Real Help. Real Hope. Right Here in Bristol.

Test this some

Since 1955, Haven of Rest has walked alongside people facing homelessness, poverty, and hardship. We offer more than a bed for the night. We offer a path forward.

two women sitting on chair
We Care for the Whole Person

Not Just a Place to Sleep

Most shelters offer days. We offer months, and when needed, years. Our programs address physical needs, mental health, and spiritual wellbeing together, because real restoration takes time.

Our Programs
Emergency & Transitional Shelter

Emergency & Transitional Shelter

We provide temporary shelter for up to 60-90 days and transitional living for up to three years. Residents receive case management, mental health therapy, and steady support while they rebuild their lives.
Learn More
Infant Ministry

Infant Ministry

We provide diapers, wipes, bath supplies, lotion, diaper cream, bottles, and clothing to families with young children who are struggling to make ends meet. No family should go without the basics.
Learn More
Community Food Pantry

Community Food Pantry

You don't have to be in crisis to need a hand. Our food pantry serves working families and neighbors across Bristol who simply need a little help stretching the week.
Learn More
Free Community Dinners

Free Community Dinners

Every week, we open our doors for a free meal. No questions asked. Anyone in the community is welcome to come, eat, and know they are not alone.
Learn More

Six Ways We Serve Bristol

No Gov. Funding

100% Community Supported

We receive zero government funding. Every program, every meal, every bed is made possible by donors, volunteers, and community partners who believe in this work. Your gift goes exactly where it's needed.
Thrift Store

Shop With Purpose

Our thrift store does more than sell donated goods. It generates revenue that funds our programs, provides clothing vouchers for residents in need, and gives the community a way to support the mission every day.
Employment Focus

Work Is Part of the Program

Residents in our shelter programs are required to seek employment. We walk alongside them in that process, helping them build stability and self-sufficiency, not dependence.
Faith-Based

Grounded in God's Love

Chapel attendance is part of life here. Not because we require belief, but because we believe every person deserves to know they are loved. We show that love through consistent, practical care.
Mental Health

On-Site Therapy and Counseling

We have licensed mental health therapists on site. Residents access counseling as part of their regular program, not as an afterthought. Healing the mind matters as much as finding housing.
Long-Term Care

Up to Three Years of Support

While most shelters in the area limit stays to 7-28 days, our transitional living program allows residents to stay for one to three years. That kind of time is what real change requires.

Stories From Haven of Rest

Photo by Benjamin Behre

This is a Blog Post

Photo by Willian Justen de Vasconcellos

Sample Blog Post

Photo by alexander milo

Hello world!

Read More
More Than a Shelter. A Path Forward.

We walk with people through the hardest seasons of their lives

Since 1955, Haven of Rest has served Bristol's most vulnerable neighbors — not just with a place to sleep, but with real programs, real relationships, and real time to rebuild. We address physical needs, mental health, and spiritual well-being together, because lasting change requires all three.

Group-414.jpg
Emergency Shelter

What Makes Haven of Rest Different

Most shelters offer days. We offer months. Our programs go deeper because recovery takes time.

Stays up to 90 days

When someone has nowhere to go, we open the door. Our emergency shelter gives residents a safe place to stabilize while connecting them to the support they need — case management, mental health therapy, and a structured path forward.

Food Pantry

Our food pantry serves families and individuals in Bristol who are struggling to get by — people who may never need a shelter bed but still need a neighbor. No referral required. Just show up.

Transitional Living

Rebuilding a life takes more than a few weeks. Our transitional living program provides up to three years of supported housing, helping residents work, heal, and establish the stability that makes independence possible.

Mental Health Support

We have on-site mental health therapy available to every resident. Because a roof without healing only solves part of the problem. We treat the whole person, not just the immediate crisis.

Infant Ministry

We stock diapers, wipes, clothing, bottles, lotion, and more for families with young children who can't afford the basics. Because every baby deserves a good start, regardless of what their family is going through.

Community Dinners

Our free community dinners are open to anyone. They're a place to share a meal, find connection, and know you're not invisible. Simple, practical, and offered with genuine care.

Want to help?

Your donation stays local and goes directly to people in Bristol who need it most.

Haven of Rest has served Bristol for nearly 70 years — quietly, faithfully, and almost entirely unknown to the broader community. That's something we're working to change. The more people who know we're here, the more neighbors we can reach.

Give Now