Mens Shelter Frequently Asked Q & A

Updated May 27, 2020


Q: Where and what is The Mens Shelter?
A: The 50- bed behavior- based men’s homeless shelter is located in a 2,800 square-foot building at 211 S.E. Chapman Place. It is across the street from the South Corvallis Co-Op.  It provides a safe place to sleep for men experiencing homelessness from November 1 – March 31; operating seven days a week from 6:00 pm to 9:00 am. A light dinner and breakfast are served (provided through partnerships with Stone Soup, First Alternative Co-op, and Linn-Benton Food Share).  PLEASE NOTE: COVID-19 may impact capacity at the Shelter for the 2020-2021 Season.

Q: How is the shelter staffed?
A: The Mens Shelter has a full-time manager who oversees day-to-day operations. Other part-time staff includes an assistant manager, overnight staff, cleaning staff and rovers.  Volunteers have a key role in staffing the Mens Shelter.


Q: Who can stay at The Mens Shelter?
A: The Mens Shelter is a low barrier facility; however, guests must still abide by house rules including no drinking or smoking inside the facility.

Q: Who has leadership responsibility for the shelter?
A: The shelter manager oversees day-to-day operations and supervises the staff. An advisory group, which has included representatives from the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis board, other participating congregations, United Way, local businesses, and city and county health and social services, typically meets monthly to review and discuss ongoing shelter needs and to assist with the same.  The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis (UUFC) has served as the fiscal agent for the shelter over the last few years. The Mens Shelter is pleased to now be one of the programs within the Unity Shelter corporate structure.

Q: How is the shelter being funded?
A: Primary funding is provided by the City of Corvallis ($60,000/year), Benton County ($60,000/year) and private donations.  The shelter budget is approximately $150,000/year, which pays for the rental of the building, supplies, utilities, and port-a-potties. It costs about $20.00 per night to shelter each man. That is relatively inexpensive compared to $80/night for a motel room, $150/night for jail and $1500/night for a hospital room.

Q: Are Volunteers needed?
A: Normally? Yes! However, during the COVID-19 emergency, we are not using volunteers, to minimize community contacts.  During the regular season, in addition to paid staff, shelter operations are supported by volunteers every day in a variety of ways. Nine volunteers a day assist with check-in, bag checks, food servers, late night help, and overnight. Volunteers donate approximately 5,000 volunteer hours per season. Many religious and civic organizations agree to provide volunteers for a week at a time. More groups and individuals are welcome to volunteer. Contact corvmensshelter@gail.com or sign up on SignUp Genius by clicking here.

Q: Who should I contact if I have questions or concerns about shelter operations?
A: On weekdays, please call the Mens Shelter manager, Harry Reich, at (541) 791-6691. You may also contact the shelter directly during operating hours at (541) 250-5113.  For questions about the overall management and operations of the Mens Shelter, you may contact Shawn Collins via email at shawn.m.collins@outlook.com or by phone at (541) 313-8776.

Q: What is the future of The Mens Shelter?
A: There has been an emergency men's shelter in Corvallis since 1991 that has been run and organized by several groups over the years. Over the years, the men's shelter has been operated by St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Corvallis Homeless Shelter Coalition, Corvallis Housing First and most recently by agreement with the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis.  The Mens Shelter will become a permanent program of Unity Shelter in 2020.  


Q: Has Mens Shelter been know by other names over the years?
A: Yes. Mens Shelter has previously been referred to as "The Corvallis Men's Cold Weather Shelter", "The Men's Cold Weather Shelter" and "The Corvallis Men's Shelter" among other things.

Q: Why doesn't the logo and spelling of Mens Shelter include an apostrophe?
A: The logo for Mens Shelter looks better aesthetically without the apostrophe so we took some artistic license.

Q: How can the public help?

A: The public can help by donating materials and supplies to support our operations. These items can be dropped off at The Mens Shelter during open hours (click here for hours) or at The Corvallis Daytime Drop-in Center where these items will be distributed. Many items are needed, including:

  • Paper cups, paper plates, napkins, lunch bags & disposable utensils
  • Towels
  • Snacks, bottled water and juice
  • Hygiene supplies
  • Socks, underwear, and seasonally appropriate clothing
  • Please remember to follow COVID 19 safeguards for donation drop-offs and plan your drop-off while you are out on essential errands.   
    • Schedule a drop-off location and time.
    • Wash and sanitize your hands.
    • Wear protective mask and gloves.
    • Keep a safe distance from others.
    • Sanitize hard surfaces before sharing contents.