PACEM OVERVIEW 2026
20 years of helping people in need
We share a compassion for our neighbors in crisis
Incarnation Parish is Hosting
JAN 13, 2026 through Jan 27, 2026
IN THE PAC
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Note to Volunteers
If you need to check your specific volunteer slot A signup book will be available in the hallway at INCARNATION PARISH.
Volunteers will also receive a call from the Leads and Food Captains two days before their scheduled service.
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PACEM’s mission is “To bring together the faith community of the greater Charlottesville area to provide temporary shelter, compassionate support, and access to services to homeless individuals, so they can move to a stable housing solution. This work can only be achieved by forging partnerships in the larger community.”
— PACEM Webpage
Watch a short video (~3 minutes) on “What is PACEM?”
History and Philosophy of PACEM (A Shelter of Last Resort)
In 2003, Charlottesville clergy and homeless advocates created PACEM after members of the Downtown Ministerial Alliance shared the experience of showing up for work in the morning and regularly finding homeless neighbors sleeping in their doorways.
The 2004 Homeless Census—conducted by the Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless (TJACH)—supported the experience of the downtown clergy. Dozens of individuals were living on the streets, in the woods, in their cars, in abandoned buildings, behind garbage dumpsters, or around churches in the middle of winter. With a pressing need for shelter, the Downtown Ministerial Alliance and TJACH joined together. They gave their grassroots initiative the name PACEM—an acronym for People and Congregations Engaged in Ministry, a word that also comes from the phrase for peace: Dona Nobis Pacem.
Based on a rotating shelter model from Richmond, PACEM opened during the winter of 2004. As we prepare for our 13th season this upcoming winter, PACEM has provided nearly 80,000 total nights of shelter for people who are homeless in our community. Along the way, we have learned that homelessness is not simply “house”-lessness. To be homeless is to lack roots, ties to place, and a sense of belonging. Extending hospitality re-establishes this connection.* (Source: Richard Hopkins)
PACEM believes that a welcoming, safe place to shelter is the first step in addressing the crisis of homelessness. Sharing compassion for our neighbors in crisis, we bring together the members of nearly 80 congregations and groups each winter to address the need for shelter in our community.
What we do…
PACEM has been providing a low-barrier homeless shelter in Charlottesville for the last 20 years. Guests with a criminal record, those who are intoxicated, and those dealing with drug addiction or mental illness are not turned away. This shelter—designed with accessibility and compassion at its core—opens its doors to everyone, regardless of their circumstances. PACEM is part of a broader community safety net, and our guests come from every walk of life. Some of our guests are working, and some cannot find jobs. Some may be on the verge of giving up hope, and the nightly stability of a welcoming environment and a warm meal can make all the difference during a cold winter. PACEM volunteers are accepting and understanding, and the shelter is free from the usual prerequisites or documentation that often hinder access to essential services.
