Who We Are
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In the early 2000s, Sister Maureen Griner led a small group in Memphis through a study of an unlikely subject: the life of Dorothy Day.
Dorothy Day was a journalist, activist, and co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement who lived from 1897 to 1980. She spent her life arguing that the poor deserved not pity, but solidarity — that serving others wasn't optional for people of faith, it was the point. For Sister Maureen's group, learning her story wasn't just inspiring. It was a call to act.
They turned their attention to Memphis. What they found was a specific, painful gap: there was no shelter option in the city for married couples or families with preteen and teenage boys. In most shelters, families experiencing homelessness are separated by design. Men are sent to one facility. Women, girls, and young children are sent to another. Parents of teenage sons face an impossible choice — place their boys in foster care, find someone willing to take them in, or keep the family together on the street.
Sister Maureen's group decided that wasn't acceptable. Dorothy Day House opened in May 2006 as the answer to that gap.
Nearly 20 years later, DDH remains the only shelter in Shelby County that accepts whole families regardless of composition, with no residency requirement and no 30-day limit on stays. We operate three transitional houses serving up to nine families at a time, providing safe housing alongside case management, family workshops, and employment support. Our goal is the same as it was in 2006: keep families together, and walk with them toward stable housing, reliable transportation, and living-wage employment.
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Rooted in the tradition of the Gospels and inspired by the vision and passion of Dorothy Day, the Dorothy Day House provides temporary housing and support services for families experiencing houselessness in Memphis, TN. Working with other local agencies, staff members, and volunteers provide families in need with a safe environment and the means to re-establish their independence. All guests are welcomed as Christ, without discrimination.
The Dorothy Day House keeps families facing housing insecurity together, creating a safe haven and a community for entire families.
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Ministry — We believe that Dorothy Day House is a ministry to people experiencing houselessness, done in the spirit of the Gospel. The poor are Jesus, and what we do for them, we do for Jesus.
Personalism — Each person is unique in their needs, their talents, and their abilities. We are called to respect each family's strengths, weaknesses, and challenges.
Hospitality — We create a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere for ourselves, our volunteers, our donors, and those we serve.
Trust in Providence — If we plant these seeds and water them, God will cause them to grow. Dorothy Day House rests on faith and trust in God.
People taking care of people — Growth occurs in all of us when we care for each other.
Forward progress — Each individual is responsible for their own progress toward stable housing and solid employment.
Personal accountability — Each person is accountable for their own actions.
We are a Home — Dorothy Day House is a real home for those to whom we minister.