About the Nonprofit
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For 40 years Rainbow Place Shelter has provided emergency hypothermia shelter to women in Montgomery County Maryland. Rainbow has 14 beds available each night, from November through March. Rainbow is small, but mighty. Approximately 3000 women have stayed at Rainbow over the years, and during those years Rainbow has added services well beyond providing shelter. Rainbow’s guests receive a warm, safe place to sleep, 3 meals a day, access to showers, laundry facilities, case management, and referrals to local social services, treatment and housing programs. Rainbow provides all these services while treating every person with dignity, compassion, and respect.
This past year Rainbow learned of a lack of adequate shelter and services for the youth population (ages 18 - 24) in Montgomery County. This need is potentially more pressing than the need to continue as a women’s shelter, but that has yet to be seen for sure. Rainbow is currently working with nonprofit partners in the county with the goal of soon transforming into a 30 bed shelter flexible enough to serve both women and youth. The envisioned shelter would separate these populations and include additional services, such as mental health and substance abuse treatment/counseling. Rainbow will bring all its experience and resources to this new population, who will certainly benefit at a critical time in their lives from Rainbow’s smaller size and caring staff.
