Our attitude at the beginning of a task will affect the outcome more than anything else -- it’s our best friend or our worst enemy! Our Shelter Motto
The Community Assistance Network (CAN) operates Baltimore County’s three largest homeless shelters: the Eastside Family Emergency Shelter, the Hannah More Emergency Shelter, and the Men’s Westside Emergency Shelter. Collectively we serve over 370 men, women and children through these shelters every day.
Eastside Family Emergency Shelter – This is a 150 bed emergency facility providing food, shelter and day programming for intact families, single parent with children, and single women.
Hannah Moore Shelter – An 80 bed emergency facility providing food and shelter to women with children and single women. There is a 90-day limit on length of stay for this facility.
Westside Men’s Shelter – A 120+ emergency bed facility providing food, shelter and case management to men.
To obtain admittance to a CAN shelter, you must first have a referral from Baltimore County Department of Social Services (DSS) Screening Unit. They can be reached at (410) 853-3000, option # 2.
Vision: We operate shelters of excellence for people experiencing homelessness in our community.
Purpose Statement: CAN’s purpose in operating the shelters is to provide a safe, clean, supportive community which helps stabilize persons who are experiencing homelessness in Baltimore County by promoting self-worth, encouraging personal responsibility and providing linkages to community resources.
Our Shelter Values: Kindness, Integrity, Service, Self-Worth, Encouragement, Support
- We believe people are worth great value and that they are our most important asset.
- We look out for the interests of others and are willing to have servant hearts.
- We believe that everyone has a skill set and gift that can be used to help our community.
- We believe people respond to recognition and an opportunity to grow.
- We believe that everyone likes to be appreciated and practice using words of encouragement and incentives to acknowledge good outcomes.
CAN has successfully worked with Baltimore County’s Shelter program for over 18 years. Our history with homeless services began in February, 1990, when we opened and operated Baltimore County’s two “Freezing Weather Shelters” from November through April (1990-2001). In 2003, CAN partnered with the County in extending this vision of the Freezing Weather Shelters into an “Overnight Emergency Shelter” program with the intent to eventually operate them on a year-round basis. This included both the Eastside facility located in Rosedale and the Westside facility located in Catonsville.
During the 2007 fiscal year, on an emergency basis only, CAN agreed to take over the management of the Hannah More Emergency Shelter when the prior operator was unable to continue with the contract. In 2008, CAN was granted continued operations of the Eastside Family Emergency Shelter and the Men’s Westside Shelter facilities, along with the Hannah More Shelter which we are successfully operating today.
Please contact Tyra Howard, Director of Homeless Services if you have any other questions regarding shelter programs at (410) 285-4674 Ex. 305.
In support of Baltimore Counties Freezing Weather Plan, CAN operates under a “Code Blue” policy from November 15 to April 15 of each year. Our Code Blue policy mandates that when outside temperatures are 32 degrees (or below) two of our three shelters will accept up to fifteen (15) additional homeless persons without a DSS referral. Code Blue walk-ins are welcomed into the shelters on a first-come first-serve basis and no more than 15 walk-ins will be accepted at each site on any given day.
The shelters are open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week; however, we strongly encourage homeless persons to arrive at the appropriate shelter between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm each evening.
1. Eastside Family Emergency Shelter
9100 Franklin Square Drive
Baltimore, MD 21237
Contact Person(s): Charmaine Short
Phone: 410 285-4674 ext 201
Shelter: 410 780-7404
Description of amenities: This is a 150 person shelter accepting single women, women with children, and intact families only; code blue persons sleep on mats/cots, access to showers, bathrooms, laundry, meals, bus tokens, nursing services, case management and day programs, referral services.
2. Westside Men’s Shelter
55 Wade Avenue
Catonsville, Maryland
Contact Person(s): Jon Brown
Phone: (410) 285-4674 ext 203
Description of amenities: This is a 120 person shelter accepting men only; code blue persons sleep on mats/cots, access to showers, bathroom, laundry, meals, bus tokens, nursing services, case management, and referral services.
Transportation is available to homeless persons seeking shelter from freezing weather. This includes self-presentation (the person makes him/her own way to the shelter site); bus transportation made possible by bus tokens from the Department of Social Services, the Police Department and/or shelter sites, and as a last resort rides by on duty police officers. The Men’s Westside Shelter also has a daily shuttle that picks up at the intersection of Wilkens Avenue and Leeds Avenue, Catonsville between 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm.
