ECHO's History

In 1992 the Ecumenical Council of Calvert County formed a task force to start a Homeless shelter: the Ecumenical Council for the HOmeless. Project ECHO, Inc. was incorporated as a 501(c)3 non-profit and in 1993 our emergency shelter opened with 16 beds. 

In 2010, our current residence opened with room enough for 40-plus men, women, and children. More than just beds and meals, we provide a clean, safe, family-friendly environment to those who need it most. Our unique 90 day program gives each resident the opportunity to stabilize his or her life, and offers many supplemental programs to encourage personal growth and independence.

What many people may not know is that Project ECHO has been more than just an emergency shelter for many years.

In 2000 we began to branch out with a transitional housing program for families.

In 2012 we included a program for people in recovery from addiction, and we opened our first Oxford House.

In 2015 we expanded into permanent housing with a shared-living program for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.

Next, we opened a second Oxford House, and a second shared-living house.

In 2017 we opened a thrift store in an effort to become more fiscally independent.

In 2019, we expanded our recovery program to include developmental trauma and we opened a new recovery house for these participants.

In 2022, we’re expanding the shared-living program and looking forward to providing permanent housing for more of our chronically homeless clients.

Our organization may be small, but the support we receive from the community is great. With this support we’re able to help people make huge changes in their lives. We encourage you to contact us to learn more about the things we do, the people we serve, and the ways in which you can get involved.