The Hospitality Center strives to provide appropriate services to meet the needs of the poor and homeless population in the Norristown area. This is a huge task, as the circumstances of each individual are unique. Some of our clients are veterans of our country’s Armed Forces and, thanks to volunteer Ed Postell, we are helping them to secure the support services from our government which they need and to which they are entitled. According to Ed Postell,himself a twenty-one year veteran of the United States Army,about six to eight percent of our clients have served in the military. Ed sees his role at the Center as a catalyst to identify our veterans and connect them to medical and housing services. veterans are not aware of this assistance or how to go about initiating the process, especially if they are poor or homeless and out of contact with veterans organizations.
Ed, a Norristown native,volunteers at the Center every Monday morning, greeting guests at the sign-in desk and sharing his Christian faith and experiences during devotional time. “The personal stories that I share are often related to my experiences in the Army,” states Ed . “It has been at these times that I discover veterans who are clients at the Center.”
Ed often refers these individuals to Rhonda Sandford, a social worker at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Coatesville. Rhonda, coordinator for Homeless Outreach Services, often travels to Norristown to the Coordinated Homeless Outreach Center (CHOC) to meet with homeless veterans.
Sometimes this has resulted in veterans receiving medical services or even being accepted into housing at the facility in Coatesville. Homeless veterans may contact Rhonda Sandford at 610-384-7711, extension 5619.
Father of three grown children and grandfather of six, Ed attends Fairview Village Church of the Nazarene. He sees his volunteer work at the Center as a God -given opportunity to serve the Lord.
We thank Ed for his dedication to serving the needs of the poor and homeless and especially to our veterans.