Homeless Shelters

The largest one in Fort Worth, TX is the Presbyterian Night Shelter off E. Lancaster Avenue near downtown at 2400 Cypress Street. My ex-boyfriend Jon lived there for several months back in 2000. Each tenant is given a small locker and usually has a roommate. If you have any valuables, it’s best to leave them with someone before moving in. To reach them, call 817-336-1781.

“It appears that all across the board there is an increase in homeless among women and children,” said Executive Director John Suggs.

The Day Resource Center is located along E. Lancaster where most of the facilities for the homeless are houses for the county. My best friend used to work out of there while submitting Social Security Disability claims for clients. It was considered a haven for homeless people to come to during the day, especially during extremely hot or cold weather.

The Arlington Life Shelter (formerly the Arlington Night Shelter) provides short-term shelter and services for men, women, and children to restore them to self-sufficiency. Arlington is about 30 minutes away from Fort Worth and is in Tarrant County. They are located at 325 W. Division Street and the phone number is 817-548-9885.

The Bridge Youth & Family Services provides emergency shelter for ages 10-17 and is located at 115 W. Broadway Street in downtown Fort Worth. The toll-free number is 888-296-8099. A former co-worker of mine took a job there years ago and said they had an excellent program for kids.

SafeHaven of Tarrant County provides shelter and is located at 6815 Manhattan Boulevard, #105 in Fort Worth. You may reach them toll-free at 1-877-701-7233. Counseling and various programs are also included in the services. This was formerly Women’s Haven of Tarrant County and the Women’s Shelter but the two of them merged recently to form SafeHaven.

The YWCA of Fort Worth and Tarrant County provides housing for girls exiting foster care and homeless women as well as other services. They are located at 512 W. Fourth Street and the number is 817-332-6191. I have heard numerous compliments about them through the years.

The Union Gospel Mission of Fort Worth, located at 1321 E. Lancaster Avenue, always has a line of people waiting to receive food at the facility. They may be reached at 817-339-2553. In 1888 the Cumberland Presbyterian Church at Fifth and Taylor Streets served as the first home of the Mission. A large demand for services developed from the early 1900s through World War I.

The Salvation Army is located at 1855 E. Lancaster and may be reached at 817-344-1800. They have transitional shelters and a temporary facility called First Choice for drug-addicted women seeking recovery where they can live with their children and enroll in intensive programs and educational classes.