About Us

At Jacob’s Well, Inc. is a tax exempt, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) Maryland corporation,  certified by the Secretary of State as a charitable organization. Operating funds come from a variety of sources including  individuals,  churches,  government, and foundations, as well as the program service fees of residents. At Jacob’s Well is directed by a volunteer Board of Directors and Officers.  Program operations are managed by a professional staff. At Jacob’s Well, Inc. does not discriminate in employment or services, and is not affiliated with any religious organization.

At Jacob’s Well was founded in 1985 and incorporated in 1986 to serve the poor of Baltimore City, especially the homeless and mentally ill.  At Jacob’s Well takes on human scale projects that meet a need not being directly addressed by other agencies. Past projects have included street outreach, a feeding van, the Boots for Baltimore Program, and housing for mentally ill homeless persons. As most of these needs are now being met by other agencies, At Jacob’s Well now concentrates on providing housing and supportive services to low income, mentally ill men and women.

In March of 1986, At Jacob’s Well opened its first transitional residence, which housed four formerly homeless,  low-income,  mentally ill men.  A house for women was soon opened. The transitional program grew slowly over the next eight years. Our seventh house, designed to accommodate persons with physical as well as mental disabilities, opened in 1994. The transitional program now provides homes to 15 mentally ill men and women.

At Jacob’s Well began its permanent housing program in 1998 for ‘graduates’ of our transitional program. This permanent housing program now provides subsidized apartments for nineteen residents. Some of these apartments are in buildings owned by At Jacob’s Well.
Note From the President

At Jacob’s Well, Inc. is a tax exempt, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) Maryland corporation,  certified by the Secretary of State as a charitable organization. Operating funds come from a variety of sources including  individuals,  churches,  government, and foundations, as well as the program service fees of residents. At Jacob’s Well is directed by a volunteer Board of Directors and Officers.  Program operations are managed by a professional staff. At Jacob’s Well, Inc. does not discriminate in employment or services, and is not affiliated with any religious organization.

At Jacob’s Well was founded in 1985 and incorporated in 1986 to serve the poor of Baltimore City, especially the homeless and mentally ill.  At Jacob’s Well takes on human scale projects that meet a need not being directly addressed by other agencies. Past projects have included street outreach, a feeding van, the Boots for Baltimore Program, and housing for mentally ill homeless persons. As most of these needs are now being met by other agencies, At Jacob’s Well now concentrates on providing housing and supportive services to low income, mentally ill men and women.

Frequently asked Questions

what is At Jacob's Well?

At Jacob’s Well is an independent 501c(3) organization created to assist the homeless in Baltimore, Maryland.  It is governed by a Board of Directors and managed by an Executive Director.

How is At Jacob's Well funded?

Approximately 50% of our funding comes from Federal, state and local government programs. The remainder comes from generous contributions from churches, individuals and foundations. We have a United Way designation number, but are not a United Way agency.  We, also, gratefully receive a number of small donations from people who believe in our mission.

What does the name mean?

The organization was started by a small group of people who attended a seminar in Washington, DC.  They were inspired by a presentation given by Jean Vanier, the well known founder of the L’Arche communities located throughout the world.  They decided to name the organization after the room where they had met.  The room was named “At Jacob’s Well”.  This was a reference to the biblical story about a well said to date from Jacob’s time, where Jesus had an encounter with a Samaritan woman.

Is At Jacob's Well a Religious organization?

The founders of the organization are highly motivated and directed by their faith experience, as are members of the staff and Board of Directors. However, the organization has no formal ties to any religious group or denomination. Our benefactors include members of the Christian and Jewish faiths, as well as those with no religious affiliation.

Isn't At Jacob's well just another homeless shelter?

At Jacob’s Well is not a shelter.  We provide transitional housing to individuals with the goal of moving them from homelessness to more permanent housing.  Our favorable outcomes rate in 2016 was 70%.  That means that 7 out of every 10 residents moves on to more stable housing.

What else is unique about At Jacob's Well?

We try to maintain a sense of community that includes our current residents, as well as those who have moved on to other forms of housing. This is bolstered through monthly social events, as well as a Christmas open house. The encouragement provided by other members of the community supports our new transitional residents.

How can i help?

The easiest way is to contribute to our organization through donation or through a United Way campaign.  We also receive non-monetary contributions from many individuals (see Donations link).  A small number of volunteers assists with the setup and preparation of food for our monthly social gatherings. Some assist us by joining our Board of Directors.