ALIVE! House

Helping women and families achieve their goals in a nurturing, homelike atmosphere

Established in 1972 as a shelter for women and families, ALIVE! House is the oldest continuously operated shelter for women in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its operation is supported by the generous contributions of ALIVE!’s member congregations, many kind individuals, several area businesses and foundations, and federal and state grants.

At ALIVE! House, we believe every one of our residents has a unique contribution to offer the community. Our mission is to help residents recognize their own distinctive interests, talents, and skills, and to assist them in achieving their goals.

Renovated in 1994, ALIVE! House provides a comfortable, home-like atmosphere in which women and families can address goals in several areas:

• Emotional Growth—We encourage and support residents in improving their self-worth and emotional health.
• Living Skills—We help residents develop effective living skills in homemaking, time management, and self-discipline.
• Parenting Skills—We encourage positive relationships between parent and child and teach basic parenting skills.
• Education and Career—We provide guidance as residents make choices and set goals for education and career development.
• Financial Independence—We teach residents to become financially independent and to manage their funds through budgeting and saving.


• Housing—We help residents find appropriate housing for themselves and their children upon leaving the shelter.

To meet these objectives, ALIVE! House provides residents with both in-house programs and supportive services through the community, helping our residents achieve their goals and become productive community members.