Near the end of the Great Depression, Atlanta Mission began as a soup kitchen to provide food for displaced, homeless men. Over the last 82 years, we have served thousands of individuals facing homelessness across Metro Atlanta by providing services and transformation to their lives. Here is a glimpse of the journey we have been on since we first opened our doors in 1938 to where we are at today. 

In 1947, we received 501(3)(c) status and officially became inducted into the community as a nonprofit organization. In addition to providing shelter and food for those experiencing homelessness, we expanded our services in 1967 to offer recovery services to men. The Potter’s House, a 550-acre farm in Jefferson, Georgia, opened as a way to offer long-term residential recovery programs to men faced with addiction. Our recovery services are a vital part of how we operate today. We believe that these services allow our clients to overcome the cause of their homeless by following a holistic approach. 

Soon after expanding our services for men, we became the first entity in the city of Atlanta, and the United States, to offer shelter and other services to women experiencing homelessness, in 1969. My Sister’s House, our facility for women and children, expanded in 2003 to provide emergency services and recovery care to 264 women each day. And in 2008, The Shepherd’s Inn, our shelter for men, expanded to feed 1,000 meals and house 450 men every day. 

We are so excited to share an important milestone for the future of Atlanta Mission as we prepare for the completion of the Restoration House, our new low-barrier shelter for women and children, located on our current Ethel Street facility, The Atlanta Day Shelter for Women and Children (ADS), in the spring of 2021. The Restoration House will offer enhanced day services and overnight shelter for around 100 women and children. 

Our transformational growth since 1938 wouldn’t be possible without the incredible support of our local community and donors. Today, we now provide emergency shelter, rehab and recovery services, vocational training, and transitional housing. We have three facilities in Atlanta and Northeast Georgia, where we serve hundreds of men, women, and children each day in good times and bad. 

For more information on the story of Atlanta Mission, here is a comprehensive timeline of our history.