About
Our mission is to meet the spiritual and practical needs of the families of prisoners.
In order to accomplish this, the Central Texas Hospitality House (CTHH) seeks to become a bridge of trust between the prisoners, their families, and the churches of the community. This effort is important to keep recidivism from occurring, as well as to prevent children from following the same mistaken path as their parents.
What is the Central Texas Hospitality House (CTHH)?
The Central Texas Hospitality House (CTHH) is a place where kindness and generosity are shown to guests, strangers and families seeking hope and support as they visit an incarcerated loved one. Our desire is to do exactly as our name implies; we want to show hospitality to those who have been separated from their family.
The CTHH is located at 708 Hwy 36 West in Gatesville, TX.
The multi-unit facility includes private bedrooms, community showers, a dine-in kitchen and restrooms that provide families the comfort and ease to stay overnight. Additionally, there is a large gathering area, as well as indoor and outdoor children’s play areas. All of this is offered at no charge to our guests.
In addition to shelter, we offer a comfortable environment, a listening ear, refreshments, games for children, and a pleasant place to be while waiting for visitation times at the correctional facility.
What are our primary objectives?
- To provide food and shelter in a friendly, caring environment for family members who are financially unable to secure motel rooms as they come to visit inmates.
- To provide a safe area with games and activities for children while waiting for visitation opportunities at the prison.
- To stand with families as they deal with the realities of stress, anger, rejection, and bitterness associated with having a family member who is incarcerated.
Who do we serve?
The CTHH exists to serve the family and friends of individuals who are currently incarcerated, but let’s think about who these individuals are more carefully. We want to help parents who never imagined that their child would end up behind bars. No matter what the age, your child is still your child, and no parent ever wishes his/her child to end up incarcerated. We want to help spouses who have committed themselves to a partnership of love and are now facing life alone. We want to help children who do not understand why their mom or dad cannot be with them. This is who we want to help.
Why is a hospitality house needed?
In recent years the number of people visiting an inmate in the Gatesville area has approached 50,000 people per year! Many of these folks are economically challenged because of their circumstances. And with the dramatic rise in the cost of fuel, some will have difficulty just putting gas in the car to get here. For those who can afford a motel room, the close proximity of Fort Hood makes finding an available room a difficult task.
There are over 10,000 beds for inmates in the Gatesville area (which also includes Marlin and Burnett). With six units, Gatesville houses over 3,000 men and almost 80% of all the women incarcerated in Texas, as well as all the women on death row. All of these men and women have families of some sort: children, spouses, parents. The need is great!
