Rainbow Place Shelter is an emergency shelter for women located in an annex of the Rockville Presbyterian Church in Rockville. It’s open from November 1st – March 31st, where guests receive a warm, safe place to sleep, hot dinners, breakfasts, bag lunches, showers, laundry facilities, access to case management, and referrals to local social service and treatment programs.
“A big part of our mission is to restore dignity to our guests and recognize their humanity,” says Olusina Adebayo, or Olu, the executive director of Rainbow Place. He also notices that there’s been an increased number of “the working poor” coming to the shelter – women who have nine-to-five jobs but because of the high cost of living in the county, can’t afford to rent.
Olu’s hope is that the space allows these women to get back on their feet, save money and get help through the various services the county offers to be able to rent. Additionally, Rainbow Place offers a joint program with Edward Jones to offer guests financial literacy classes.
Rainbow Place is also expanding its services in response to studies that show young people from the ages of 18 to 24 are a very underserved demographic. The executive director and board members of Rainbow Place hope by expanding they can help this group. They are working to establish the first 24-hour, seven days a week hub in Gaithersburg to serve 30 young people and provide mental health services, public health services, education, and legal aid for those who need it.