The Timothy House

TO VOLUNTEER AT THE TIMOTHY HOUSE, CLICK HERE.

Click here to watch a new video on the Good Works Timothy House created in the summer of 2024

Click here to read the most recent letter (2024) we provide to our neighborhood to better understand the mission and structure of the Good Works Timothy House and how we function in our neighborhood.  

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The Good Works Timothy House (GWTH) has been providing a home for adults and children who experience homelessness in southeast Ohio since 1984. The GWTH is supported by donations from families, churches, businesses, local organizations and individuals. DAY IN THE LIFE is our primary fundraiser each year and will take place on Saturday December 7th 2024. To learn more about DAY IN THE LIFE, click here. 

 

Updated November 10, 2024

Keith Wasserman started Good Works in the basement of his home on Elliott Street in Athens in 1981. In December 1984, Good Works, Inc., purchased the house on Central Avenue in order to provide shelter for the growing number of men, women and children who found themselves in homeless situations. This facility was named The Good Works Timothy House in 1999. This facility provides shelter for people without homes in eight southeast Ohio counties. The Good Works Timothy House is one of the oldest rural homeless shelters in Ohio.

This property is located in the neighborhood of the west end of Athens on Central Avenue. The Timothy House operates 24 hours daily. Historically, the Timothy House has provided around 100-150 men, women and children with about 2000-3000 nights of shelter. each year Anyone seeking shelter at The Timothy House must contact us first by telephone at 740.594.3333. We are not an emergency shelter and we do not receive people into the house until they complete a telephone interview. After the telephone interview, a time for a face-to-face interview will be set. In most cases, this can occur within 24 hours.

Click here for true stories of people seeking shelter.
(Their names have been changed to protect their anonymity.)

To view “Growth In This Place,” a 12-minute documentary about the experiences of former residents of the Timothy House who are now on the Good Works staff, click here. To view “Works of Good” an 8+ minute documentary about several Good Works residents who became staff, click here.

LISTEN here for a 3 minute audio story about the Good Works Timothy House.

 

STATISTICS from 2008-2023

This essay, Good Works Timothy House Beyond the Numbers released in April 2024, offers perspective and analysis on some of the statistics we have compiled over the past 16 years.

This essay explains why Good Works stopped receiving State Funds in 2014.

  • In 2008, The Timothy House provided 168 men, women, and children 4,407 nights of food and shelter. We had to turn away 80 adults and children because of lack of space.
  • In 2009, The Timothy House provided 164 men, women, and children with 3,985 nights of food and shelter. We turned away 36 people.
  • In 2010, The Timothy House provide 171 men, women, and children with 4,046 nights of food and shelter. We turned away 86 people.
  • In 2011, The Timothy House provided 156 men, women, and children with 4,576 nights of food and shelter. We turned away 142 adults and children.
  • In 2012, The Timothy House provided 207 men, women, and children with 4,707 nights of food and shelter. We turned away 248 adults and children.
  • In 2013, The Timothy House provided 169 men, women, and children with 4,603 nights of food and shelter. We turned away 177 people.
  • In 2014, The Timothy House provided 132 men, women and children with 3,870 nights of food and shelter.
  • In 2015, The Timothy House provided 90 men, women and children with 3,782 nights of food and shelter
  • In 2016, The Timothy House provided 120 men, women and children with 3,642 nights of food and shelter.   
  • In 2017, The Timothy House provided 98 men, women and children with 3,210 nights of food and shelter.
  • In 2018, The Timothy House provided 111 men, women and children with 3,290 nights of food and shelter.
  • In 2019, The Timothy House provided 98 men, women and children with 3032 nights of food and shelter.  In 2019, we began tracking telephone interviews and pre-admit meetings. We conducted 282 detailed phone interviews and had 157 face to face meetings with individuals and families seeking to stay at The Timothy House.
  • In 2020, The Timothy House provided 55 men, women and children with 1164 nights of food and shelter. In addition, a local family partnered with Good Works and provided and additional 57 nights of shelter for those who could not be accommodated at The Timothy House. We conducted 197 detailed phone interviews and had 96 face to face meetings with individuals and families seeking to stay at The Timothy House*
    * 2020 was a very unusual year. In our view, the following “first-time” situations which occurred in 2020 due to COVID-19 impacted the people we normally would serve through the Timothy House: (1) Because of COVID, it became clear that many people in need of shelter were fearful and very reluctant to enter congregate facilities where residents share living space (2) The CDC’s freeze on evictions provided help to those who may have been evicted from their rentals and thus may have come to Good Works. (3) Federal funding increased dramatically and provided a substantial increase in funds available for rental and utility assistance.  Along with this came one-time funds provided to several local agencies assisting people experiencing homelessness to provide long-term hotel accommodations. (4) Many people struggling with poverty and on the edge of homelessness received direct financial support (stimulus checks) which provided assistance to them and their family and may have prevented them from experiencing homelessness (5) Because of COVID, we observed a broader willingness of those with homes allowing others to stay with them.
  • In 2021, The Timothy House provided 46 men, women and children with 1084 nights of food and shelter.  We conducted 154 detailed phone interviews and had 85 face to face meetings with individuals in 2021.
  • In 2022, The Timothy House provided 50 men, women and children with 2215 nights of food and shelter.  We conducted 227 detailed phone interviews and had 67 face to face meetings with individuals in 2022.
  • In 2023, The Timothy House provided 69 men, women and children with 2030 nights of food and shelter.   We conducted 225 detailed phone interviews and had 87 face to face meetings with individuals in 2023.

