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Homeless people struggle with more debilitating habits than just alcoholism. Drugs play a large part in street homelessness. Physical and emotional abuse produces climate of fear while many fall prey to their own imprudent sexual practices and still others – especially women – are victims of sexual, physical and emotional abuse or abandonment. Issues surrounding education, employment, healthcare and affordable housing continue to plague those in our community. The center strives to reach out to every individual and offering help & hope as they face their unique needs. We Offer Hope
Homeless people struggle with more debilitating habits than just alcoholism. Drugs play a large part in street homelessness. Physical and emotional abuse produces climate of fear while many fall prey to their own imprudent sexual practices and still others – especially women – are victims of sexual, physical and emotional abuse or abandonment. Issues surrounding education, employment, healthcare and affordable housing continue to plague those in our community. The center strives to reach out to every individual and offering help & hope as they face their unique needs. We Offer Hope

From the Desk of the Executive Director: Rev. Kim Egolf-Fox

Greetings my companions,

What do you think of this saying? “Poverty is complicated. Getting help shouldn’t be.”

I first heard this from a Foundation Trustee describing how she found it on another human services provider’s website. (The Foundation plans to fund the Center for three years.)

Poverty is complicated. Or is it? Maybe you believe that poverty is more about the lack of personal motivation. If persons would just get off their backside and go to work, they would not be in poverty. That is probably true for some persons, but that is a small group of all those whom the Center serves in any year.

Some of the many persons I have met at the Center suffer from active addictions. Addiction is one of the many factors that lead to persons living in poverty.

Others who come to the Center struggle with mental illness, sometimes controlled and sometimes not. Uncontrolled mental illness contributes to persons loosing housing and living in poverty.

Family of origin also contributes to poverty. Many of today’s poor grew up in poverty. Poverty is all these folks know. Though there are more persons below the poverty line now than anytime since the Great Depression. We have persons living in poverty now that did not grow up in poverty.

Lack of work leads more and more persons into poverty. Many whom I have met at the Center have worked in the past, and then lost their job. They desire work now, but the current economic recession leaves little room for them to fit in.

Minimum wage currently is $7.25/hour. If a person can work 40 hours at minimum wage, they will earn $1,257/month, or $15,084/year.

According to the Living Wage Calculator for Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, a single adult (the most frequent type of Center Client) will spend the following in one month.

Housing will be $781/month. Food will run around $237/month. Medical costs will run $94/month. Transportation will cost $278/month. Other costs will be about $200/month, giving a monthly total of $1,590 after tax income, or $19,080 yearly after tax income. That equates to $20,009 before tax income needed to make ends meet.

A Living Wage, given the above scenario, would be $9.62/hour.

There are persons who come to the Center early in the morning for a free breakfast before going to work. They are among the working poor. An adult can work a full 40 hours a week at a minimum wage job, or even a job that pays above minimum wage; but under $9.62/hour, and still not be able to sustain his or her housing, food, healthcare, and transportation.

I believe that there are many factors that contribute to a person being poor. Some are genetic, others environmental. None are mutually exclusive. Not all addicts or mentally ill persons live in poverty. Some make movies while others entertain us from public office.

Everyone that comes to the Center for help lives below the Poverty Line, which is currently $10,890 a year, or $908/month for a single adult. That equates to a wage of $5.24/hour for full time work.

The poverty part of the quote that the Foundation Trustee shared with me is indisputable. We desire that such people should be able to find help easily.

The issues our Clients bring to the Center are complicated, in some ways reflecting their status at the bottom of the economic ladder. The only requirement to receive any of the 30+ services offered at the Center is that a person must be peaceable. He or she is not permitted to violate the safe space that the Center provides for any who enter. (This does not include those fleeing from Police. We do not knowingly harbor such individuals.)

The Center is a place where anyone may enter, find shelter and receive a meal between 7 and 9 am. No questions asked, other than “Please sign your name.”

Emergency food is generally given out on Saturdays; but that is not set in stone. We sometimes provide such food during the week.

Over 200 Clients receive their mail at the Center. If you do not have a street address, you cannot receive some mail.

Clients may take a shower, store items in a locker, use the phone, send a fax, get a copy made, speak with a Case Manager or Mentor/Life Coach about anything they need to discuss. The Center is open Monday to Saturday from 7 am to 11:30 am.

Our experience at the Hospitality Center is that poverty is certainly complicated. Our Clients’ lives are complicated. Here, however, it is not hard to get help.

May it be so for each of you. Thank you, Volunteers!