Loring Henderson is pictured at the Lawrence Community Shelter in this Journal-World file photo from 2014.

The founding director of a downtown drop-in center for those experiencing homelessness will retire this summer.

The Advisory Board of the DARE (Drop in And REst) Center for the Homeless, 944 Kentucky St., announced in a news release Monday that Loring Henderson will be retiring from his position as the director of DARE effective in August.

The DARE center is a daytime drop-in center that offers basic services to those experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness. DARE services include showers; laundry facilities; being an address for mail services; providing snacks and hygiene items; distributing tents, sleeping bags, tarps and backpacks; and offering limited clothing such as socks, gloves and donated seasonal items. DARE does not provide case management but the center seeks to help connect DARE guests to resources.

Henderson has served as the director of DARE since it opened in June 2019. Henderson was previously involved in homeless services in Washington, D.C., Kansas City and Lawrence. Henderson served at the director of the Lawrence Community Shelter since the shelter opened in 2005 until 2014 — the year he turned 75 — and had been active in social services in Lawrence and beyond much longer than that, as the Journal-World reported.

The news release states that Henderson is deeply grateful for the kindness of the scores of people who have given so much to help. DARE does not receive city or county funding and operates with the donations, financial and volunteer support of individuals, local churches and other organizations.

The board will conduct a search for a replacement director in the upcoming weeks.