BETHLEHEM, Pa. — New Bethany Ministries, which works closely with the area's homeless, is set to get "millions" of dollars Friday to help it house more people, with special considerations in mind, officials say.
The announcement will come at a Friday morning news conference at Bethlehem City Hall with U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley, and Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds.
Casey's office said the money will come from American Rescue Plan funding in Bethlehem's 2023 budget. An exact dollar amount wasn't specified.
- New Bethany Ministries is set to get 'millions' in federal funding to help serve the homeless population
- The executive director says the money will be used for more housing, with special considerations in mind
- New Bethany received a $2 million grant in September that the shelter said is going toward the same expansion goal
New Bethany Executive Director Marc Rittle said the money will help with the nonprofit's expansion. He said the ministry has a nearby property in mind, but he wouldn't elaborate.
"It's a partner in the community," he said.
Rittle said it was not nearby St. John's Windish Lutheran Church,which is among three Lutheran churches in Bethlehem that are merging and selling their buildings.
Rittle said the funding will be useful and appreciated, but he wishes the needs weren't so great.
"I'm really excited that New Bethany is in a position to be able to help people who really need the assistance," Rittle said. "I'm not excited that the need is there, at the level that it is."
Specialized housing
The goal of the housing, according to New Bethany, is to create a buffer between groups of vulnerable people where safety and comfort are concerns.
For example, the new housing is set to have a closed-quarters section for single mothers with children.
"The units that New Bethany has now are dorm-room-style shared living quarters," Rittle said. "And I think we need a safe and private space where people can, you know, live their own lives, and get to a place of security and sustainability on their own terms."
Rittle added that he would like to see a component of it serve LGBTQ+ people who need shelter, but nothing is finalized.
Growing pains
On Thanksgiving, Rittle remarked that he's seen a change in the type of people who use New Bethany's services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as an increase.
That's still true today, he said.
"New Bethany, as an organization, has tripled in size since the beginning of the pandemic," he said. "We've gone from a $1-million to a $3-million organization — which, by some standards may not sound like a large organization.
"But when you talk about tripling your staff and tripling your budget, to be able to accommodate such an increased need, that's huge."
