Mission

The Reading-Berks Emergency Shelter is a multi-service organization that improves the quality of life for families and adults who face various obstacles to independence, and supports their efforts to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency.

The adults and children served by the Reading-Berks Emergency Shelter in Reading, Pennsylvania (Berks County) have varied needs—some are homeless, yet surprisingly to most, the majority are not. However, there are commonalities that link nearly all of these families and individuals. 

• They are labeled as “low-income” or “living below the poverty level” by government standards. 
• They are deemed “at-risk” of increased violence in the home and in the community, continued dependence on government assistance, increased teen-age pregnancy, and decreased educational achievement. 
• At the most basic level, they are in a day-to-day struggle to provide for themselves and their families. 

All of these factors make it difficult to stop the cycle of generational poverty and dependence they have learned in their youth from the adults around them. They can not see the ramifications today’s choices have on tomorrow… because they are too worried about making it through today.

The Reading-Berks Emergency Shelter encourages the men, women and children they serve in every program to improve their quality of life so that they can begin to focus on tomorrow. This is accomplished through the following services:

• Around-the-clock childcare services at the Second Street Learning Center for over 300 children living in our community between the ages of six-weeks and 13-years.
• Job-readiness and placement program through RBES Job Quest for chronically unemployed individuals in our community who want to do what it takes to find and maintain full-time employment.\
• Primary health care services through the Reading Health Dispensary at Second Street for community residents who are uninsured or underinsured (operated on-site by The Reading Hospital and Medical Center).
• Shelter services that include case management, goal-planning, life skills instruction and aftercare services as well as a safe place to sleep, eat and shower for families and individuals who have no where else to turn to in a moment of crisis.
• Transitional and Permanent Housing programs for families and individuals. Transitional housing for families who have successfully completed the shelter programs but are in need of “hands-on” training before they can successfully move back into the community. Permanent housing for individuals with disabilities that limit their ability to become truly independent, but who need a permanent alternative to living in a shelter setting.

History

The Shelter first opened its door to the homeless in November, 1984. Operating under the umbrella of Reading Urban Ministry, the original goal of the Shelter was to provide a warm and safe haven for homeless men to sleep during the winter. 

For the first two years of its existence, the Shelter operated in the basement of several local churches. Staffed by volunteers from these churches, the Shelter provided an evening meal and breakfast for up to 25 men. It was open in the evenings from November 1st through March 31st.

In 1986, a building was purchased at 430 North Second Street and, with a combination of government funds and community support, was renovated and opened November 1, 1987. Meals were, and still are to the present day, prepared each evening by volunteer groups from local businesses and churches. Staffing consisted of two part-time paid positions and a volunteer staff. The Shelter was then able to accommodate 100 men and 44 women and children.

As the needs of the homeless continued to change, RBES expanded its services. RBES began to operate on a year-round basis and remained open 24 hours per day during the winter. An on-site medical clinic, staffed by volunteer physicians, opened to provide basic medical care to guests.

From its inception though the autumn of 1994 virtually all of the individuals who sought refuge at the Shelter were men. Only a handful of women and children ever lived there. Additionally, most of the individuals who sought shelter did so in the winter months. While there would be over 100 people staying there each evening during the winter, only 25-30 people would stay at the Shelter during the remainder of the year.

However, a new trend began to emerge during the winter of 1994-95. The Shelter witnessed a significant increase in the number of individuals being served. The most significant increase was in the number of single women and children. During that winter, the Shelter averaged 20 women and 22 children each evening. This trend continues today.

In order to meet these challenges, the Shelter has expanded its facility and developed a wide array of on-site services to give homeless families and adults an opportunity to acquire the skills to achieve self-sufficiency; and, to work pro-actively with community residents to help them maintain their independence.