Epworth United Methodist Church picks Allentown Rescue Mission for “Missions Week”!
“Church group puts in good ol’ fashioned elbow grease to support the homeless”
(ALLENTOWN, PA) – Some churches take to the Mission field internationally, traveling to far off countries to perform humanitarian activities; but some churches decide to stay local to support the community they reside in. Epworth United Methodist located in Bethlehem is a church who decided to stay local to give back.
Last month, over 4 days, a team of 20 individual volunteers donated 260 labor hours and supplies to support work they conducted at the Allentown Rescue Mission. The Rescue Mission, located at 355 Hamilton Street in Allentown is a local non-profit that helps homeless men on their feet and back into society through various internal programs (including the Clean Team – of which offers transitional employment above state minimum wage for graduates) and partnerships with community agencies.
“The Mission has a total of 123 beds in our residential facility and in 2018 alone the Mission provided food, shelter, and services to over 750 men… As expected, high traffic means more frequent wear and tear on the facility” said Dean Browning, Managing Director. Which is why Epworths willingness to give back was a wonderful blessing.
The group stained and replaced broken/missing wood on a gazebo near the Emergency Shelter, installed cove molding in our lower level, repaired an area of wooden floor, and demo’d drywall and plaster inside the Mission’s Desales Clinic and Classroom – to expose a brick wall. The purpose? To make the facility nicer for the guests who rely on the Mission’s services.
