Welcome to Beach House, a family shelter created by Leading Families Home. Beach House Family Shelter is located in Toledo, Ohio, and is one of the only shelters in our area to accept families. 

Beach House Family Shelter provides refuge to those who have nowhere else to go. We offer clean beds, meals, showers, washers and dryers, and personal hygiene items. Our Participants also receive training and one-on-one case management.

To tour Beach House Family Shelter, please call us: (419) 241-9277 between 8am and 4pm.

Beach House Family Shelter was founded in 1921 by Mrs. Helen (Beach) Jones, the wife of Mayor Golden Rule Jones. She donated her childhood home to serve as the first shelter and provided temporary lodging to homeless single women and women with children. In 1941 Beach House moved to its current location at 915 N. Erie. In the 1980s, Beach House began to include men in families. 

Toledo Lucas County Public Library Digital Collections

A black and white formal portrait of Helen Beach Jones as a young woman. The photo was taken by Van Loo Studio in Toledo, Ohio, around 1885. Helen Jones was born in 1957 in Toledo, Ohio, and was the second wife of Toledo mayor and businessman Samuel Milton Jones.

“Helen Beach Jones, Samuel M. Jones’s second wife, was born in Toledo on April 28, 1857. She was his helpmate during the years he made national history as the mayor of Toledo. She composed music, gave lessons, and was active in the Toledo Women’s club, the Samagama Club, and laid the groundwork for Beach house, a homeless women’s shelter named for her mother. She died October 6, 1940 at the age of 83. (The Toledo Times, 6 October 1940).” – From Notable Families of Woodlawn Cemetery

Beach House Family Shelter is housed in a beautiful, historic brick building on North Erie Street in Toledo.

As you enter the shelter, you’ll notice that it looks more like a bed-and-breakfast than a traditional homeless shelter. The walls are covered with ornate floral wallpaper in ivory, pink, yellow, and blue. A carpeted staircase leads to the second floor. The shelter includes (?) rooms to house families in need. These rooms are furnished with beds, nightstands, lamps, mirrors, and other basic furniture. 

Andrea Franklin and her 7 year old Daughter Piper came to tour the house and donate food and items to our families. Piper personally went through her clothes, books and favorite things at home to provide to our families. Andrea was a resident of Beach House 10 years ago and has since turned her own home into a safe haven and has opened her children up to charity and giving back to the community.

The first floor is furnished with carved wooden chairs and tables, Victorian-esque lamps, beautiful paintings, and elegant mirrors.

The first floor includes a living room, two ADA-compliant bedrooms, a kitchen, and several offices for staff members.

In the living room, residents enjoy plenty of room to socialize and relax. The room includes bookshelves filled with books, a large table for crafts or dining, and a comfortable sofa.

Thank you to our friends at St. Mark Lutheran Church – ELCA for the wonderful “just because” gifts you brought our kids today. The smiles on their faces were priceless.

The kitchen offers an oven, microwave, two large refrigerators, cabinets, and supplies. Staff members and volunteers prepare meals for residents three times a day.

Angie Erwin was a Beach House resident 10 years ago. She said she never forgot how wonderful the Beach House was to her and her daughter. Angie and her friend, Aaron, stopped by with a donation filled with hope and love.

There is also a dining room with two large tables for families to share meals. We also provide several high-chairs for little ones.

The first floor also includes offices for our staff members.

A large staircase leads to the second floor where more bedrooms and bathrooms are located.

In the backyard, residents enjoy a large lawn with trees, shrubs, and blooming flowers. The backyard includes a play area for children, tables, and benches.  

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Leading Families Home is based in Toledo, Ohio. We are dedicated to fighting homelessness in our community – and we’d love your help! Please consider supporting our organization in one of the following ways: 

Leading Families Home partners with PayPal for secure online payments. Click Donate Now to be taken to the secure donation page. 

To donate by check, please make the check out to Leading Families Home.

Mail your check to the following address:

Leading Families Home
2283 Ashland Ave.
Toledo, OH 43604 

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