I've spent some time looking for existing shelters that form the bridge for homeless people/families to start over. Starting over in the true sense has to include education and/or vocational training, single or family counseling , drug and alcohol counseling, mental health or mental retardation screenings and help, dental and medical care and the list goes on and on.
This is in addition to the safe housing that is needed as a start to the journey back.

This idea of taking a building and using it as a place for homeless/mentally challenged to live and work was certainly not my idea. Quite some time ago (1987) I heard of Thomas Reuter trying to do something similar with the Holland Hotel on West 42nd Street. The Holland Hotel was one of the bleakest welfare hotels in New York City - a nightmare for the average person to think of living there. According to the New York Times the city placed nearly 275 homeless families in a place where by 1986 there had been about 1000 violations of health, housing and building codes. Prostitution, robbery, drug abuse and vandalism all flourished there and the real "take your breath away" fact is that the hotel was making a 50% profit, estimated at $3 to 4 million dollars a year on revenues of $6 million dollars.

The good news is that this property was renovated and finally sold in 1995 to Project Renewal who is in charge of the Holland House today. I did put a call in to Holland House and spoke with several people there, so I know this project is still in existence and I intend to contact Project Renewal and maybe arrange a trip to take a look at it. But, wow (!)...from 1987 to 1995 - eight years to get this project far enough along to actually begin to serve the community. I do want to see it though, because that project is the one that started my dream.

I have also begun looking at the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley. They are a member of the Community Action Agency which came about from the LBJ era of fighting poverty on the local level. This agency serves Lehigh and Northampton Counties, the area I would like to work in. They have several shelters, some short term or 60 day stays and some long term or about 2 year stays. The long term shelters require a commitment from the individual or family that they will attend classes on parenting, personal finance, life skills, get their GED and the children must participate in preschool and youth activities. YES! This is so exciting. I can't wait to talk further with this group and in speaking w/Marsha Eichelberger, who is the Program Director, they are looking to start building a new shelter in the near future.

So for now, I have a LOT of reading and studying to do to understand a small part of the services they offer and then schedule a meeting with Marsha to introduce myself and learn, learn, learn!!

Anyone out there having info or advise...I'm waiting to hear from you!