Assisi House Working to Open its 8th Home

In May of 2026, the Board of Director's voted to to approve its 5-year Strategic Plan. In light of that effort, and with help from many hearts and hands, Assisi House will open its 8th home on the campus of Holy Cross Church at the former rectory by the end of the year.

This most recent home will specifically serve unhoused women and expand the Assisi House footprint on the campus of Holy Cross.

In 2017, Assisi House renovated the convent that today houses 10 women. The property belongs to the Parish of St. Peter Claver, a new parish formed two years ago and comprised of a conglomeration of parishes including: St. Matthews, St. Augustine, Holy Cross and St. Elizabeth, Mother of John the Baptist, all North St. Louis Parishes.

Fr. Scott Scheiderer and the St. Peter Claver Parish Council have agreed to lease the two properties to Assisi House. A unique partnership, Assisi House and St. Peter Claver are aligned in their mutual visions for the future use of the campus, and dedicated to ending the trauma that results from being without a home, a family or a network of caring support.

In addition to recognizing the financial backing of the ACA Affordable Housing Fund, Assisi House is also pleased to announce an award from the Home Builder's Association, whose $20,000 grant in July will also be used to support renovation efforts. Many thanks to the HBA, an important partner in making affordable housing available to the region.

To date, Happy Roof has added new gutters and a new roof to the rectory. Trees deemed too close to the house have been removed. The elevator once installed by the legendary Monsignor Hellriegel, has also been removed.

In June, High School students from DeSmet, Ursaline Academy and Lindbergh HS assisted with the demo of countless items throughout the building.

As of this writing, Mold Solutions has remediated a formidable mold issue that was the direct result of a faulty roof that had gone unnoticed.

Still on the docket for this summer is plumbing, a task now in the capable hands of volunteer Maddy and her crew, who will be tending to much needed repairs and pipe replacements.

Volunteer Gary Werkmeister continues to repair and paint exterior and interior windows, often at dizzying heights.

Carpet removal and the remainder of cabinets and other sundry items will be completed by the end of July.

The punch list also includes electrical needs, headed up by volunteer Joe Olgle. That work will follow carpentry decisions aimed at tackling a multitude of issues including the second floor guard rail, which is in need of modifications.

A mini-split system will complete HVAC needs while countless volunteer hours remain on the near horizon. Those tasks will involve plaster work, dry wall, painting, deep cleaning, furniture acquisition and more.

A mighty thank you to Advisory Board Member Jerry King and Volunteer Coordinator & Board Member Jim Mohrmann who have worked tirelessly since January as the General Manager and Project Manager. Without their guidance and expertise, the project would not be possible.

In spite of the critical funding that has allowed for Assisi House to begin renovations, the addition of an 8th home is anticipated to impact agency resources.

We therefore welcome any and all financial support that may come from the community and our safety net of donors.

There are donation buttons throughout the Assisi House website that allow for secure online transactions. For those who prefer to send a check by mail, please do so using the following address:

Make checks out to:

Assisi House, Inc.

PO Box 300112

St. Louis, Missouri 63130

Interested in volunteering? Contact our Volunteer Coordinator Jim Mohrmann via this link to get signed up.

Those interested in making a major gift to support expansion efforts, please contact Keith by phone at 314-489-9137 or by email keith@assisihouse.org.

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