Welcome

“A respite from the cold and a place that makes her feel safe.”

Our annual Women’s Cold Weather Overnight Shelter is preparing to open in November 2024.

Heart and Home Collaborative (H+H) is a non-profit women’s shelter serving women* who are unhoused in Palo Alto, California since 2012. Our volunteer-run shelter provides temporary, seasonal shelter at different places of worship in Palo Alto for six weeks at a time. We work closely with local congregations, the neighboring communities, and a Stanford University student team to operate nightly shelter from November to April while provide resources and creating dialogue and connection between our shelter participants and volunteers. 
Our shelter participants are invited into the planning and operation of our shelter program, because we believe that those who use our services are the experts, and are proud to operate our shelter in collaboration with one another.

Heart and Home women’s shelter operates November through April, nightly from 6 pm to 7 am. This upcoming winter will be our 12th shelter season, and we will expect to be open from November 3rd 2024 – March 30th, 2025. Heart and Home shelter is for women only* and cannot host women with children or families.

Any time our shelter is closed, if you or someone you know needs shelter in Santa Clara County, please call the Here4You hotline at 408.385.2400 for a referrals to temporary housing programs and serves singles, couples, and families.

For men, families, or youth seeking shelter this winter, see our list of other local shelter resources here.

*Our shelter welcomes all self-identifying women.