House of Grace was established in 1982 as the first ever half-way house for released prisoners in Israel. Since then we have provided a helping hand and a warm family environment to released prisoners who are rejected by society and who otherwise would have a high probablilty of becoming repeat offenders. At present House of Grace also works with the most disenfranchised and marginalized members of Haifa: Christians, Jews and Muslims who are in need of counseling, guidance, and material aid. House of Grace has created over the past twenty-nine years a unique model of "Charity That Changes," which is a way of providing critical services that at the same time encourages individual transformation and wider social change.

Kamil and Agnes Shehade raised their five children at House of Grace. Motivated by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they strove to create a sense of community for the surrounding poor neighborhoods by welcoming those in need at any time of day or night. House of Grace employs a style that balances kindness with the firm expectation of responsibility and the realization of one's potentials. With a capacity for up to twenty residents, House of Grace operates as a large home. Residents take responsibility for their temporary home by doing chores and participating in house meetings and events.  The model for House of Grace is very simple: that of a healthy family. Such an environment is something that 100% of our guests report to have missed out on while growing up. Released prisoners in the rehabilitation program stay at House of Grace for between 6-12 months, and some prisoners on parol also come for weekends or holidays if they have no where else to go.

House of Grace requires its residents and visitors to be active participants in the services and help that is provided. For example, the residents as well as youth volunteer groups often facilitate the distribution of food and clothing to needy families. This is beneficial for everyone involved, as stereotypes and fears of "others" are directly challenged. The special team of professionals and volunteers that make up the staff of House of Grace  is sensitive to the cultural and religious diversity of the population of Haifa. We are committed to respecting everyone, regardless of one's background, and we believe that all human beings are created by God and are endowed with great dignity. As such they are entitled to and capable of change and growth in order to realize their full potentials when given a just opportunity to do so. Especially in today's tense climate of "us and them," House of Grace is an island of fraternal charity and communion.

House of Grace believes that true social change can occur only when both the individual and the surrounding society change. As such, House of Grace employs a two-tiered approach: client-focused projects and community-focused projects. The main projects facilitated by House of Grace are as follows:

Prisoner Rights and Rehabilitation Project: provideing shelter and counseling to prisoners and their families, raising public awareness, and advocating policies that help to reintegrate prisoners back into the community in a way that significantly reduces the rate of prisoner recidivism.

Youth Drop-Out Prevention Project: facilitating groups, workshops, tutoring, summer camps, volunteer corps, sports programs, and healthy social alternatives to joining street gangs and "running away" for our community's most at-risk and yet very promising population: youth from the Arab community.

Family Outreach Project: providing guidance and counseling for families as well as distributing donated or subsidized basic necessities and offering social services such as  food hampers, community holiday meals, school book redistributions, and a second-hand clothing store.