About Us:

Dimitri House is named after Dimitri Mamczur, a homeless man, who lived in two taped-together cardboard boxes under an expressway bridge on 590. On a cold, rainy night while heading back to his humble shelter, Dimitri was hit by a car on East Avenue . He didn't die immediately and for two weeks, Fr. James Callan, the then pastor of Corpus Christi Church, spent time with him. He annointed him and offered him the gentle, encouraging words of hope to "let go and be with the One who loves you". Dimitri died two weeks later on a Sunday morning, November 24, 1985. Corpus Christi Church had a funeral for Dimitri and over 150 people came to celebrate his life and to say goodbye.

People who knew him shared stories of how they knew him...how he would help the merchants on Park and East Avenues, but then decline money when it was offered to him....how he would give his last cigarette to another homeless friend....how he would collect bottles and cans to buy a loaf of bread to feed the birds. Many were touched by Dimitri's story and the church made a commitment to do more for the homeless and poor of the Rochester community. When the property on North Union was purchased, it was a 13 year old girl who suggested it be named after Dimitri Mamczur.

Dimitri House continues to honor our roots. We remember the people who 'got the ball rolling' back in the early 1980's when delicious meals, warm hospitality and loving acceptance was offered to the poor and homeless out of the church basement and rectory of Corpus Christi Church.

In February of 2000, we applied for and received our independent status as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We continue to help the poor and homeless in many ways through our various programs: the men's emergency winter shelter, the emergency food cupboard, the drop-in program and the holiday basket program. We have two full-time employees, a part-time cleaning person, a volunteer Board of Directors and approximately 150 volunteers. Our annual budget is $160,000 and our support comes from grants, fundraisers, various church donations, private donations and United Way donor option. We keep it simple - we don't do it all, but what we do is done well. It is best said by the people we serve - "Dimitri House is like family to me..."; "Staying in a shelter is hard, but not at Dimitri House - I think it's probably like staying at The Ritz."

Fran Morse

Director of Dimitri House