About

St. Christopher’s Inn, a ministry of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, is a temporary homeless shelter that has been dedicated to the rehabilitation of men in crisis for over 100 years.  Our mission is to offer a continuum of quality health care services that facilitate physical, emotional, and spiritual healing by providing Chemical Dependency Treatment, Primary Health Care, and Temporary Housing. We strive to restore the personal dignity of each individual by utilizing a holistic approach in all our programs. No one is ever turned away because of race, religion, or economic status.

Now with 177 beds, Clients are treated for substance abuse problems, receive psychiatric evaluations and treatment, get their medications stabilized in a safe environment, and have access to primary care including physicals, testing, coordination of care and health education, all in a safe clean environment.  Since over 35% of clients entering day treatment programs report they do not have stable housing, SCI offers shelter, food, clothing, a support network and education, contributing to successful long-term outcomes.  In 2013 alone, the Friars and Staff at the Inn served nearly 200,000 meals and provided over a half million dollars in scholarships for chemical dependency treatment, medication, medical services, and transportation to the men who came to our homeless shelter and were admitted to our CARF Accredited, OASAS licensed outpatient substance abuse treatment programs.

Here is one testimonial from a recent SCI graduate:

Hi Father Bill—This is Paul O. I seperated on Monday and I wanted to reach out and say thank you for providing a roof over my head, food and clothing during my stay from October till this past Monday. I also want to tell you thank you for allowing me to stay when my insurance cancelled.  You and Father John gave the okay to my counseler to scholarship me for the last month and I am eternally grateful for that and love you all. Have a blessed day. Love from a Brothers Christopher always.

Ten Facts About St. Christopher’s Inn

1.     We are the only agency in our area utilizing an integrated model of care providing shelter, treatment for alcohol and drug abuse, mental health services, and primary medical care all on one campus.

2.     We are the oldest free-standing men’s shelter in New York State.

3.     We receive more than 100 client inquiries per day, host 177 men at any given time, and serve nearly 1,000 men each year.

4.     We have a 77% success rate for substance abuse treatment—the highest completion rate in New York State.

5.     There is no “hanging out” at SCI. Residents adhere to a daily schedule of counseling, health lectures, life skills and relapse prevention lectures, and, in the evenings, daily 12-step group meetings.

6.     We utilize best practices including motivational interviewing, cognitive behavior therapy and medication assisted therapies.

7.     We offer a choir; an on-site GED program (in partnership with the Boards of Cooperative Educational Services of NYS); an IBM computer center; a library; a smoking cessation group—one of the most successful in the country; and a monthly “coffee house.”

8.     The tone and intensity of treatment is tailored to each man’s individual personality and needs.

9.     Most of the men we serve stay with us for up to a 90-day period of treatment and transition to halfway houses or outpatient settings.

10.     We serve Westchester County, NY at “Brothers Christopher House” in White Plains, a halfway house for men transitioning from intensive treatment back to their communities.


Since the founding of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement more than 100 years ago, St. Christopher’s Inn has admitted wayfarers without question, providing bed, board, and appropriate counseling for homeless and troubled men.