Four programs, one mission
Through our Roots and Project Cares departments, we address the full spectrum of challenges facing Raleigh's homeless community.
Roots
Restoration Outreach Opportunities Through Service
ROOTS is where hope takes tangible form. Our community members told us clearly: EMPLOYMENT MATTERS. It is their greatest desire. In response, we partnered with a local landscaping company and The City of Raleigh to create low-barrier employment opportunities that open doors rather than place obstacles.
With the help of The City of Raleigh, we established CASH FOR TRASH, a no-barrier work program that allows individuals to earn income by caring for public spaces. This work offers more than a paycheck — it restores routine, responsibility, dignity, and self respect. In-house PEER SUPPORT is offered across both programs.
Project Landscape
Restoring dignity through better living spaces
Project Landscape is focused on restoring and improving homeless shelters and camps across Raleigh. By enhancing living conditions, we make lives easier, cleaner, and grow community pride — fostering healing for individuals to improve their lives.
- Shelter and camp restoration and beautification
- Clean-up and sanitation improvements
- Landscaping and outdoor environment improvement
- Building pride and ownership in living spaces
Cash for Trash
Zero barrier entry — earning while cleaning
Cash for Trash is a no-barrier work program that allows individuals to earn income by caring for public spaces. This work offers more than a paycheck — it restores routine, responsibility, dignity, and self-respect.
- The community's #1 request was employment
- The City of Raleigh provided seed money of $8,000
- By cleaning their surroundings, participants experience a positive effect on their mental health
- This is a NO-BARRIER employment opportunity
Project Cares
Mental Health · Recovery · Primary Care · Housing Support
Project Care begins with listening. We meet our unhoused community member where they are, creating space for their stories, their truths, and their hopes. We honor who they are by hearing what they need. Together, we shape goals that reflect their dreams and immediate realities.
From there, we reach outward — connecting medical, dental, mental health, recovery, Peer Support, vital records, state-approved ID, housing assistance, and always, human compassion. Project Care is where resources meet relationships.
Peer Support
Shared experience. Mutual strength.
Our Peer Support program connects individuals with others who understand their journey. Through shared experience and mutual support, community members help each other grow stronger together — because sometimes the most powerful help comes from someone who's been there.
- Facilitated support groups and circles
- One-on-one peer mentorship
- Community-driven healing and growth
- Offered in-house across both Roots programs
Wrap-around Services
Whole-person care. Pathways to stability.
Wrap-around Services addresses every dimension of a person's needs — from healthcare referrals to housing assistance, creating personalized pathways to stability for each individual we serve.
- Medical, dental, and mental health referrals
- Recovery and substance use support
- Vital records and state-approved ID assistance
- Housing assistance and navigation
The Outlanders
We are the only self-sustaining community on the east coast currently
Outlanders is a grassroots, community-based initiative founded by unhoused individuals and families who came together with a shared vision: to create safety, stability, and belonging. The project offers an alternative path for those who do not easily fit within traditional housing systems due to circumstances such as mental health challenges, including PTSD, legal history, financial hardship, or credit barriers.
At its heart, Outlanders is about community. It is a place where people who are actively working toward a better future can lay down roots, find support, and begin again. By fostering a stable and compassionate environment, Outlanders helps individuals rebuild self-confidence — an essential foundation from which meaningful work, growth, and independence can emerge.
EPHI partners with communities like Outlanders, walking alongside individuals and families as they shape safe, supportive spaces. Together, they help transform shared effort into lasting opportunity, empowering people to move forward and achieve their goals.
