About Us: Our History
Under the leadership of Rev. Bill Garda, the Shelter of Hope was founded in 1988 with support from member of the Ashland Area Ministerial Association who saw the need for an organization that could assist families who were homeless. After much searching for a location, several apartments were located at 2944 Winchester Avenue.
With funding from the Ministerial Association, local churches, and United Way, four apartments were put under contract to the fledging organization. Through the hard work and guidance of Rev. Bill Garda, Rev. Bob Bradley, Rev. Bill Messer, Patty Justice, Jeanne Martin and Dan Kubic, the Shelter of Hope sought and used donations from churches and other local groups to help house the Shelter's guests. The designation guest was deliberately chosen by the founders in order to keep with the Judeo-Christian concept of hospitality to strangers. This concept continues to be a hallmark for the Shelter, despite nearly two decades of development and changes.
In 1992 the Shelter of Hope purchased the property at 2944 Winchester Avenue, expanding the facilities to 10 apartments and increasing its service capacity by 150 percent. Despite expansion, leadership at the Shelter remained entirely voluntary. During the illness and death of Rev. Bill Garda however, Rev. Bob Bradley of First Christian Church oversaw the daily operations of the Shelter. From 1989 to 1998 the Shelter functioned solely through the volunteer efforts of individuals in the Ashland community.
During this time, occupancy at the Shelter remained at 80-95 percent each month and the need for services increased. Additional funding from grants made it possible to hire a few part-time staff who helped manage the shelter and supply area.
The Shelter has expanded its services through housing initiatives, financial literacy, case management, deposit assistance programs, the introduction of programs such as Americorps and VISTA, and working with Kentucky Housing Corporation and the Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky.
The Shelter is currently working to develop transitional housing and increase services such as case management. In order to meet the rising demand for affordable and low-income housing, the Shelter is working to improve community involvement and support through homelessness awareness and education.