December 31, 2014
Erie, PA: Holy Nativity Church hosts Overflow Homeless Shelter

At several points throughout the winter of 2014-2015, Nativity of Christ Old Rite Church in Erie, PA is hosting an overflow homeless shelter. The overflow shelter program, begun by local social service organization "Community Shelter Services" (CSS), has local Erie churches open their doors for rotating periods to house an overnight shelter and meals for the homeless.

During Holy Nativity Church’s hosting time, the parish receives approximately 50 cots and blankets from CSS, which will be set up in the parish’s gymnasium. The parish provides donations of winter clothes and toiletry items for the residents. Each night, the building opens at 7:00 PM and provides coffee and juice to the residents. A full supper, donated and served by parishioners, is provided every night at 8:00 PM. At 11:00 PM, the doors are locked and lights turned out for sleeping. Parish volunteers supervise throughout the night. At 6:00 AM, the lights are turned on and a light breakfast served. The residents must leave by 7:00 AM, and the building is closed for the day. This process continues every day during the parish’s two-week period (December 17-30). The parish even allows residents to do laundry in the parish center building. The project is a collaborative one, with churches of all denominations opening their doors for various two-week periods. This year, Holy Nativity Church hosted in December 2014 (over the Western Christmas holiday) and will then open their facilities in February 2015, so that a neighboring Roman Catholic church can run the shelter with their volunteers.

Daria Devlin and Catherine Simon, daughters of parish rector Archpriest Pimen Simon, spearhead the organization of the shelter for the parish and serve as the point of contact with the other churches. "We got involved in this project in 2013," explains Daria. "It was started [by CSS] to meet the need of emergency shelter for the homeless population in Erie during our severe winter weather… Because we are located near the center of the city of Erie and because we have a large community center with a kitchen and gymnasium, we knew we could help the project and felt it was our Christian duty to do so. We hosted the shelter for two weeks in February 2013, then again in December 2013 and February 2014."

Of course, the strain in terms of volunteer hours, food, clothing donations, and utility cost on Holy Nativity parish is significant, and the organizers and volunteers gladly welcome any help from the local community and the Orthodox faithful at large in running the overflow shelter.

God bless the organizers and volunteers of this charitable endeavor!

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese