CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. — A new shelter for homeless families has opened in Ontario County, marking the first of its kind in the area.
The Shill Family Center is expected to welcome its first family this week. Family Promise of Ontario County and the Shill Cares Foundation worked together to restore the historic Cobblestone Manor on North Main Street in Canandaigua that had been vacant for several years.
“We were a little surprised that there was not a homeless shelter for families in all of Ontario County,” Ed Shill, founder of the Shill Cares Foundation said. “We all know how big Ontario County is. And the idea that we’re putting people up in Petty’s Lodge in the D&D motel is totally unacceptable.”
News10NBC’s Garrett Chan spoke with leaders behind the opening of the facility. The former Cobblestone Manor underwent remodeling and renovation starting in January 2025. About a year and a half later, it’s ready to provide a temporary home for up to seven families in need.
Shill said the shelter addresses more than just homelessness.
“Having helped other people stabilize their life and their situation and and homelessness and, it’s not just homelessness. It’s safe housing,” Shill said. “People have to be safe. People live in houses that aren’t safe. That’s not good. That’s not at the level that we need to tolerate. We need to get people in safe housing and stabilize them.”
The shelter provides several services with around-the-clock staff. That includes individualized case management, employment support and eviction prevention services.
Todd Bernhardt, executive director of Family Promise of Ontario County, said family homelessness in the county is growing at an alarming rate.
“Ontario County commissioner has shared that on any given night, they have to find housing or shelter, emergency shelter, for up to 24 families on any given night. That’s about 109 individuals,” Bernhardt said. “And unfortunately, that the only option right now is in motels that, you know, are just not suitable, in our opinion, for, for children and families.”
Even with this shelter now available, the work to help other families in crisis is only beginning.
“This is a community project, and we’re just so grateful for every buddy in this community that has been involved throughout this process and that will be involved for years to come,” Bernhardt said.
“Long time quote of ours that we use here at Family Promise and the Shill Cares foundation is ‘leap and the net will appear,’” Shill said. “We built this facility. We knew we had to go. We had to go fast. We had to move quick because there are families that need our help.”
Family Promise and the Shill Cares Foundation are now working with the Ontario County Department of Social Services to bring families into the shelter through a vetting process. In terms of next steps, they’re looking to open more facilities across Geneva and Canandaigua in the near future.
Relying on community support
Shill says the opening of the first homeless family shelter in Ontario County was a community-wide effort. It received support from a host of vendors and volunteers to help remodel and renovate the house while retaining its historical features. Others helped with installing power outlets, landscape lighting fixtures, and more.
If you’re interested in helping Family Promise of Ontario County and/or the Shill Cares Foundation, click on the links provided below:
Need for more shelters
The Department of Social Services provided housing for anywhere from 20 to 25 families in 2024. That’s more than triple what it served in 2020.
Homelessness among students is also an area of concern. Data from New York shows 408 school-aged children experienced homelessness in 2024, a 28% rise since 2021.
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