In 1983 a Marist brother, Tom Petitte, and a few volunteers opened the first family homeless shelter in Lawrence — with five beds. Today it has 41 beds and seven cribs (including a home for eight individuals and two families with HIV/AIDS), and a wide range of other services: a food pantry, a soup kitchen, a child center, job training, an English as a Second Language program, a health clinic, three thrift stores and advocacy services. “All our programs focus on members of our community who have nowhere else to go.” LHM serves over 8,000 guests every month, and the strength of its interwoven programs is evident in the high mutual success rate: 78% of shelter residents successfully transition to permanent housing, and 89% of job trainees find permanent employment and keep those jobs for at least six months. Guests are encouraged and enabled through one-on-one coaching to move beyond their current crises. Seasons are brightened with celebrations: the Rainbow Festival in summer and Project Bethlehem at Christmas, providing gifts for children who would otherwise receive nothing. Less than 1% of LHM’s funding comes from the government; it all depends on private philanthropy — meaning generous citizens like you.