BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Three blankets.
That’s all Hector Gonzalez had.
That and nagging suicidal thoughts he thankfully found the strength to fend off while homeless for nearly a year and sleeping on a bench at Rockland Park across from the Just Born candy company.
“I was 26 years old, homeless, depressed and thought about suicide,” Gonzalez said at the New Bethany annual gathering of hope and support event at ArtsQuest Center on Friday.
“My life was a mess. I was not in a good place mentally. I wasn’t sure how long I could go on.
“I knew I needed to reach out to somebody.”
"If not for those people, I don't know where I'd be."Hector Gonzalez, who was homeless and helped by New Bethany services.
So Gonzalez reached out a cold, trembling hand. What he found was the warm, caring grip of the good folks at New Bethany, the Bethlehem-based organization that offers hope and support to those experiencing poverty, hunger and homelessness.
“New Bethany took me in and gave me direction,” Gonzalez said. “They got me a driver's license and let me use their address so I could get my mail and find a job.
"If not for those people, I don’t know where I’d be.”
Where Gonzalez is now, 11 years later, is in a much better place.
He is a two-year New Bethany board member and an employee of that candy company across the street from that cold, lonely park bench.
“The truth is, there are misconceptions about homeless people — that they’re all lazy and drug addicts,” he said. “Before I was homeless, I also had those misconceptions.
“The truth is, it’s not always their fault. They just need our help.”
'Breakfast, lunch, social services'
Such was the central message of New Bethany’s 33rd annual event, better known as its Souper Day Fundraiser.
Each year, New Bethany eagerly awaits the opportunity to connect with community leaders, donors, partners and neighbors, setting the stage for its work and collaborations in the year ahead.
“We’re seeing a significant rise in the unhoused population. I think that also is true nationwide, but definitely true in Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley. We can tell because more people are coming in for services."New Bethany Executive Director J. Marc Rittle
After attendees enjoyed soup, salad, rolls, cookies and refreshments, they listened intently to a panel discussion of New Bethany board members on the plight of the homeless and food insecure in the Lehigh Valley.
The panel consisted of Bethlehem Police Chief Michelle Kott, Bethlehem City Councilwoman Rachel Leon, Boys and Girls Clubs of Allentown Chief Executive Officer Katarah Jordan, Bethlehem Area School District Superintendent Jack Silva and Gonzalez.
Discussed were cross-sector solutions to housing insecurity, food stability and economic justice. The panelists offered direction on how local partnerships lead to community solutions.
How serious is the homeless issue in the Lehigh Valley?
“We’re seeing a significant rise in the unhoused population,” New Bethany Executive Director J. Marc Rittle said.
“I think that also is true nationwide, but definitely true in Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley. We can tell because more people are coming in for services.
“So anyone you might see living in a tent up and down the Lehigh River or living under a bridge, those are people we know and help.
"They come in for services, for hot breakfast and lunch and social services."
'No one ever turned away'
The number of people provided services by New Bethany at the SouthSide Drop-in Center and Choice Food Pantry are vital, as the data from 2023 shows:
- 353,000 total meals provided
- Groceries for 3,000 people
- Hot lunch for 6,000
- Showers for 2,000
- Supported housing for 55
- Permanent housing for 20 families
- Prevented homelessness for 343 people
- Managed finances for 90 neighbors
Of Bethlehem's 77,000 residents, about 4,000 get food services from New Bethany, Rittle said.
“No one who seeks help at New Bethany is ever turned away,” said Kelly A. Chando, director of development at St. Luke’s University Health Network and Souper Day master of ceremonies.
Data from Feeding America shows that nearly 80,000 residents, including 22,000 children, are food insecure in the Lehigh Valley.
The 2023 Point-in-Time Count revealed that 686 people in 465 households were unsheltered in Lehigh and Northampton counties, according to the Lehigh Valley Regional Homeless Advisory Board.
'We have a duty to help'
The Souper Day event included video testimonials from residents who have benefitted from services provided by New Bethany.
“I was living on the street,” Russella Lambert said on the video. “I was invited to have a room at New Bethany. That was a big stepping stone for me.
“If you need assistance, come to New Bethany. The doors are always open.”
“I learned that a lot of them are just humans like us. They make mistakes like we all do. Sometimes, things just happen to them, things they cannot control, and they end up on the street, like I did.'Hector Gonzalez
They are out there — the needy, the confused, the struggling, the lost. They're on park benches in the cold of winter or huddling beneath makeshift tents under bridges or in the thick of the woods.
They are in desperate need of food and shelter, clothing and laundry services, toiletry and hygiene products.
At New Bethany, they get all of that — plus non-judgmental understanding.
Hector Gonzalez, off the park bench and onto a fulfilling life, knows.
He knows the misconceptions because he had them before his life turned dark and cold, that the homeless are not worth his pity or his time.
“I learned that a lot of them are just humans like us,” he said. “They make mistakes like we all do. Sometimes, things just happen to them, things they cannot control, and they end up on the street, like I did.
“We have a duty to help.”
Gonzalez's advice to those in need? Reach out your hand. It helps.
He knows.
To make a donation to New Bethany, go to: https://fundraise.givesmart.com/form/vpuhRg?vid=17jg4k