 

 

In December 2023, Good Works experienced another marker: We have provided more than 132,000 nights of food and shelter since we began keeping statistics in 1984.

GOOD WORKS’ OBJECTIVE for the Timothy House is to provide a safe, clean, stable, temporary, yet homelike place for people to BE while the residents work on the issues in their lives, which led to the situation of their homelessness.

provide means that out of the love of God born in our lives, we stretch out our hands (at times sacrificially and painfully) to those in need.

safe means we place an emphasis on both physical safety and emotional safety.

clean means that we emphasize keeping bodies, buildings and motives clean.

stable means that when receiving a new person into our programs, we consider how they will impact those already here.

homelike means everyone has something to share and something to receive. Residents can help, encourage and protect one another.

place to BE means people are accepted for who they are, not just for what they do.

while the residents work means helping each person take responsibility for working toward solutions to the problems they are facing. This includes:

  1. Identifying the particular problems and issues unique to each person, naming them for what they are so that people can work on some things they can do something about.
  2. Working out short, medium and long-term goals and plans for moving forward in a positive direction.

on the issues means helping people find a reasonable place to begin unraveling the many tangled issues in their lives.

which led to homelessness means recognizing that we also must work to prevent people from continuing to be homeless by facilitating healthy social networks among those who have become disconnected from their family and community.

Some of the issues with which people without homes struggle are:

  • lack of affordable housing
  • lack of entry level and fair wage employment opportunities
  • mental and emotional illness
  • drug and alcohol addiction & abuse (including prescription drugs)
  • domestic disputes (almost half of the people we serve come to us as a result of some kind of domestic dispute)
  • legal problems
  • money management
  • child custody issues

Since 1981, we have served two-parent families, single-parent families, single men, single women, victims of domestic violence, the mentally and emotionally ill and abused, substance abusers, veterans, students and travelers.

A FEW BRIEF STORIES about people who called the Timothy House

My name is Libby. I am 19 years old and I need a place to stay with my one year old son. My boyfriend kicked me out of the place where we were staying. I don’t have any family close to here. All of my family is in Cincinnati and West Virginia and none of them can come get me. I don’t have any money and my boyfriend is the only person I know around here.

My name is Richard. I am 53 years old and I need a place to stay for one night. I am from Colorado, but I’ve been staying in Reynoldsburg for two years. I was staying with friends, but they all left and went back to Colorado. I have money for a plane ticket back, and my flight leaves tomorrow. I called the Timothy House for a place to stay for a night, to shower and clean up before my flight.

My name is Jill. I am 24 years old and I need a place to stay with my two children. I am currently staying with my parents, but my aunt’s family is moving in. There isn’t room for everyone, so my parents are telling me to get out there and do something with my life. My car is impounded and my husband is living out of state, working an unstable job. The trailer I’m hoping to buy isn’t livable, but I don’t have any money to fix it up. I called the Timothy House, but they told me they were full. I can stay at my parents’ house one more night, but after that, I just don’t know.

My name is Riley. I am 30 years old and I need a place to stay with my seven year old son. I lived in Jackson County, until I was evicted in July because I ran out of money for rent. I’m currently staying at another shelter, but my son is not allowed to stay with me. Integrated Services referred me here, so I called the Timothy House.

My name is Kerri. I am 22 years old and I need a place to stay. I am from Hocking County, but I’ve been living in Athens for less than 6 months. I currently live with my fiancée, but he has become abusive. I’m staying with my mom for a few days, but I need shelter as soon as I can get it. I’m applying for jobs and trying to get back on my feet, but I still need a place to stay.

My name is Dennis. I am 21 years old and I need a place to stay. My parents split up and my mom lives in Columbus. I’ve been living with my dad in Jackson, but he just got kicked by the landlord. I’ve been unemployed since 2011, and I just got out of jail for petty theft. I’ve been staying with my uncle and with friends, but I can’t stay here long-term. My uncle told me about the Timothy House, so I called to see if they had room for me.

My name is Vicky. I am 22 years old and I need a place to stay. Two years ago, I moved to Nelsonville from Columbus because my family lives here. I’ve been staying with my grandfather for these two years. But his house got foreclosed, so we had to move out. I have nowhere to go. My parents live in Nelsonville, but my step-dad refuses to let me stay there. I have no job, no income, and I’m not connected to anyone or anything. I called the Timothy House for shelter.

My name is Ted. I am 27 years old and I need a place to stay. I’ve lived in Jackson for most of my life. I had a job and a great place to live, but the business I worked for closed. I was no longer able to pay rent, so I moved in with my girlfriend. We lived together for about 5 months, but then she up and left for Georgia. For the last 3 months, I’ve been living at shelters and with friends, because I don’t get along with my family. I called the Timothy House after my friend kicked me out.

My name is Brandon. I am 30 years old and I need a place to stay. I lived in Athens with my wife, but we split up, and she got the house. I came to Ohio from North Carolina around 2 years ago, and I currently work at Arby’s on State Street. I need a place to stay where I can save money to get my own place.

My name is Karla. I am 36 years old and I need a place to stay with my 2 children. I’ve been staying at my mom’s house, but last week she started to beat me. She only lets me stay there sometimes, but she lets my son stay with her. My daughter is staying with her father. I was referred here by Integrated Services.