Alison Cunningham ’84 M.Div.

Alison Cunningham is the inaugural Director of Formation at Yale Divinity School. She provides resources, training, and support for students who discover a vocational direction in nonprofit service. Prior to returning to YDS, Cunningham was widely recognized as one of the most astute and passionate advocates for homeless people and their needs. Her first job was at Janus House, a shelter for runaway homeless youth in Bridgeport. After two years there, she went to work as a case manager for Columbus House in New Haven. Deeply moved by the poverty and disenfranchisement she observed, she found it incredibly rewarding to watch the transition from homelessness to being housed. In 1998, Cunningham was asked to lead Columbus House, which provides solutions to homelessness. Under her dynamic leadership, Columbus House grew to include shelter and permanent supportive housing services and has partnered with Yale New Haven Hospital to provide respite care for newly discharged hospital patients who were unstably housed. 

 

In 2018, Cunningham was the recipient of the Yale Divinity School William Sloane Coffin Award.