Good Works, Inc.

What Good Works, Inc. does

Good Works is a nonprofit in Athens, Ohio, that has worked alongside people facing homelessness and poverty in rural southeast Ohio since 1981. Keith Wasserman started it while he was an Ohio University senior. At its center is the Timothy House, a 24-hour emergency shelter that the organization calls the only home for adults and children experiencing homelessness in eight rural counties in the region.

The shelter has 15 beds in four bedrooms. Over the past five years it has taken in an average of 167 people a year, and stays average about a month. Residents get help setting goals, case management and referrals to other services, and some Good Works staff were once homeless themselves. A wider circle of programs surrounds the shelter: a Friday night community supper, longer-term transitional housing at the Hannah House, visiting programs for seniors and people with disabilities, kids' clubs and a summer lunch program. The Transformation Station provides cars, bicycles, appliances and food through volunteer work. Good Works estimates it serves about 21,000 meals a year.

Good Works is small, with expenses of roughly $770,000 in 2024. Its own 'Day in the Life' campaign puts one full day of shelter operations at $500, so a single donor's gift covers a noticeable share of the work.

Key facts

• The Timothy House shelter has 15 beds in 4 bedrooms and housed an average of 167 people a year over the past five years, with stays averaging about 32 days (Athens County Independent, 2023)
• Estimates it provides about 21,000 meals a year across its programs (good-works.net/what-we-do)
• Its 'Day in the Life' campaign sets the cost of one full day of Timothy House shelter, food and care at $500 (goodworksdayinthelife.net)
• Spent about $768,000 against $1.03 million in revenue in 2024 (ProPublica, IRS Form 990)

Before you give

• Online gifts are processed through Network for Good (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, eCheck). To give by check, mail it to Good Works, Inc., PO Box 4, Athens, OH 45701-0004.
• The $500 'Day in the Life' sponsorship page said the campaign ran through December 31, 2025, so check whether it is still running before citing it.