Agape Family Shelter

For over 30 years, the Agape Family Shelter has housed hundreds of homeless women and their children. The history of the shelter is deeply rooted in our community’s tradition of caring for its least fortunate neighbors. In 1985, a group of 18 Lebanon County citizens agreed that the city needed a homeless shelter for women — particularly needy single mothers. Through much hard work and careful planning, the funds were raised, the project planned and a historical mansion on 9th and Walnut Streets was renovated. Over two decades later, Agape Family Shelter continues to honor our community’s vision for aiding homeless families. Every day the shelter provides a safe haven for women and children in crisis.

At Agape, we believe that every woman deserves the opportunity for a fresh start. We know that every child needs a safe, clean home to call their own. Our goal is for the women who cross our threshold to leave empowered to meet life’s challenges. Our program provides a nurturing, Christ-centered environment for single women, pregnant women and women with children. Our staff works with each woman individually to create a unique plan for her future. Goal-setting, financial planning, parenting education and informal counseling help to boost our residents’ self-confidence and teach them necessary life skills. Connections with local agencies for child care, mental health services, educational opportunities and job placement give women the tools to succeed. As a ministry of the Lebanon Rescue Mission, the Lebanon Free Clinic provides all of Agape’s families with quality healthcare free of charge.

Given these opportunities, the lives of homeless women and children are transformed. Women may leave Agape with a GED or job skills certification, a full-time job, a substantial nest egg, or a better understanding of how to be a parent. Our small, hands-on staff and flexible program is tailored to meet the needs of each of our residents — to give them what they need to establish a more secure future. Even as women transition into independence, Agape continues to offer a safety net of emotional, spiritual and material support. The relationships built at Agape can endure for a lifetime.

But most importantly, our prayer is that Agape would be more than a homeless shelter; we want it to be a home. In keeping with the legacy of Agape’s founders and the Lebanon Rescue Mission, Agape Family Shelter offers unconditional love and acceptance to women and children when they need it most.