Who we are
Mission & Story
Our Mission
To help youth be safe, supported, and successful.
Vision
All youth reach their full potential.
Belief Statement
We believe that all youth deserve opportunities to succeed.
Our Core Values
Compassion
We care deeply. About the youth we serve, their families, and the community.
Commitment
We are in it for the long haul. We don’t quit or give up just because we’re faced with challenges or adversity. We dig deeper and stay focused on our mission to strengthen youth.
Integrity
We stand on principles of honesty and transparency. We strive for justice and fairness. We seek to build trust with those we serve.
Respect
The youth and families we serve have inherent value and strengths. We honor them by treating them that way.
Accessibility
We strive to break down any barriers that limit youth and families’ access to Haven House and success.
Our History
Haven House began because one young girl had nowhere safe to go.
In 1972, Reverend Al Dimmock was volunteering in juvenile court when a teenage girl came before Judge George Bason. She was unable to return home, but there was no safe place for her to stay. Judge Bason knew a locked training school wasn’t the answer, yet at the time, there were no other options.
That moment brought Rev. Dimmock and Judge Bason together with community members to create a place where young people in crisis could find safety and support. In 1973, Haven House Services opened its doors, providing care through a group home for girls and later a group home for boys.
In 1981, we expanded our services with the opening of Wrenn House, which remains the only emergency shelter for youth ages 10-17 within a 1.5-hour radius of Raleigh.
For more than 50 years, Haven House has evolved to meet the changing needs of young people. With the exception of Wrenn House, our work today is community-based. We are proud to provide a safety net of programs that support youth and young adults ages 6-24 facing homelessness, crisis, and challenges at home, at school, and in their daily lives.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Haven House Services do?
Haven House Services offers programs that help more than 2,000 youth in need each year overcome their challenges and find a path to success. We help youth experiencing homelessness, youth in crisis, youth involved or at risk for involvement in the juvenile court system, and youth having difficulty at school or home.
What ages do you serve?
Across our programs, we serve ages 6-24 with the majority of youth served being in the 11-17 age range. Each program has specific age eligibility so check out our program description page to see the ages served for a particular program.
Where are you located?
Our main office is located at 1008 Bullard Court in Raleigh. This site houses the staff for all of our programs with the exception of our Wrenn House shelter. Wrenn House is located at 908 W. Morgan St. in Raleigh. See contact us page for map.
What geographic area do you serve?
Each program has specific age eligibility.
What is the cost of services?
Nearly all of our services are provided free of charge to youth and families. We do not want cost to be a barrier to getting help for the youth we serve.
Is Haven House a house?
No. Haven House provides a wide range of services for Wake County youth that are delivered at two physical sites, as well as in the homes and communities where youth live. We do operate Wrenn House, a temporary shelter for youth who are homeless, have run away, or are in a crisis situation.
Is Haven House an LGBTQ ally?
Yes. Haven House does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or gender expression. We work with a diverse group of youth in all of our programs. We strive to meet every youth where they are at and assist in any way that we can.
Are you part of a larger organization?
Are you a faith-based organization?
No. Haven House is a 501(c) 3 organization whose programs are supported by diverse funding including donations, fundraising, foundations, and government grants/contracts. While we work with many churches and faith-based organizations to accomplish our mission, we are not a faith-based organization.
How do you measure success?
Haven House Services measures success around four important long-term outcomes: (1) increases in school performance; (2) increases in safety, stability, and supportiveness of home/living environment; (3) increases in independent living success; and (4) prevention and/or decreases in involvement in the court system.
What is Safe Place?
Safe Place is a youth outreach program designed to provide immediate help and safety for all young people in crisis. Partnering community businesses such as fire stations, public buses, libraries and other public locations across the county display the yellow and black Safe Place signs and help connect teens with Haven House’s Wrenn House crisis shelter.
Learn more about this program on our Safe Place page.
How do I make a referral?
Do your programs provide transportation?
Some programs may be able to help youth and families address transportation barriers. Please contact the individual program you are interested in for more information.
Do you work with Spanish Speaking families?
Yes. All programs at Haven House Services have the capacity to work with Spanish-speaking youth and their families.
Do you have any job openings?
Check out our Careers page for a listing of any current job openings.
How can I volunteer?
We offer many group and individual volunteer opportunities. The majority of our volunteer opportunities require volunteers to be at least 18 years of age. See our get involved page for more information.
Can adults do community service with you?
We do not offer any opportunities for adults to earn court-mandated community service hours at Haven House. Our Restitution and Community Service program only serves youth mandated through Teen Court, Alliance’s Wake Teen Diversion program and Wake County juvenile court.