What We Do:
In addition to serving as a homeless shelter for children and families in the community, Deep Roots strives to break the generational cycle of homelessness. Our program encourages children and their parents to envision a brighter future, to sustain healthy relationships, and to navigate a course towards personal and social responsibility. Through better life experiences, with mentors, and by providing healthy life-models, education, and supports, Deep Roots seeks to show our families that homelessness is not destiny. Ending poverty and homelessness begins with the building of community, relationships, and in genuine human meeting – beyond barriers of race, class, and religion. Community enriches all our lives, and the lives of our children; it lays the foundation for the gentle and peaceable world we long for: One in which the violence of poverty and homelessness have no more place.
We Offer:
The Clairvaux Cafe – free meals daily, all are welcome
Count Your Blessings Exchange – a free thrift store, Saturdays from 9:30 am – noon
Events & Field Trips – these events are open to residents & non-residents
Furniture Barn – free furniture for those in need
Sprouts Children’s Programming
Support Services & Programs – for adults and children
Emergency Shelter & Transitional Housing – housing available for up to 12 families at a time
Deep Roots is a project, not just of teaching children and youth how to fish, but of making the pond itself accessible for them—opening the gates of possibility and potential. The intent of the project is to draw children and youth who are experiencing disconnection and homelessness into a vibrant, ongoing community of persons with varied experiences. We do this through two mutually reinforcing approaches:
1) Fellowship and Learning. We sponsor a group activity every month for children, their families, mentors, volunteers and other interested individuals to come together in a structured and friendly learning environment. As part of this effort, we strive to provide a variety of experiences ranging from a visit to the seaside at Ocean City, Maryland to a hands-on activity at a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Farm in Rising Sun, Maryland to paddling Turner’s Creek in Kennedyville, Maryland. Participants include those currently residing at Clairvaux Farm as well as those who previously resided at the Farm but have moved on.
2) Stable and Safe Emergency Shelter & Transitional Housing. We provide private apartments for up to 12 families with children at Clairvaux Farm. This provides families with an opportunity to breathe and focus on achieving their self-determined goals whether that is finding a job, securing affordable housing, addressing substance abuse and / or relationship issues, among other objectives.
You may view the Deep Roots Informational PowerPoint (PDF) here.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider. Non-Discrimination Policy – Deep Roots does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, or on any other basis in any of its activities or operations. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all of our clients, staff, volunteers, sub-contractors, vendors, and visitors.