WHO WE ARE

We provide hope and dignity to those experiencing homelessness by helping them transition to permanent housing. We assist people referred by local social service providers with a security deposit and basic furnishings. We perform these tasks using only volunteers and donations, and accept no government funding.

Our model is simple and flexible.  With the right support, the transition from homeless to housed can happen in as quickly as one or two days.  We are a 501(c)(3) with no paid staff. We take no government funding and have minimal overhead costs. All money, furniture, and other household goods are donated. 

If you don’t have an OTS Chapter near you,  START YOUR OWN!

The first step will be to read the book or email us at otsnewchapter@gmail.com

Here’s the story of how one of our chapter leaders discovered that a group of volunteers can actually get homeless people Off The Streets:

Off The Streets helps to house people through our local chapters.  Currently we have 8 chapters serving:

There are three ways you can get involved with Off The Streets:

 We believe the Off The Streets model can successfully work in any community in the United States.   If you would like to support our work to make this happen, please click here to donate.

Our volunteers get to see firsthand the impact that their support of Off The Streets has made on the lives of the people we helped.  We have asked a few of them to give their stories. 

HISTORY

Off The Streets was founded by Deacon Michael Oles, a long term volunteer at Dorothy Day Hospitality House in Danbury CT.  Like Off The Streets, Dorothy Day House is staffed completely by volunteers, and provides meals to 80-120 people each day and shelter to 16 people every night.  When Deacon Mike was asked to speak about homelessness to a group of middle school religious education students, he brought along some homeless people to tell their stories. The students were so moved by the stories that they sent money to Deacon Mike to help a particular gentleman. However, Deacon Mike had no experience in getting people into housing (it’s a lot different than cooking meals in a soup kitchen or manning an overnight shelter). After some procrastination, he succeeded in finding an apartment and paid the security deposit with the students funds.

After this success, the word got out that Deacon Mike could get people out of homelessness and into housing. Unsolicited contributions from church groups and individuals continued to flow in, and more people were placed in housing. In September 2009, Deacon Mike recruited some volunteers, and Off The Streets was formed as a non-profit organization in Danbury CT

Deacon Mike realized that the Off The Streets model could be applied to any community. When he relocated to Lancaster PA in 2013, he started an OTS chapter there. OTS chapters have also been started in Bridgeport CT, Columbia PA and Huntington Beach CA. Since every community in the United States has some homeless people who could be helped by Off The Streets, it is Deacon Mike’s vision to establish Off The Streets chapters throughout the US. Each of us can be part of the solution in our own cities and towns.