So Others Might Eat

SOME was founded in 1970 by Horace McKenna as a soup kitchen. Meals were served in the basement of the St. Aloysius Church on the campus of Gonzaga College High School on North Capitol Street. Father John Adams was appointed as its inaugural president. SOME also bought a property on nearby K Street NW called Shalom House for homeless women. Their Caregivers Program began in May 1984, with case management and volunteer services provided to isolated, home bound elderly persons in Southeast, Washington, D. C. In January 1986, Isaiah House opened in a townhouse in Northwest, Washington, D. C. as a therapeutic socialization residence for individuals who are homeless and have mental illnesses. SOME's first transitional housing facility opened in February 1986. The facility helped homeless men prepare to live in permanent housing in the community. Six months later, Dwelling Place Emergency Shelter for Abused Elderly opened in Southeast, Washington, D. C.

In July 1989, SOME opened Shalom House through a public private partnership in Northeast, Washington, D. C., as the organization's first single room occupancy (SRO) housing residence.

A second 90 day transitional housing program, Mickey Leland Place, for homeless men opened in October 1990. Exodus House, a 90 day residential substance abuse treatment program for homeless men, was opened on a mountaintop plot in West Virginia in June 1991. In September 1991, the Thea Bowman House opened as a 10 unit, two year transitional apartment house for women with children in Northeast, Washington, D. C. In May 1993, SOME opened its third SRO, Jeremiah House. The Maya Angelou House for women was dedicated in January 1996, located on that were donated to SOME, and providing a 90 day residential substance abuse treatment program for homeless women. SOME renovated and opened a new facilities for homeless individuals at 60 O Street NW in June 1996, including medical, dental, and eye clinics as well as social service and addiction counseling offices. In August 1996, SOME opened Harvest House Women's Program opened as 12 bed transitional housing with a job readiness training program for homeless women. The Women and Children's Dining Room on O Street was opened in May 1997. In June 1998, SOME's Center for Employment Training opened as an employment training program that will incorporate support services, human development, basic education, and skills training in a program lasting from four to six months. The Center for Employment Training's goal is for adults to find full time jobs with benefits at a living wage. As an extension of the Thea Bowman House program, SOME opened townhouses in September 1998 to provide two year transitional housing for formerly homeless families,

SOME opened Behavioral Health Services in January 2000, with the goal of combining SOME's addiction services with mental health and dual diagnosis treatment. Eight months later, SOME created the Social Justice Program to increase community awareness and education of the interlaced social justice issue that affect poor and homeless individuals and families. In April 2002, SOME dedicates the Jim Kozuch Building, intended for multi program use to improve on the space for Isaiah House. The Jim Kozuch Building stores clothing, household goods, other donations, and records, as well as the maintenance department and office space. The Isaiah House vacated its building and was replaced by the Jordan House in October 2002. The Jordan House provided a crisis stabilization center for those with mental illness and are awaiting access to residential treatment programs. Joseph Smith House opened the following month. In May 2006, Freedom House opened, becoming SOME's fourth SRO. The Mary Claire House opened in September 2006, providing transitional housing to adults with chronic mental illness as they leave SOME's Jordan House Crisis Stabilization Program. In April 2007, SOME purchased a property on Texas Avenue SE, with the intention of using it to provide 48 efficiency units for low income single adults. During the same month, the Father Horace McKenna House opened in Winchester, Virginia, providing affordable housing in the Oxford House model to ten men recovering from addictions. Also in the same month, SOME bought two properties, Bedford Falls and Chabraja House, to provide affordable housing with supportive services. Barnaby House opened in June 2007 as an affordable family housing program in Southeast, Washington, D. C., providing housing to ten low income and formerly homeless families. In 2016, SOME started an intervention and support program, Rapid Re engagement Program. In April 2020, SOME appointed Ralph Boyd as its CEO, replacing Father John Adams who had been in the role for 42 years.