OUR HISTORY
In 1997, a woman slept on the steps of the Union Baptist Church in Mystic for three nights. On her last morning there she joined the worship service and left a dollar bill with a note in the collection basket. Her note explained that after losing her job, she had become homeless. Three weeks earlier she had been stably housed.
In a community call to action, Rev. Dr. G. Kenneth Carpenter, Union Baptist Church's minister at the time and our Founder, recruited human service agencies, local business groups and neighboring congregations to work together to address the growing concern of homelessness. Always Home, formerly known as Mystic Area Shelter and Hospitality (MASH), was incorporated as a 501(C) (3) nonprofit in 1998.
OUR MISSION
Always Home believes that every child needs and deserves a safe place to call home. Our goal is Preventing Family Homelessness across Eastern Connecticut. Always Home works alongside low-income families, providing parents opportunities to improve stability and enhance well-being. By addressing the causes of housing insecurity, we strive to protect minor children from the trauma of eviction, homelessness or emergency shelter.
Our staff works to help families address their immediate housing emergency. By combining case management services, emergency resources and wraparound support, like our Wheels to Work and Childcare Solutions programs, parents regain housing stability and create a path forward.
Always Home and Union Baptist Church share a special bond. The church is at the heart of our founding and has generously supported our mission for the past twenty-eight years. It provides a home for our organization by generously donating office space and the Essentials Room, and shares our mission goals through meaningful Board participation. Founding Board member Rev. Dr. G. Kenneth Carpenter served on our Board of Directors for 20 years and is our first Emeritus Board member. This legacy of stewardship continued with the Church's current Senior Minister, who was a member of our Board from 2018 to 2026, and carries on today through current Board member Natalie Webb, who is an active congregant of the church.