Tour Our Residential Shelter
Visit our shelter for a special behind-the-scenes look at our programs and facilities, meet some of our amazing staff, and learn more about our outreach, housing, and community integration programs.
We hope you will leave with a deeper understanding of what we do at Raphael House and feel even more optimistic that we can break the cycle of family homelessness together.
Private Family Bedrooms
Raphael House has private rooms, which vary in size to accommodate families of all sizes. Rooms can be furnished with full-sized beds, bunk beds, toddler beds, or cribs, plus a closet or wardrobe. Select rooms have private restrooms, and each floor has shared restrooms. There is a common laundry room and two kitchenettes for warming up food or storing personal food items.
Dining Room & Kitchen
Dedicated staff provide families with three meals daily. Since many of our residents are out during the day, we provide bagged lunches to-go. Our staff strives to offer food that reflects the cultural diversity of our residents. The Dining Room is open for all residents during meal times should they wish to gather with other families.
Father David & Elaine Lowell Children’s Library
Our library is a beautiful, inspiring room. The building was originally a hospital built in 1908, and the library was formerly the doctors lounge and chapel of the hospital. Staff and families use this space for case management check-ins, informational workshops, meetings, reading, and studying. Our library is named in honor of Fr. David’s 25 years of service as Executive Director, and his wife Elaine Lowell, who formed many strong community partnerships over the years.
Tutoring Club & Computer Lab
Tutoring services are offered to students in grades K-12 every week through both our Residential Shelter and Bridge Programs. Our Children’s Services Manager, and interns work with each student to offer academic support, mentorship, and extracurricular activities to ensure they achieve and maintain success in school. To accommodate students who live further away, we offer online tutoring services. The computer lab is available to children during tutoring hours and is open to Raphael House families for online housing searches, resume building, and computer skills classes.
Toddler Room
Our Toddler Room enables Raphael House staff to provide supportive services for kids aged 0-4. These include playing games, singing songs, and reading stories to help encourage healthy social skills and proper development for toddler-aged residents. The room is also open during the day for parents and children to enjoy playtime.
The Playroom
The Playroom is an open multi-purpose space that is utilized by families for playtime, storytime, and holiday celebrations. This room encourages unstructured play between children from different families, allowing age-appropriate development of language and social skills.
Family Services Building (FSB)
Our Family Services Building fosters creativity and imagination! This is where families gather after dinner to participate in art projects, writing prompts, birthday parties, and mindfulness activities facilitated by our Family Wellness Manager. Our Family Wellness Services are designed to help families heal from past traumas, grow stronger together, and move forward in life, feeling confident and able to succeed.
Solarium & Garden
Overlooking downtown San Francisco, our Solarium is a bright, open space used for special events and staff meetings. We are grateful for the volunteers who have made our garden a place of beauty and relaxation.
Schedule a tour
Please contact our Donor Relations Officer, Katherine Sanderlin at ksanderlin@raphaelhouse.org to schedule a tour, or virtual presentation with your company or organization to learn more about Raphael House and our Programs. If you are seeking shelter in San Francisco, click here to learn more about accessing Raphael House services.
Raphael House Tour Request
If you would like to join our weekly Thursday tour, please fill out this form so we can know to expect you.
Your generous donation allows us to continue providing stable, home-like shelter and supportive services for years to come.
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