Lazarus House

Lazarus House Ministries is spiritually based and welcomes all in the name of God. We provide a continuum of care encompassing, but not limited to: shelter, food, clothing, advocacy, education, work preparation, health services, a listening ear, a welcoming heart, and the restoration of dignity and self-respect to people who are poor and in dire need. Although we are a faith-based ministry, we are not affiliated with any church. We serve to empower our guests to move beyond poverty and crisis and to become productive members of their community.

Lazarus House strives to be "the place" in the Merrimack Valley where people facing poverty, homeles

Goal One: Expand measurable programming, increase case management, and enhance advoacy and education to ensure the best possible outcomes for residents in our housing programs.

Goal Two: Reduce hunger in our community by increasing quantity, quality, distribution, and access to meals and groceries. Explore how LH can further meet the needs of food-insecure people.

Goal Three: Increase the quantity and quality of case management and services for Guests outside of our housing programs, in part by partnering with the wider community.

Lazarus House paid for case managers to attend the 2021 virtual NASW conference.. Those who were eligible earned CEUs. Lazarus House prioritizes promoting from within. In the past year, 5 staff were promoted to positions with more leadership and responsibility. All promoted staff are BIPOC Lawrence residents.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Lazarus House identified the safe operation of the Soup Kitchen, Food Pantry, Shelter, and Capernaum Place transitional housing program as the organization’s top priorities and paused all other programming not related to these essential functions. Thanks to the unsurpassed dedication of direct service staff and support from our community, Lazarus House remained open without interruption as a provider of nourishment, shelter, and hope. Adaptations made in specific programs are detailed here: Lazarus House had to reformulate the way we delivered meals and groceries. Soup Kitchen staff suspended dining room service and instead prepacked and handed out meals through a walk-up window. Pantry Guests, who normally enter the Pantry to select their preferred items, received prepacked grocery bags. Normally, 95-99% of food Lazarus House provides is donated by businesses and by groups who run food drives for us. Lazarus House launched three socially distanced models for food drives: Pop Your Trunk, Porch Pick-up, and the virtual #ClickToCare. All three models proved highly successful in keeping our shelves stocked, During the summer and fall of 2020, Lazarus House’s 8-bedroom, congregate-style Shelter building underwent a complete renovation to accommodate families in five private suites, each with its own freshly furnished bedroom, living room, and bath. Generous supporters donated much of the labor and some significant materials, keeping Lazarus House’s out-of-pocket costs below $75,000. The Shelter reopened to families in early December. Lazarus House purchased Chromebooks for every family to support online learning, telehealth appointments, case management, and connection to the outside world. We offered Budget Buddies, our ever-popular financial education and mentoring series, through an online format in both English and Spanish. Our thrift store reopened in November 2020 with COVID safety protocols.