(757) 622-6400
shelter & outreach
A Safe, Inspiring, and Hopeful Space
ForKids is proud to operate a 135-bed shelter purpose-built to provide families with the essentials they need in overcoming homelessness. Importantly, the trauma-informed design of the shelter helps reduce stress and provides a joyful and hopeful environment.
SEE HOW
Welcome to Sokol Place
Opened in 2021, our flagship 135-bed emergency shelter for families with children experiencing homelessness houses up to 20 families at a time.
To best aid families’ recovery from homelessness, Sokol Place leverages trauma-informed design – abundant natural light, a soft color palette, and plentiful live plants – to create a calm and welcoming environment.
The rooftop garden provides a green space for families while supplying herbs and produce for our full-service kitchen, where families can dine in or access healthy meal options to-go throughout the day. Light-filled community rooms offer places for children to play, and onsite, state-of-the-art classrooms provide a space for daily after-school sessions.
26% of shelter residents are under the age of 6
Last year, ForKids sheltered 215 children experiencing homelessness
1000 meals
are made from scratch each week in our kitchen
Whatever It Takes
At Sokol Place, families have all of the resources they need to recover from homelessness and embark on a pathway out of poverty.
ForKids provides wrap-around services and support from Education Liaisons, who ensure children are enrolled in school; Housing Specialists who assist them in finding stable and affordable housing; and Case Managers who help remove any barriers to access and work closely with families on meeting their physical and mental health needs.
Sokol Place also leverages community-building opportunities for families, including peer support and networking groups that promote connection and resiliency through a variety of group programming.
OUTREACH IN ACTION
Not All Heroes Wear Capes
ForKids is proud of the meaningful, life-changing work we do at Sokol Place, but we are always at capacity, meaning that too many families can’t access emergency shelter when they need it. These families sleep on church floors, in their cars (if they have them), or move from couch to couch at the homes of family members and friends.
This is where our Outreach Team steps in.
They drive to meet families in need wherever they are: parking lots, churches, libraries, or day centers. Our Outreach Team brings them food, fresh clothes, and diapers, and pays for a night at a hotel when funds are available. Additionally, they ensure school-aged children are enrolled in school and arranges transportation each morning and afternoon until the school system takes over.
