History
For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me. Mat 25: 35-36, 40
Late 1980's: Naples is a sleepy town on the idyllic Florida southwest coast. Mostly retirees and locals make up the population. Underneath the picturesque vista, however, is a forgotten group of homeless people. Desperate and starving, they have no hope until the day a group of parishioners study the book of Matthew in the Bible, where Jesus explains to his disciples about how taking care of the needy is as important, if not more so, than taking care of Him.
November 15th, 1988: Within a few days of this Bible study, an article appears in the Naples Daily News about the homeless population living in the woods. The scripture fresh in their minds, the parishioners, dubbing themselves, "The Task Force for the Homeless", begin taking soup out to these forgotten souls. The first Thanksgiving Day meal is served to the homeless and hungry a couple weeks later. Encouraged by the grateful response, the Task Force begins gathering contributions of food and clothing, then establishes a food pantry and launches a search to find a suitable location for a shelter to care for the homeless and hungry of our community.
1989: St. Matthew's House opens its doors in an old firehouse on Airport Road South next door to the Collier County Government Building. The "House with a Heart" as it comes to be known, serves three meals daily to anyone who is hungry, and offers eighteen beds for single men.
By now the vision of St. Matthew's House becomes clear: to help people who had fallen through the cracks of life to take back control of their lives and to begin living meaningfully and constructively, and to simultaneously feed the homeless and hungry.
1994: A successful capital campaign results in the construction of the current facility. Located two blocks north of the old firehouse, this facility houses 64 beds for men, 18 beds in a section for single women; and a 20-bed unit for women with children and infants.
2001 : To address the dire need for affordable housing for those in transition from homelessness, St. Matthew's House begins the capital campaign to construct Wolfe Apartments , a 46-unit complex. In an effort to further assist the needy as well as be more self-sufficient, SMH also opens the Naples thrift store.
2003: Wolfe Apartments are completed, offering safe, affordable transitional housing for those who qualify. Fourteen of the units are designated for the permanently disabled.
2005: A second Thrift Store opens in Bonita Springs . St. Matthew's House also establishes another opportunity for support with SMH Catering, a social enterprise directed by our in-house Executive Chef.
Since June 2005 St. Matthew's House has been over capacity, having to turn people away nightly.
2008: While observing 20 years of housing the homeless and providing food for the needy in Collier County, St. Matthew's House continues to plan for expansion and renovation. The Old Firehouse location, now serving as a Feeding Ministry, undergoes a complete renovation and reopens as the Old Firehouse Feeding Ministry on October 29th. Complete with kitchen and restroom facilities to serve the hungry and homeless, it also houses an additional 16 St. Matthew's House residents in transition back to independence. 
Also in 2008, St. Matthew's House merged with Immokalee Friendship House to create a single organization serving the less fortunate of Collier County.
2009: Responding to the need in Lee County, St. Matthew's House opens a second Food Pantry, operating one day a week inside the Bonita Springs Thrift Store. The response is overwhelming, with an average 100 bags of groceries being given to needy families each week.
2010: A substance-abuse recovery program is established for graduates of the St. Matthew's House residential program. Clients live at the Old Firehouse Feeding Ministry while participating in this voluntary, faith-based nine month program of accountability and mentorship. The first class graduates in December 2010. At the graduation, the program and building are renamed Justin's Place after the son of a couple who give a gift to pay off the building remodel. Justin had passed away at age 30 from the effects of alcoholism.
Throughout over two decades of service, St. Matthew's House has seen many people come to and through our doors. Read the stories of those whose lives have been transformed through our program .
Immokalee Friendship House
The Immokalee Friendship House was founded in 1987 by Sister Marie McFadden, and a small group of caring community leaders. Working in the area, these individuals noticed that many men, women, and children, many of them hard-working migrants, had no place to sleep at night. To address the lack of emergency housing, the Immokalee Friendship House was created.
Since its inception, Immokalee Friendship House has provided meals, clothing, and shelter to thousands of individuals in Greater Collier County. The shelter is nearly always at capacity, some of which are families with young children. Abused women and children, migrant farm workers, convalescents, people fighting addiction, and families that recently suffered a loss of income all come through the doors of the Immokalee Friendship House.
In 2008, Immokalee Friendship House merged with St. Matthew's House in order to better serve all those in need in all of Collier County. We are now able to offer 170 beds along with more services and programs to a larger segment of the population.
