The Servants To All homeless shelter is once again on the move.
The shelter will move Sunday to Trinity Episcopal Church, 200 S. Second St., for at least a week until another location becomes available. It has been at the First United Methodist Church, 330 W. Market St., since early March.
"We have stepped up our efforts to get permanent housing and we are concentrating our efforts on fundraising," Albert Nastasi, founder and executive director of Servants To All, said Wednesday.
Nastasi formed Servants To All with the purpose of establishing a permanent shelter in downtown Pottsville. The nonprofit organization was hoping to have a property donated, but Nastasi said Wednesday it will likely have to buy it. He did not identify the buildings because negotiations remain ongoing. The organization has not yet applied for another zoning variance.
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 a group of volunteers established the temporary effort before a winter storm on Valentine's Day at Trinity Episcopal Church. Since then, it has rotated between Trinity Episcopal Church, First United Methodist Church and the United Presbyterian Church in Pottsville.
More than 50 different people have come to the shelter. Some stayed for only a night or two while most were there for more than two weeks, Nastasi said.
The constant moving has not helped the various shelter programs designed to find residents permanent housing and jobs.
"It's very difficult. It's very inconvenient," Nastasi said. "Some churches cannot operate the shelter during the day and can only offer a place to sleep. That has made it tougher for the shelter to develop its various programs."
The shelter relies on volunteers, but Nastasi said the goal is to hire several professionals.
"We feel that to have this type of operation, we have to have a couple key employees in place," Nastasi said.
As of last Tuesday, the shelter had to suspend taking in new residents as the organization puts all its efforts in finding a permanent home. The shelter was down to seven residents Wednesday.
"I think the biggest challenge is finding employment opportunities for people with any kind of a criminal record. We have been very successful with people without background problems in finding jobs," Nastasi said.
Nastasi said all the residents want to work, even if that means volunteering at local businesses washing dishes or doing landscaping and construction work.
"These people are just trying to get their foot in the door and are willing to volunteer themselves, even if it just for a few days a week, to improve themselves," Nastasi said.
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.