Services

Not that many years ago, this shelter and most others offered a basic service to homeless individuals that faced extreme exposure during the cold winter months. It was simply a Band-Aid for a greater problem, but we were there to offer a "hand-out" to those who had no other alternative. And undoubtedly many lives were saved as a result.

However, due to changes in the homeless population in recent years - large increases in families with young children - the original services were no longer acceptable. It was time to meet their needs head-on and offer real solutions.

We began to focus on offering our guests a "hand-up". No longer are we just offering a bed and a warm meal. Your contributions, and those of many like you - past, present and future in the form of donated goods, volunteer time and monetary gifts - have enabled our staff to focus on many of the reasons why an individual or family finds it difficult to become and remain self-sufficient in Reading and Berks County. We now provide: 

• 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.