Open House Ministries

What Open House Ministries does

Open House Ministries is a faith-based, private nonprofit organization founded in 1986 by Joanne Kendall and headquartered at 900 W. 12th St., Vancouver, Washington. It operates a family emergency shelter and comprehensive intervention program for homeless families with children in Clark County, delivering case management, life skills development, spiritual care, vocational training, and drug and alcohol counseling. In 2025 the shelter provided 31,006 bed nights with a 72% program graduation rate, 79% of families remaining housed post-program, and a 92% family reunification success rate.

The organization's distinguishing model combines a Christ-centered residential program with three integrated social-enterprise retail operations — the Wheel House Bike Shop, Revival House Thrift Store, and The House Coffee Shop — which function primarily as vocational training sites for residents while generating supplemental revenue. There is no proprietary technology platform; operations rely on standard nonprofit tools (DonorSnap, a CMS-based website, and standard social media). Leadership is led by Executive Director Renée Stevens, a former resident, supported by a board including Bryan Dent (President), Mindy Chumbley (VP), John Van Dinter (Secretary), and Tim Peters (Treasurer).

Open House Ministries is funded primarily through donations, grants, and event-based fundraising (notably the annual Hope luncheon), with retail proceeds providing supplementary earned income. It maintains referral relationships with 30+ institutional partners including the VA, CPS, DCYF, OHSU, Drug Court, Oxford House, and American Red Cross. Geographic scope is intentionally limited to the Vancouver/Clark County area, and the organization celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2026 with the "40 Years of Hope" luncheon at the AC Hotel Vancouver Waterfront.

Name

Open House Ministries

Legal name

Open House Ministries

Website

https://sheltered.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Open House Ministries is a faith-based nonprofit in Vancouver, Washington that provides shelter, case management, and vocational training to homeless families with children, operating three social-enterprise retail programs (bike shop, thrift store, coffee shop) and funded primarily through donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless Shelter Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Housing Services (62422), Child and Youth Services (62411)

akta.pro primary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

Keywords

• Family homeless shelter
• Vocational training programs
• Faith-based nonprofit
• Community support services
• Social services charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual and corporate donations support the ministry's operations. The organization hosts annual fundraising events and accepts various item donations.
2. Revival House Thrift Store: Thrift store sales of donated items provide vocational training for residents while generating revenue to support the shelter. All proceeds go directly to supporting Open House Ministries.
3. Wheel House Bike Shop: Full-service bicycle repair and sales shop that accepts donated bicycles, repairs them, and resells at affordable prices. Provides hands-on vocational training and generates revenue.
4. The House Coffee Shop: Coffee shop operation provides barista experience and job training for residents while generating revenue through beverage and food sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Open House Ministries operates the Kendall Family Shelter, an emergency residential shelter for homeless families with children in Vancouver, Washington, providing food, clothing, case management, and basic necessities. It complements shelter with Christ-centered Life Skills Development, Spiritual Care & Personal Renewal, Drug & Alcohol Counseling, and Vocational Training services. Vocational training is delivered through three on-site retail businesses (Wheel House Bike Shop, Revival House Thrift Store, The House Coffee Shop) that generate revenue and provide hands-on job experience.

Product overview

Open House Ministries operates a unified shelter and vocational training program for homeless families in Vancouver, Washington. The core offering is family emergency shelter combined with comprehensive support services including life skills development, spiritual care, vocational training, and counseling. Vocational training is delivered through three integrated retail training programs: the Wheel House Bike Shop (bicycle repair and sales), Revival House Thrift Store (retail operations), and The House Coffee Shop (foodservice/hospitality). All proceeds from the retail operations directly fund the organization's mission of helping homeless families achieve independence through Christ-centered programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Revival House Thrift Store: Thrift store providing vocational training and job experience for residents while generating proceeds to support the ministry.
• Wheel House Bike Shop
• The House Coffee Shop
• Seeds of Hope
• OHM West

