Community Outreach and Fall 2025 Highlights

This fall began with a major milestone for The Shelter Alliance. Our inaugural community event welcomed over 170 attendees and featured Maryland's Secretary of Planning Rebecca Flora and Maryland Secretary of Housing Jake Day , who introduced our Executive Director, Kimrose Goodall, to the community. The event not only elevated awareness of the need for a year-round shelter in Kent County but also prompted Secretary Day to take the opportunity to tour our small county before our event to see firsthand how current resources are being used and where future support is most needed. This moment set the tone for what became one of our busiest and most productive seasons to date.

As we prepare for Kent County’s first year-round shelter, we spent time touring Mid-Shore shelters and meeting with fellow Executive Directors to exchange insights about operations, staffing, and long-term sustainability. These conversations have been essential as we begin shaping both our capital and operational budgets for the future shelter.

We also conducted potential shelter site tours, evaluating locations that could serve as a year-round facility. Each visit brings us one step closer to identifying the best possible space for our community.

Our outreach extended into the school system as well. We met with Kent County Middle School guidance counselors to better understand the needs of students and families navigating instability, and we participated in the Title I Family Engagement Night, sharing resources and connecting directly with families.

Sheila Barry Board Vice President, Kimrose Goodall Executive Director and Niara Wilson Case Manager at Kent County Middle School in November

This year, the Town of Chestertown issued its annual World Homelessness Day Proclamation, recognizing the importance of coordinated, year-round services and highlighting the work happening across local organizations. Last year, both the Kent County Commissioners and the Town of Chestertown issued proclamations, demonstrating a growing commitment across county and town leadership to address homelessness in a unified way.

Partnership remained at the heart of everything we accomplished. We strengthened relationships with the Good Neighbor Fund and Samaritan Group at the Tuesday Community Table, the Department of Social Services, Corsica River Mental Health, For All Seasons, Deep Roots, and additional community partners who continue to be essential collaborators in supporting individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

This season also brought one of our most meaningful accomplishments. With community support and the hands-on help from a few of our Board members, two families transition from homelessness into stable housing, forming a total of four new stable households since our inception here in Kent County. Board members assisted with moving, locating furniture, and ensuring each family had what they needed for a fresh start. Through our Emergency Shelter and Housing Stabilization support, we provided full and partial security deposits where needed. These successes represent the heart of our mission and demonstrate what is possible when case management, partnership, and community come together.

Another highlight this season was our collaboration with the Kent Cultural Alliance, whose home-themed art gallery so deeply resonated with our mission that we held our most recent Board meeting in their gallery space, inspiring meaningful reflection and renewed vision among our leadership team. The KCA also helped us strengthen connections with the Local Management Board, Kent Attainable Housing, and Rebuilding Together.

We also deepened our connections with the faith community. This included engaging with the Chester Valley Minister’s Association, which emphasized the need for case management support, and extending our services to local churches and coexisting nonprofits that serve the unhoused. We visited several congregations this season and attended and advertised the Community Dinners hosted by Christ First United Methodist Church, where our office is housed. These gatherings continue to strengthen relationships and align our work with the needs expressed directly by residents.

Every tour, meeting, event, and partnership this fall has moved us closer to establishing Kent County’s first year-round low-barrier shelter with wraparound services. We are grateful for the steady support and collaboration that make this work possible. We are truly leaps closer to our year-round shelter.