Our History

In the winter of 1984, an elderly homeless man named Freddie died of exposure in an icy phone booth on a street in Georgetown. His death, a symptom of the incipient crisis of homelessness in Washington D.C., moved Georgetowners to search for an appropriate community response. In 1987, the Georgetown Clergy Association and Georgetown University founded Georgetown Ministry Center, organized a governing board, incorporated, and began raising start-up funds. Soon afterwards, we hired our first social worker to help homeless individuals in Georgetown.

From our modest beginnings, GMC has grown to include a successful drop-in center, street outreach, and a winter shelter that offers a safe haven from the streets to our most withdrawn and vulnerable homeless neighbors. GMC’s unique presence in Georgetown makes us an essential part of the net of services cast to the city’s homeless population.

Our Mission

Georgetown Ministry Center guides service-resistant, chronically homeless individuals towards stability through provision of a safe and welcoming environment where everyone is treated with respect, street outreach, and advocacy for the homeless. We seek lasting solutions to homelessness one person at a time.