed.

All of our services are free, and we provide free office space to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Legal Aid Society and Seven Counties Services. Whether providing a cup of coffee and a hot shower, case management, job and housing assistance or access to professional help with mental illness and alcohol/drug addiction, St. John Center specialized in basic human compassion.

Since opening in 1986, we have welcomed more than 1,000,000 homeless guests through our doors. In 2006, nearly 2,000 different chronically homeless men visited St. John’s over 59,000 times. Currently, 150-200 homeless men visit our center each day. St. John Center receives guests from all of the area shelters, but many of our guests sleep outside.

Major impact with modest means

St. John Center is a 501 c 3 organization that operates on an annual budget of $670,000 in FY08. Our benefactors make our work possible. Eighty-one percent (81%) of funds are raised through generous individuals and conscientious businesses; 16% through grants; and 3% with a contract with Seven Counties Services.

Contributions of coffee, sugar, soap, shampoo, paper products, and other supplies keep our expenses low. In-kind gifts of goods and services totals over $40,000 every year.

One hundred fifty volunteers contribute over 9,000 hours of services each year.

Opportunities to participate

You can help St. John Center meet its promise to open the doors every day this year. Join our volunteer force, host a guest speaker, attend our special fundraisers, or coordinate a collection of in-kind donations and know that you are making a significant impact on someone’s life. And, of course, financial contributions are always welcome.

To explore these options further, call our development director or volunteer coordinator at 568-6758.

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