About the Nonprofit
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Located on Fort Meade Army Installation in Anne Arundel County, Sarah’s House was created in 1987 as an emergency shelter for adults and families experiencing homelessness. In the last 37 years our program has evolved to provide wrap-around services that holistically support the client and address barriers to obtaining and maintaining self-sufficiency. Staffed by 37 dedicated employees of Associated Catholic Charities, Inc., Sarah’s House provides shelter, food, transportation, case management, community referrals, behavioral health services, children’s activities, education, and employment readiness services to those in our program.
Our mission states: “Inspired by the Gospel mandates to love, serve, and teach, Catholic Charities provides care and services to improve the lives of Marylanders in need.” Since 1923, Associated Catholic Charities, Inc. has been a leading provider of human services in Maryland. Today, Catholic Charities serves more than 160,000 individuals annually through the operation of 80 programs located in Baltimore City and 10 counties. Catholic Charities’ 2,100 employees and 7,000 volunteers strive every day to encourage hope for all we serve. Catholic Charities accompanies Marylanders as they age
with dignity obtain empowering careers, heal from trauma and addiction, secure stable housing in inclusive communities, prepare for educational success and feel welcome as immigrant neighbors.
Sarah’s House meets the need for shelter provision for Anne Arundel County residents experiencing homelessness. Serving up to 66 clients in the shelter program daily, we operate as an integral part of the Coordinated Entry screening process. This process triages and prioritizes referrals for shelter, ensuring that we serve those that are most in need in a timely and efficient manner. The wait list for entry into our program is managed by the Department of Social Services (DSS), who also manages the Coordinated Entry process. Daily, spaces are reported to DSS staff, who then consult the list and arrange for entry into the program. Every week, Sarah’s House managers join a collaborative call where county agencies discuss and prioritize those on the wait list. Often, additional information is discovered that helps better serve those that are looking for shelter. The process aims to be as pro-active and efficient as possible, with inter-agency communication at the core of its success.
Last fiscal year, Sarah’s House served 299 residents of Anne Arundel County that were currently experiencing homelessness. Of those served, the following is true:
81 families were served
43 single adults were served
114 adults in families were served
141 children in families were served
69% of shelter clients exited to permanent housing
71% of Project North clients exited to permanent housing
27,755 meals served (13,043 to children)
