When Kara and her 22-year-old son were evicted from their home, they had nowhere to go. Her son, who has autism, was undergoing leukemia treatments at Akron Children’s Hospital and required a chest port. On top of these challenges, Kara was caring for three small dogs and was unable to find a temporary foster home for them. With no available emergency shelter able to accommodate pets, they ended up sleeping in a tent in a local park as temperatures dropped.
Kara’s story is heartbreaking, but it is not uncommon in Akron. For many women, the inability to keep their family together, including pets, becomes a barrier to seeking safety. ACCESS is determined to change that.
In 2025, GAR Foundation awarded a $50,000 capital grant to support ACCESS’ “Building Futures, Empowering More Lives” campaign, a $3 million effort to expand its campus and thoughtfully serve residents using national trauma-informed design standards. This grant was one of 30 capital grants awarded to Akron-area nonprofits in 2025, totaling more than $837,000.
ACCESS currently operates at full capacity, sheltering about 58 individuals each night. With only so many beds available, the organization maintains a waitlist of more than 100 women and children year-round. Because ACCESS cannot currently accommodate pets, women with pets aren’t able to join the waitlist, creating an additional barrier to safety and shelter access.
The planned expansion will introduce trauma-informed spaces that offer residents what many have gone without: a door they can lock, a sense of safety, and a path to stability. Plans include additional bedrooms and amenities, dedicated areas for children such as sensory spaces and playgrounds, and green spaces for residents to enjoy. Most importantly, the project will increase ACCESS shelter’s capacity by 80%, creating a stronger lifeline to a brighter future.
ACCESS’ impact is already significant. In 2025, 70 percent of residents transitioned to stable housing, far surpassing the national average of 32 percent. With this expansion, ACCESS will amplify its wrap-around services such as healthcare access, mental health support, and life skills classes, and continue its commitment to residents even after they move into permanent housing.
"Our community needs ACCESS to reach more women and families, and we’re ready to expand,” said Director of Development Brianne Neal. “This campaign will nearly double the number of households we can move from crisis to stability each year, saving lives and strengthening our community for the long term.”
GAR’s Capital Grants Program supports projects like this that strengthen nonprofit infrastructure and expand the impact of organizations serving our community.
This spotlight was created for GAR's 2025 Impact Report. View the full report:
