The homeless shelter in the city is no longer a temporary one.
Starting Monday, the United Methodist Church, 330 W. Market St., will operate the facility 24 hours a day until Servants For All has secured a new building in downtown Pottsville.
"It is a blessing from God and a tribute to the success of our volunteers' efforts," Albert Nastasi, founder and executive director of Servants To All, said Thursday. "They've been tireless in meeting the needs of our brothers and sisters in trying to become independent again. They have my respect. This move to UMC is a great step to a permanent home, and it is wonderful to see the community coming together to help make a real change in people's lives."
A group of volunteers established the temporary shelter just before the winter storm on Valentine's Day at Trinity Episcopal Church. Since then, it has rotated between the United Methodist Church and the United Presbyterian Church, where it will remain until Monday. There was up to nine people at the shelter Thursday.
Nastasi formed Servants To All with the purpose of establishing a permanent shelter in downtown Pottsville. Nastasi said Thursday he was still waiting to hear if the realtor will donate the property.
"We are just trying to be patient," Nastasi said.
The last effort by city churches to house the homeless folded in 2009 due to a lack of volunteers and loss of a tax-exempt status. That was the last walk-in shelter in the county until February.
Servants To All's project, called My Father's House, will also involve its clients in community service and other activities by working with local businesses and agencies like CareerLink and SCORE, as well as Service Access and Management Inc., Schuylkill Community Action and the Pottsville Housing Authority.
An orientation for shelter volunteers was held Thursday at the United Presbyterian Church.
Two members of a similar effort in Reading called Opportunity House hosted the educational seminar: Michelle Murphy, director of case management, and Rachel Arndt, veteran families case manager. Murphy and Arndt are also advisory board members for Servants To All.
Nastasi said the group will continue to hold orientations once a week and it is open to anyone wanting to become a volunteer.
The shelter has about 40 volunteers, but more are always needed, he said.
"A lot of people are concerned about the homeless," Nastasi said. "They want to help."
Donations to the Servants To All shelter can be forwarded to P.O. Box 1354, Pottsville, PA 17901.
Anyone looking to volunteer or help with the effort can call Nastasi at 570-573-0036. The temporary shelter can be reached at any time by calling 570-516-1891.