The Servants to All homeless shelter has closed its doors for the summer.
After rotating locations among three Pottsville churches since mid-February, the shelter will reopen when it finds a permanent home.
"We had hoped we would be able to stay at the First United Methodist Church, but we outgrew what they expected," Albert Nastasi, founder and executive director of Servants To All, said Tuesday. "Our operations started to grow in number and complexity and the church council has decided at this point in time that they weren't prepared to handle a full-blown homeless shelter."
Nastasi formed the Servants To All nonprofit organization late last year with the purpose of establishing a permanent shelter in downtown Pottsville. Members of the organization and other volunteers established a temporary shelter at Trinity Episcopal Church just before the winter storm on Valentine's Day. It has then rotated among Trinity Episcopal Church, First United Methodist Church and the United Presbyterian Church in Pottsville.
"I think we just outgrew each other," Nastasi said. "About three weeks ago, we decided to suspend our operations until we can raise money and hire professional staff and have our own place."
Since then, Nastasi said the organization has been able to find housing for the remaining seven people at the shelter.
"It seems like everyone has found their way somewhere," Nastasi said.
More than 50 different people have been at the shelter. Most were there for more than two weeks while others stayed for only a night or two. 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.
While a typical homeless shelter is just an overnight operation, Nastasi and his organization wanted to be open 24 hours a day and offer various programs including case working and mentoring while helping individuals find housing and work.
The organization is continuing negotiations on a permanent home in downtown Pottsville.
Nastasi said a location has been identified and a dollar amount has been agreed on, but he did not reveal either in case the deal falls through. Once an agreement is reached, the organization will have to apply for city zoning variance.
"We want to extend a heartfelt 'thank you' to the three churches," Nastasi said. "Those three pastors really came through for the homeless at a time when they needed it most and we thank the community that has supported us with donations and volunteers."
Donations to Servants To All can be sent to P.O. Box 1354, Pottsville, PA 17901.
Anyone looking to help with the effort can call Nastasi at 570-573-0036.