More than a Homeless Shelter
Since 1988, St. Matthew's House (SMH) has provided housing, spiritual support and structured recovery programs for the homeless in our main facilities in Naples, FL. St. Matthew's House can house 174 men, women and women with children in our combined facilities in Naples and Immokalee.
Homeless Children, a Sad Fact of Life
Sadly, there are always children living in our facilities, some of whom have graduated out of the foster care system with no place to go due to their mental health issues. These children, though they are still considered homeless, feel safer and more secure now that they have a home and a stable environment, which they had never had before.
Homelessness Facts
St. Matthew's House receives at least one call each week from the hospital with a patient who has no place to go. Homelessness continues to be a pervasive problem throughout this country and Naples is no different. The reality of homelessness in Collier County is measured each year through the homeless count. It is expected that we actually have about 2,000 homeless in our county, as they work hard to be unseen.
Health and Life Expectancy of a Homeless Person
The life expectancy for a chronically homeless person is 44 years of age for men and 40 years for women. It is the only segment of the population where women are not expected to live as long as men. The chronically homeless often have one or more serious and disabling health conditions, including mental health and/or substance abuse disorders. In 2007, 15 people who were current St. Matthew's House residents or past residents passed away, and those ranged in age from 22 to 54. Donate
St. Matthew's House Quick Facts:
- St. Matthew's House was founded as a non-profit homeless shelter and feeding ministry in 1988.
- We have been over capacity at our main shelter since June of 2005.
- We average over 43,000 nights in our emergency housing each year.
- We are the ONLY emergency housing and food ministry in all of Collier County.
- Of those residents who have graduated from the Wolfe Apartments two-year program, we have a 90% success rate, as few have returned to us homeless again since its inception in 2003.
- Our food pantries provide over 4,000 packages of groceries to those in need annually.
