Concept rendering of a Mobile Hearth activation night.
Not a monument, not a landmark — a source of warmth meant to be gathered around. That's the idea behind the name, and behind how we work.
Concept rendering of a Mobile Hearth activation night.
Mobile Hearth empowers places of worship to help end homelessness, one night at a time. We partner with congregations to transform their existing spaces into life-saving winter shelter — providing the equipment, operational structure, and guidance needed to operate nightly shelter safely, so communities can offer warmth, dignity, and stability to neighbors experiencing homelessness.
Mobile Hearth is a ready-to-deploy "shelter-in-a-box" resource: a customized cargo trailer filled with everything needed for safe overnight shelter operations. It is not the space where guests sleep — that's the congregation's own heated building, restrooms, kitchen, and volunteer team. The trailer carries bedding and basic nutritional support for up to 30 individuals per winter night, and because host sites already have the space and the people, they can offer shelter quickly and effectively once equipped. The trailer itself moves among partner churches throughout the winter, so no single congregation carries the full burden of the season — local churches work collectively for those who need it most.
Massachusetts has seen a sharp rise in homelessness, increasing pressure on communities to respond during severe winter weather. In the greater Attleboro area, the need is especially urgent on nights near or below 25°F, when the risk to unsheltered residents rises and overflow warming capacity becomes critical. During the 2025–2026 winter season, local volunteers regularly worked to secure warm shelter for vulnerable residents under difficult conditions, often with limited resources and too few sites prepared for overnight warming. That experience showed the need for a more coordinated, repeatable response — which is what Mobile Hearth was built to provide.
We're a newly incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit building our first trailer, our first church partnerships, and our operational protocol ahead of our first season. Everything on this site — the network, the funding tiers — is being stood up for the first time. We'd rather be honest about that than pretend otherwise.
Mobile Hearth is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors of five to seven members, none of whom are compensated for their service.
President
Fundraising
Treasurer
Secretary
Fundraising and Grants
We know donors, foundations, and platforms like Candid (GuideStar) and grantmakers evaluate whether a new organization is legitimate and well-governed before they invest. Here's where things stand.
Mobile Hearth is incorporated in Massachusetts as a nonprofit corporation and recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Our EIN and IRS determination letter are on file and available to donors and funders upon request.
Mobile Hearth is governed by an all-volunteer Board of Directors of five to seven members, none of whom receive compensation. Our bylaws require every director to complete an annual written conflict-of-interest disclosure, and require Board approval of significant organizational decisions.
Our bylaws commit Mobile Hearth to making its Form 990, IRS determination letter, and financial statements available to the public upon request, and to publishing an annual report — covering our programs, accomplishments, and finances — within 120 days of the close of each fiscal year. As a newly formed organization, our first Form 990 and annual report will be available once our first fiscal year closes; check back here or contact us directly for the latest documents.
Mobile Hearth serves and welcomes all guests, volunteers, and partner congregations regardless of race, religion, national origin, disability, or background.
Have a question for a grant application, a due-diligence review, or a Candid/GuideStar profile? Email jen@mobilehearth.org and we'll get you what you need.
Whether you're a congregation considering hosting, a city looking to coordinate cold-weather response, a potential funder, or a volunteer — reach out directly.
PO Box 18
Attleboro, MA 02703