St. Matthew's House provides innovative solutions to hunger, homelessness, and addiction in Southwest Florida. What began as a modest soup kitchen 35 years ago has grown into a comprehensive continuum of care designed to empower struggling individuals for a life of self-sufficiency. Today, St. Matthew's House operates a food assistance program, homeless shelters, transitional and permanent supportive housing facilities, substance abuse recovery programs, and employment training initiatives aimed at providing a hand-up, rather than a hand-out to all we serve. In an effort to generate sustainable funding for these programs, St. Matthew’s House developed an expansive social enterprise model, which includes eight thrift stores, a restaurant, a catering company, and a hotel & conference center. These businesses generate nearly 50% of the revenue needed to operate all St. Matthew’s House initiatives and help fund administrative expenses so that donations can be allocated directly to our programs.