The Firehouse Shelter was founded in 1983 as an outreach program of The Cooperative Downtown Ministries. On its first night, the Shelter housed 12 men. These men slept on floor mats upstairs in the second floor dorm room. Eventually, 25 bunk beds were added to the dorm room accommodating 50 men each night. Today, more than 213 homeless men find a safe, welcoming bed at a Firehouse Shelter facility.
For over 32 years, the Shelter has worked to improve and expand its programs and services for Birmingham’s homeless. Its success is seen in the fact that 90% of Shelter clients leave Shelter programs for permanent or transitional housing, or for needed medical, mental health, or substance abuse treatment.
For the first 20 years we existed primarily to meet the immediate food, shelter and clothing needs of the homeless. Since 2002, we have focused on assisting the men to achieve housing stability. We have done so by helping them successfully network their way through the social service continuum of services needed to end their current episode of homelessness.
The Firehouse Shelter now operates 6 facilities ranging from transitional housing, a Safe Haven for men with serious mental illnesses, permanent supportive housing, to affordable low-income permanent housing in various neighborhoods throughout the Birmingham metro area. Our most recent addition includes a house for single fathers who have a safe home for their children to visit.
Consider partnering with us to change the world one man and one day at a time!