Products and services

• Family Emergency Shelter (Kendall Family Shelter) Safe residential shelter for homeless families with children in Vancouver, WA, providing food, clothing, basic necessities, case management, and comprehensive program support during their stay. Services are provided free of charge to qualifying families referred through local agencies, community partners, and churches.
• Wheel House Bike Shop A nonprofit, donation-based full-service bicycle shop in downtown Vancouver offering repairs and sales of donated bicycles at affordable prices (including kids' bikes at $1/inch). Operations provide hands-on job training in bicycle repair, merchandising, and customer service for shelter residents while generating proceeds to support the ministry.
• Revival House Thrift Store A thrift store in Vancouver, WA that accepts donated items and resells them to the community. Provides vocational training and work experience for shelter residents in merchandising, customer service, and inventory management; all proceeds support Open House Ministries.
• The House Coffee Shop A coffee shop in Vancouver, WA (Mon-Fri 8AM-3PM) selling beverages and food, providing hands-on barista experience and hospitality job training for shelter residents. Proceeds support the ministry's mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• 72% program graduation rate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AC Hotel at Vancouver WaterfrontminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 May 2026Venue sponsor for the 40 Years of Hope annual fundraiser luncheon event.
• Solverity NWminorOthersListed as a community partner supporting Open House Ministries.
• PWLA (Professional Women in Leadership Association)minorOthersListed as a community partner of Open House Ministries.
• LanderholmminorOthersCommunity partner providing support to Open House Ministries.
• The ColumbianminorOthersLocal newspaper partner covering Open House Ministries events and stories.
• Veterans Affairs (VA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 30+ community partners referring families to Open House Ministries shelter and programs.
• Child Protective Services (CPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey referral partner for families in need of shelter and support services.
• DCYF (Department of Children, Youth, and Families)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner referring families to Open House Ministries programs.
• OHSU (Oregon Health & Science University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner providing referrals and support for families at Open House Ministries.
• Drug CourtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJudicial partner referring individuals and families to Open House Ministries for support and recovery.
• Oxford HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecovery housing partner collaborating with Open House Ministries for family support.
• American Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian partner supporting Open House Ministries families in need.
• Heathman LodgeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrize donor for the Hope fundraiser event, providing a packaged stay.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Goodwill Industries International: National nonprofit operating thrift retail stores whose proceeds fund workforce training and community programs — directly analogous to OHM's social-enterprise model (thrift store, bike shop, coffee shop) that funds mission work.
• Habitat for Humanity International: National nonprofit focused on housing stability for low-income families; adjacent rather than direct competition, but operates in the same family-housing-stability charitable space and offers a structural alternative (homeownership vs. shelter-to-rental pathway).

Direct peers

• Family Promise: National nonprofit operating a network of family shelters with case management and housing-stability programming; the closest direct peer to Open House Ministries given the shared family-homelessness focus and holistic support model.
• Union Gospel Mission: Faith-based nonprofit providing emergency shelter, meals, recovery programs, and vocational training through social enterprises in the Pacific Northwest and beyond — directly comparable operating model.

Regional players

• Portland Rescue Mission: Faith-based shelter and recovery organization serving Portland, OR. Comparable on regional geography, faith-based framework, and integration of shelter with vocational/recovery programming.
• Rose Haven: Portland-area day shelter and resource center for women and children experiencing homelessness; comparable as a regionally focused Pacific NW nonprofit serving families with children, though services are day-only.
• New Horizons Ministries: Faith-based nonprofit in the Pacific NW serving youth and families experiencing homelessness and exploitation; overlaps with OHM on Christ-centered family support and case-management approach in a regional footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities USA: Large national network providing family housing, shelter, and case management services. Operates broadly but overlaps directly with OHM in family-homelessness services and faith-rooted programming.
• The Salvation Army: Global faith-based organization providing emergency shelter, family services, and addiction recovery — a broad incumbent with overlapping programs and similar Christ-centered foundation.
• Volunteers of America: National nonprofit operating family shelters, transitional housing, and supportive services across many U.S. regions — a comparable large incumbent focused on family housing stability.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/familyshelter_
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@OpenHouseMinistries-e1p
• Facebookfacebook.com/OpenHouseMinistries
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/open-house-ministries
• Instagraminstagram.com/openhouseministriesvancouver
• TikToktiktok.com/@openhouseministries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Open House Ministries