American Red Cross Family Shelter

Family Shelter Mission:
The mission of the American Red Cross Family Shelter in Middletown is to provide relief and shelter and active case management to victims of homelessness—up to 75 families each year.  Specifically, we serve families with children who become homeless in Middletown and elsewhere in Middlesex County.  Our shelter is unique in that it has seven 2-bedroom apartments in duplex buildings in a quiet residential neighborhood.  We offer an environment that can give homeless families the stability and the hope they need to begin to make the positive choices that will allow them to live independently again.

Transitional Housing Program:
In addition to working hard to help client families locate permanent housing, we have operated a Transitional Housing Program in conjunction with the shelter since 1998.  This program allows some families to have a longer period of time, up to one year in many cases, to build necessary life skills to create a stable, permanent and safe home environment for the future.  The Transitional Housing Program continues the active case management that families receive while previously staying at the American Red Cross Family Shelter.

Beyond Shelter Program:
Since 2007, the American Red Cross in Middletown has operated a Beyond Shelter Program to continue case management with families and individuals who “graduate” from area shelter programs and attain their own housing.  The goal of Beyond Shelter is to reduce recidivism by serving as a liaison between formerly homeless clients and area landlords to help clients avoid situations that have tended to cause them to become homeless in the past.  We employ a Housing Coordinator/ Case Manager who has a 15-20 client caseload… and growing!