SHELTER SERVICES

The Brisben Center maintains full-time living quarters for 80 people: 20 for single women, 28 for single men, and 32 in eight family units, including children.  The average length of stay is 40-60 days. 

• The shelter stays full or nearly full, serving those from across the Greater Fredericksburg region who have been displaced from their homes.  Our service area includes Fredericksburg and the counties of Spotsylvania, Stafford, King George, and Caroline. More than 28,000 residents of this region live below the federal poverty guideline.
• The Center doors are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

• In FY 2019, the Brisben Center served 550 individuals: 137 single females, 252 single males, 82 children, 48 veterans, and 69 families.

• At no charge, the shelter provides:
  
  • Three nutritious meals a day.  Snacks for school children. Bag lunches for residents going to work.  Dinners for the wider community.
  • Fully equipped, handicap-accessible restrooms with showers.
  • Free Loads of Love laundry room with commercial-grade washers and dryers.
  • Career Center.
  • Community Health Room.
  • Meditation room
  • Children’s activity room.
  • Two children’s age-appropriate playgrounds.
  • Free use of bicycles.
  • Outdoor recreation and socialization area.
  • Basketball court.
  • Clothes pantry.
  • Hygiene products.
  • Transportation to and from appointments, as available.
  • A FRED System bus stop.
• Services include:
  
  • Required case management with a focus on housing.
  • One-on-one guidance for a year or more with Mobility Mentoring® volunteer coaches.
  • Benefits eligibility assistance, including veterans’ benefits.
  • Mental health assessments.
  • Referrals to provide for medical needs.
  • Job coaching; resume writing.
  • Life skill classes.
  • Children’s activities.
  • Exercise programs.
  • Nutritional education (for participating families).