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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Sixth Street Shelter Completes Renovations

If the economy continues on its current path, I may be a guest there soon.

CACLV reports that the Sixth Street Shelter in Allentown will celebrate the completion of the renovation of its 219 building with an Open House on Thursday, September 16! Festivities kick-off at 4 p.m. and will include a ribbon cutting ceremony, tours, and refreshments.

The building at 219 was the first of five contiguous buildings to make up the Sixth Street Shelter. Prior to the renovation, it had seen 25 years and over 145,820 shelter nights of service. It now boasts a redesigned interior, major overhauls of all kitchens and bathrooms, new flooring, complete revamping of the electrical, heating and plumbing systems, updated fire, security and sprinkler units, and a new thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) roof. Green building alternatives were used throughout construction whenever possible, including a solar water heating system that will serve the entire building. In addition, one large apartment was split into two, making it possible for the shelter to serve an additional six families per year.

The renovation project was made possible by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and the generosity of over 60 community members, who contributed just under $730,000. Individual donors includes Beall and Linny Fowler and Chris and Diane Martin. Foundation support includes the Century Fund, The Harry C. Trexler Trust and The Dexter F. and Dorothy H. Baker Foundation. Organizations that contributed include PPL and the Summer Theatre Magic program at St. Thomas More Roman Catholic Church.

Since 1984, the Sixth Street Shelter has been helping families with children learn to stand on their own. Its mission is "to provide the opportunity and direction for all people to become self-sufficient, productive members of the community." It is the only family shelter in the Lehigh Valley that serves all families with children, including fathers, and houses them in their own apartment. The support and casework services that each family receives at Sixth Street are intended to enable them to become and remain self-sufficient when they leave the shelter. During their 60-day residency, the members of the family work on the issues that contributed to their homelessness by developing a Family Service Plan with the shelter's staff to set household, employment, and housing goals. Following the family's move back into the community, the shelter staff maintains contact with them whenever possible in order to offer additional assistance and to determine how well they are continuing to move toward self-sufficiency.

The Sixth Street Shelter is a program of the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, Inc. and is located at 219 North Sixth Street (between Turner and Chew) in Allentown.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kids should be removed from homeless families, not placed in shelters with them.

Anonymous said...

let them suffer, blah blah blah... my freedom is being violated, blah blah blah... this is all that socialist muslim Obama's fault.

Anonymous said...

"The renovation project was made possible by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development"

Aren't these renovations made possible through "taxpayer dollars?"

Anonymous said...

Taxpayers? Yes!

But all grants carry administrative fees taken out by the grantee as operating costs, both fixed and variable.

Some people might call it income.

Maybe it should be Jenningstown instead of Allentown.

As they say.. He da man.

Anonymous said...

God Bless the poor.

Anonymous said...

God Bless the poor.

Oddly enough, the more poor there are, the richer the rich get.

Anonymous said...

Alan Jennings is a Saint. he is like a savior for the poor. He is there when others turn their backs.

I say God Bless Alan Jennings, a man of complete compassion.

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