The Davies Shelter began its mission in 2003, founded by Susan Seagraves in honor of Bill Davies—a devoted Minister of Education and Administration at First Baptist Church whose compassion for others continues to inspire our work. What started as a rented home on South Broad Street offering shelter to 14 men quickly grew.

Just a year later, a neighboring house was renovated to serve as a safe haven for single women, a role it faithfully fulfilled until 2012. From these humble beginnings, The Davies Shelters have grown into a vital part of our community’s response to homelessness.

The sale of our South Broad rental property in 2015 became a turning point in our mission to provide lasting support. Committed to creating a true home for those in need, The Davies Shelter found its permanent home on East 18th Street in late 2016.

In 2018, The Davies Shelter launched the Ruth and Naomi Project to serve women and children experiencing homelessness. By late 2019, a renovated historic home on North Broad Street opened its doors, providing safe shelter for eight single women and four mothers with children—a place to heal, grow, and start again.

In 2020, The Davies Shelter expanded its community garden into a thriving 2-acre farm—a bold step toward healing and sustainability. This initiative creates meaningful employment for our guests, equips them with valuable job skills, and addresses food insecurity head-on. By growing fresh, healthy produce, the farm restores dignity, builds resilience, and nourishes not just individuals—but our entire community.

In 2021, we began to expand our services further by introducing in-house counseling services for guests. What started as a test run has developed into a 3 counselor service that extends to former guests and referred clients from other community partners.