Free food, shelter, and recovery help from CityTeam
CityTeam is a Christian nonprofit that provides free food, shelter, addiction recovery programs, and other basic services in five United States cities: San Jose, Oakland, and San Francisco in California; Portland, Oregon; and Chester, Pennsylvania. Everything the organization offers to people in need is free. This page explains the types of help available, how the offerings differ from city to city, and the fastest way to reach the location near you.
The services are not identical in every city. Some locations focus on daily meals and food distribution, while others also run overnight shelter and residential programs. Keep that in mind as you read, and confirm what your city offers before traveling to a site.
Free food, meals and everyday essentials
Hot meals are the most consistent service across CityTeam's cities. The dining rooms serve free meals to anyone who arrives, whether they are homeless, housed, working, or unemployed. San Jose, for example, generally serves a hot meal every day of the week, and the other locations run their own meal schedules.
Groceries are also distributed. In the Bay Area, CityTeam operates mobile food pantries at churches, schools, and community sites across Santa Clara County and nearby cities, and its website includes a search tool that filters food, clothing, shower, and other services by need, city, and day of the week. In Chester, the organization runs a weekly pantry and a separate fresh produce distribution at its Sproul Street building and supplies partner pantries around Delaware County.
Depending on the location, clothing, hygiene supplies, showers, and referrals to medical care may also be available. Families with infants may find diapers, formula, and related baby supplies at some sites, such as Chester.
Emergency shelter
Shelter is available in some CityTeam cities but not all of them, which is a frequent misunderstanding. Portland operates an overnight shelter for men that the organization reports is open every night of the year, with beds, showers, and hygiene supplies. In San Jose, Oakland, and Chester, most of CityTeam's beds are inside its residential programs rather than a separate walk-in shelter, and San Francisco currently focuses on meals and food distribution. If you need a bed tonight, contact the location in your city directly before making the trip or see the where to find a homeless shelter tonight, with listings by state page.
Residential recovery programs - including career support
CityTeam Renew is the organization's residential program for adults working to overcome drug or alcohol addiction, which often accompanies homelessness. Residents live at a CityTeam facility, generally for six months to a year, at no cost. The program combines a 12-step structure with case management, counseling, life skills and financial literacy classes, and preparation for work. Men's residential programs operate in San Jose, Oakland, Chester, and Portland. Women's programs operate in San Jose and Oakland, and the San Jose women's program, Grace Village Renew, is built so that mothers can bring their children rather than separating from them to get help.
Career and education support runs through CityTeam @ Work, the organization's learning and career center. Program residents may pursue a GED or further education, vocational training, certifications, and individual career counseling, with the goal of graduating into steady employment and stable housing.
Housing for specific situations
Several CityTeam housing programs serve more specific groups, mainly in San Jose. Grace Village Turning Point provides interim housing and case management for women and children leaving domestic violence, homelessness, or a sudden financial crisis. Heritage Home houses pregnant women and new mothers who have no safe place to stay, with support through pregnancy and the early months of the child's life. Youth Collective offers supportive sober housing for young women ages 18 to 24 who are at risk of homelessness, dealing with trauma, or leaving the foster care system.
One program is often mis-understood as public housing help: CityTeam Forward, the organization's extended housing, is reserved for graduates of the Renew program. It provides affordable sober housing for up to two years after graduation. It is not open to the general public, so it is not something you can apply to directly.
The faith-based approach
CityTeam is a nondenominational Christian ministry that has operated since 1957, when it was founded in San Jose, where it remains headquartered. It is privately funded rather than government run. Daily services such as meals and groceries are open to anyone in need. The residential programs are faith-based, and spiritual mentorship is part of their structure, so ask the local staff what participation involves before you enroll. We also have a guide to national Christian charities and ministries that help struggling families for additional faith based options.
Contacting CityTeam in your city
Because programs, schedules, and intake steps differ by location, the best starting place is the select a city page on https://www.cityteam.org/, which leads to current services, applications, and local contacts for each of the five cities. The organization's main phone number is 408-232-5600 and its general email is [email protected]; the CityTeam contact page lists the phone number and email for each city office.
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