Our center, located at 438 Saint Antoine St., welcomes guests from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., Monday – Saturday, providing two nutritious meals, access to hot showers and hygiene items, laundry services, and housing assistance. Guests also receive free medical, dental and legal support through rotating clinics. Bike repairs, haircuts and mail services are also provided.
Pope Francis Center maintains a zero-bar entry policy, meaning we serve anyone who seeks our support. We do not require identification, paperwork, or screening for drugs or alcohol. Within the Center, however, violence and drug use are strictly prohibited.
For many people living on the streets of Detroit, Pope Francis Center is a beacon of help and hope. We see the humanity and goodness in everyone who comes through our doors and treat our guests with the dignity God intends for all His children.
We offer all our guests a safe place to take respite from life on the streets. We are dedicated to helping our guests unlock their potential so they can realize a brighter future.
Our Core Values
- Love in Action: Love is an essential part of our service, which we express by walking with our guests on their journey towards stability.
- Dignity in Service: We recognize the inherent dignity in every guest and provide dignity through our services.
- Transformational Healing: We recognize trauma and work together towards our common goal of healing in mind, body, and spirit.
- Community First: We believe in the interconnectedness of humanity and strive to provide a safe place for all to foster kinship.
Chronic Homelessness
The guests of Pope Francis Center are diverse in their backgrounds, demographics, and the factors that led them to become homeless.
Some of our guests are experiencing situational homelessness, caused by some form of crisis, such as the loss of a job or sudden illness. Others experience episodic homelessness, repeatedly returning to the streets because of an unstable living situation, often caused by low income or domestic violence. The vast majority of those served by the Pope Francis Center are experiencing chronic homelessness.
Chronic homelessness is defined as being without a home for at least a year – or repeatedly – while struggling with a disabling condition such as a serious mental illness, substance abuse disorder or physical disability.
Pope Francis Center guests often carry deep wounds, stemming from trauma and loss. In these cases, homelessness is a symptom of the lack of adequate resources to properly heal this emotional strain, leading them to cope in various, dangerous ways that can oftentimes lead to homelessness.
Because people experiencing chronic homelessness face the greatest barriers to self-sustainability, they often slip through the cracks. Many lose their lives each year to harsh winters, drug overdoses and preventable diseases. We at PFC believe that each death can be avoided with the necessary support in place.
