Dawning Family Services

Dawning Family Services (formerly Alpha House of Tampa) has been serving the homeless since 1981.  Our mission is to create sustainable change in the lives of our community's most vulnerable families.  Programs and services include emergency shelter, case management, rapid re-housing, and employment services, as well as prevention & diversion for families who are in danger of becoming homeless.

Until recently (as Alpha House of Tampa), we offered shelter and support services to only pregnant women and women alone with small children - the "maternity home" model.  In 2018, our Board of Directors approved a new mission to reflect the agency's desire to address the growing need we were witnessing to serve families beyond our historic core population.

In addition, Dawning Family Services has significantly stepped up efforts to serve the critical need that exists in our community to provide housing stability for all disenfranchised families.  This involved increasing the number of our emergency shelter units, expanding the population we serve to include a broader range of family types, and launching a new prevention program to provide basic needs and essential supports.  Our newly expanded services will include both residential (emergency shelter) and non-residential (drop-in) services.

In 2020 Dawning Family Services sheltered 129 adults and 192 children.  100% of families were homeless, or at imminent risk of homelessness.  53% of adults we served, advanced their education and/or improved their ability to gain and retain meaningful employment.  And, in 2020, 73 families moved to permanent housing at a $4,535,490 savings to the community!

Visit dawningfamilyservices.org to learn more.