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The John Graham Shelter was established in July of 1980 to address Addison County’s need foremergency short-term housing. The Shelter provides a safe, clean place for individuals and families to stay. As the only shelter in the County, we serve the neediest families and individuals including children, teens, veterans, and those with physical and mental disabilities.
The Shelter offers a handicapped accessible room, a common room with kitchen facilities, a food shelf, a small playground, and a pay phone. Our resident manager lives on site to meet the needs of residents during evenings and weekends.
The Shelter accommodates up to 17 residents at any one time and offers roughly 5,000 bed nights of shelter to 180 individuals per year. The Shelter also offers a food shelf, laundry vouchers, transportation, counseling and medical care in cooperation with the Open Door Clinic. Experienced staff member are available each week day to assist residents to find permanent housing, to look for a job, or to connect with local services.
Residents at the Shelter can stay for 21 days and can then apply to a committee of the Shelter’s Board for an extension. No alcohol, illegal drugs, weapons or violent behavior are allowed at the Shelter, and rules are strictly enforced. 
The Shelter runs on a shoestring budget and provides food, shelter and an array of services for the cost of about $20 per person, per night. This compares very favorably with housing a person in prison without treatment at $115 a night, in a residential rehab program at $400 a night, or in a hospital psychiatric ward for more than $800 a night. The Shelter is supported largely by private donations from individuals, churches, and civic groups, by the United Way of Addison County and by local municipalities. The Shelter also receives small grants from governmental and private sources.
The Shelter encourages an ethic of compassion and independence. We pride ourselves in working to determine the needs of each individual and then helping them to set short and long term goals that move them toward permanent housing and financial security. We also connect Shelter residents with local services to overcome an addiction, deal with domestic violence, gain literacy or job readiness skills, or work with a mental or physical disability.  Our philosophy is based on the conviction that self-motivation is key ingredient, and that Shelter residents can, with a little help and guidance, take action to rebuild their lives. Their high success rate in finding housing and employment in spite of very tough circumstances is a great testament to human motivation and persistence.