Officially, the Welcome Center will open to the public for services starting Tuesday, January 20th. Located at 1350 East Lancaster Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas 76102, the Welcome Center will serve as a centralized hub connecting individuals and families experiencing homelessness with resources, connections, and a step-by-step guided path to services and stable housing-focused solutions. Facility doors will be open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. operating services will be offered 24/7.

The Welcome Center brings together UGM-TC’s housing-focused staff, creating a streamlined and coordinated system to welcome unsheltered neighbors and address housing instability. Dacia Whitaker will be the Director of Intake, Assessment, and Diversion. Intake and Outreach staff will collaborate with each other to provide personalized housing assessments, shelter diversion services, and, when appropriate, entry into UGM-TC’s programming offerings. By combining these services under one roof, the Welcome Center will offer person-centered case management and support meaningful new beginnings. Grounded in respect and dignity, this one-size-fits-one approach expands personalized access to support, reduces service fragmentation, and accelerates pathways to housing solutions aligned with individual’s needs.

“The Welcome Center will be the very first point of contact and our goal is for everyone to feel welcomed, loved, and cared for – while providing diversion, assessments, and intake and really seeing and considering the whole person,” commented Charles Wolford, President/CEO of UGM-TC.

Through the Welcome Center, UGM-TC will connect community members to sustainable housing options while also addressing the underlying causes of housing instability. This can include access to UGM-TC’s Community Outreach Center and partner services, such as financial literacy and educational classes. Together, these services are designed to empower individuals and families not only to secure housing, but also to build long-term stability and financial resilience.

“One of the models we have introduced is Unreasonable Hospitality. The secret sauce of a great Welcome Center will be when someone comes, we want them to experience a no-closed-door approach. If we are not the right housing resource, our experienced professionals will be able to divert and connect them to housing solutions that better fit their needs. Through this approach we will build genuine relationships with our unsheltered neighbors while ensuring basic needs are met, like getting access to a shower or something to eat,” Wolford said.

For more information about the Welcome Center, please email welcomecenterintake@ugm-tc.org or call 817-779-4977.

About Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County

Founded in 1888, Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County is on a mission to provide Hope, Respect and New Beginnings to our unsheltered neighbors through discipleship and the transformational love of Christ.