Our Mission

The primary mission of the Christian Aid Center is serving Jesus Christ by providing restoration and compassionate love to those in need.

Who We Are

The Christian Aid Center was founded in 1946 as a non-denominational ministry to serve those who suffer from chronic poverty, hunger, homelessness, chemical dependency, and mental illness.

We currently provide emergency shelter for homeless women and children as well as single men in a safe caring environment. In 2015, we had 334 individuals stay at our shelter for a total of 11,306 bed nights.

We provide breakfast and dinner daily to anyone in our community who is hungry. The meal ministry is volunteer-driven with more than 200 volunteers preparing and serving hot, nutritious meals each month. Nearly 37,000 meals were served in 2015. We also give away donated food four days a week at our Dinning Hall.

In addition to meals and safe place to stay, we provide programs to help guests make a positive personal life change. These include life-skill classes, counseling, mentoring, addiction recovery, job coaching, and spiritual guidance. We also work closely with many other community agencies that offer services  such as substance abuse counseling, mental health treatment, domestic violence counseling, medical needs, legal assistance and more.

We are a part of the Association of Citygate, which is North America’s oldest and largest network of crisis shelters and rehabilitation centers, offering radical hospitality in the name of Jesus.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Our services are provided to anyone who comes to us in need; regardless of race, color, age, national or ethnic origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or faith. We believe each person deserves to be treated with compassion, grace, care, dignity, and respect.

Facts about Homelessness

As many as 3.5 million Americans are homeless each year. The common misconception is of a middle-age man who is struggling with addiction. While this is sometimes the case, the fact is more than half the homeless are families with children. Locally, a Walla Walla County 2015 Point-In-Time Survey reported 316 total homeless households that included 212 children under the age of 18.

A recent survey of rescue missions across North America found that more than one in three adults is facing homelessness for the first time. Homelessness is most often the result of tragic life occurrences like the loss of loved ones, unemployment, domestic violence, divorce and family disputes. Other factors include depression, untreated mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder and other physical disabilities. The economy is another huge factor. Many people visiting a rescue mission on a given night never knew a month ago they would be homeless.

How You Can Help

More than 275 volunteers from local businesses, community groups, churches, families, and individuals partner with us to help those in need. From serving meals and cleaning, to childcare and mentoring, your time and talent can bring hope and healing to others.