ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Shelters in Allentown say they are confident they can offer a bed to anyone who needs to get out of an expected snowstorm this weekend.
The National Weather Service is projecting several inches of snow in areas south of Interstate 78, with up to 6 inches possible north of the highway in the Lehigh Valley.
Though snowfall totals aren't enough for a blockbuster storm, wintry conditions could make it difficult or dangerous to stay outdoors Saturday night into Sunday.
Parts of the Lehigh Valley are under a winter storm watch Saturday afternoon through Sunday afternoon, the NWS said Friday.
Lehigh Conference of Churches “spent this week doubling down on our street outreach,” with teams taking supplies such as batteries, socks, food and flashlights to local encampments and warning people “that a storm is coming."Abigail Goldfarb
Allentown has several shelters that can offer beds during emergencies such as a snowstorm, according to Abigail Goldfarb, who leads the Lehigh Conference of Churches and is chairwoman of Allentown’s Commission on Homelessness.
Goldfarb said she believes those shelters — the Allentown Warming Station and the Allentown Rescue Mission — are ready to welcome all who want to escape what could be a few cold and blustery nights.
Lehigh Conference of Churches “spent this week doubling down on our street outreach,” with teams taking supplies such as batteries, socks, food and flashlights to local encampments and warning people “that a storm is coming,” Goldfarb said.
'So essential'
Street outreach and face-to-face conversations are “so essential” in the push to get people to come in out of the cold, Goldfarb said.
“Sometimes they don’t know” about the weather, Goldfarb said, noting many lack access to TVs, radios or smartphones.
Many unhoused people live day-to-day, primarily concerned about where they will find food, use the bathroom and spend each night, she said.
“It's so important to meet them where they are, because they're just trying to survive."Abigail Goldfarb, Lehigh Conference of Churches executive director/Commission on Homelessness chair
“It's so important to meet them where they are, because they're just trying to survive,” she said.
“It's so important for us to go everywhere — from people who are standing on the corner to under the bridges and into the woods out to the sewage treatment plant — and just say, ‘Hey, look. The storm is coming. Please make sure that you're prepared, please stay warm.'
“And if you can come in, and you're willing to do so, please do so.”
Lehigh Conference of Churches runs Daybreak, a drop-in day shelter at 457 W. Allen St. that serves three meals a day and offers medicine, showers, services and more.
Shelter space
The Allentown Warming Station, run by the Greater Valley YMCA, is open every night from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. from mid-November to mid-April.
The warming station at 425 S. 15th St. serves as the city's primary emergency shelter.
It offers 60 beds on a first-come, first-served basis to adults who clear a criminal background check and Megan’s Law screening, according to Dillon Lee, communications manager for the Greater Valley YMCA.
The warming station was run by volunteers at various locations until the YMCA took over its operation in 2018 with the city, Lehigh County and the First Presbyterian Church of Allentown — and an anonymous donor who kicked in $200,000.
“In the cold weather and in a storm, we don’t ask them to go outside. We keep them in here, feed them three meals a day, make sure everything is good.”Stefanie Appel, community relations manager for the Allentown Rescue Mission
The station served more than 11,000 meals during its first five years, while offering more than 30,000 beds to people in need, according to the YMCA.
Allentown Rescue Mission also is preparing to help more people this weekend because of the weather.
At most shelters, those who stay overnight must usually leave the next morning. But Allentown Rescue Mission now is operating under its cold-weather policy.
“In the cold weather and in a storm, we don’t ask them to go outside,” said Stefanie Appel, Allentown Rescue Mission community relations manager.
“We keep them in here, feed them three meals a day, make sure everything is good.”
The mission has a 72-bed emergency shelter that houses people for up to 30 days, Appel said.
“It’s tight a lot of days, but we can get people in,” she said. “Especially if there’s going to be a snowstorm, we’re not going to turn them away.
"If we have to put a few cots in the lobby, we would do that for them.”
Allentown Rescue Mission also offers longer-term work-centered programs to help people get back on their feet and a safety net for those who graduate from the programs, Appel said.
Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering’s 70-bed facility at 75 E. Market St. is open from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Safe Harbor’s Easton warming center is open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., or 24 hours a day during a code blue, which is an extremely cold temperature condition.
