The 27th winter shelter concluded on April 8 after another successful season that began in early November of last year. Once again, it was the generous hospitality and support of several neighborhood congregations, community groups and individual volunteers in conjunction with GMC staff that helped make its success possible.

During the coldest months of the year, the shelter provided refuge from the elements, safety and community — including a warm bed and a balanced dinner served at a shared table each night — for a group of individuals experiencing homelessness. Volunteers worked, not just to provide the basics of food and shelter, but to bring hope and spirit to the shelter community. During the holidays, a Girl Scout troop from Holy Trinity Catholic Church sang Christmas Carols. On St. Patrick’s Day, GMC supporter Beth Crimmins and her band of volunteers threw a festively themed dinner party.

GMC’s goal is to provide shelter for shelter residents during the winter months and to assist in moving them toward more permanent housing solutions. One of this year’s original shelter participants made an early exit from this year’s program because he entered housing, inhabiting his own apartment in Northwest DC! A second shelter resident received a housing voucher and is anticipated to move into a unit by May or June of this year.