Compassion in Action: The Pope Francis Center’s Fight Against Homelessness

The Pope Francis Center is a lifeline for Detroit’s homeless community, offering essential services six days a week. These include meals, hot showers, hygiene products, laundry facilities, medical care, haircuts, and housing assistance. These vital services are made possible through the dedication of volunteers and generous donations.

Each year, the center hosts the Building Bridges Gala, a meaningful and elegant event at Ford Field featuring a silent auction and paddle raise. The gala not only celebrates volunteers and sponsors but also raises crucial funds for future initiatives, including the Bridge Housing Campus—a program designed to combat chronic homelessness by providing temporary housing as a path to permanent stability.

Thanks to community and sponsor support, the Pope Francis Center held a ribbon cutting ceremony of the Bridge Housing Campus on June 3, 2024, just three miles outside downtown Detroit. The campus features 40 studio apartments where residents stay for 90 to 120 days while receiving intensive medical, psychological, addiction, social, and job-readiness support. Each resident follows a personalized treatment plan to help them overcome complex challenges and build a sustainable future.

Admissions criteria consider medical history, mental health, physical vulnerability, past homelessness, and corrections history, along with insights gained through strong relationships with guests.

Through its programs and the support of its community, the Pope Francis Center is creating real change—helping individuals rebuild their lives with dignity and hope.