ALLENTOWN, Pa.— An Allentown nonprofit that provides social support kicked off the holiday season Friday and spoke of big plans for the new year.
Clients who use the nonprofit's community services also spoke, and shared their stories about the benefit they've gotten from it.
"Everyone is welcome here. We don't ask about housing status, we don't ask about mental health status, we don't ask about any of those things. We try to just say 'good morning, it's nice to see you, welcome, come on in.'"Sherri Binder, Executive Director for RCI
Ripple Community Inc., which is funded primarily through donations, has two running operations: The Village, a low-cost housing program on Chew Street in Allentown, and the Community Building Center at 1335 W. Linden St., Allentown, where Friday's holiday kick-off was held.
The organization was founded as a sub-project of an Anabaptist faith community called Ripple Church. RCI still partners with that church on occasion, but is a separate legal, non-religious entity, Executive Director Sherri Binder said.
Binder said the people who attend the community center are not from any single demographic.
"It's a mix," she said. "About half of the folks who are here with us on a regular basis are currently unsheltered, and about half are housed.
"It varies because we, you know, we do work really hard to just make it a welcoming space for everyone. Everyone is welcome here.
"We don't ask about housing status, we don't ask about mental health status, we don't ask about any of those things. We try to just say, 'Good morning, it's nice to see you, welcome, come on in.'"
Plans for the new year
Ripple recently bought Emmanuel United Church of Christ at 1547 W. Chew St., which it plans to turn into "deeply affordable" housing.
It will contain 12 units; Binder showed composite photos of it at Friday's event.
"We have been working with our construction team to come up with this incredible design for the building that will allow us to repurpose this beautiful historic structure into 12 apartments, lovely apartments for individuals and families," Binder said.
"That will allow us to establish a permanent home for our community center."
The nonprofit wanting to own a space was a natural progression, she said.
"So we're renters here, and for all the reasons that, you know, people move toward ownership, our organization also is moving in that direction.
"So that is a piece of this project would be to create a permanent home for our community center. It will also establish the very first in the region medical respite rooms.
"So, that's a brand-new program in partnership with our friends at Valley Health Partners. It is really exciting."
Community and connection
Citing the much-discussed "loneliness epidemic," Binder said community is an important part of what the nonprofit does.
"We talk about community and connection," she said. "We do that a lot in our community center, but we do that in our housing program, as well.
'So our housing program isn't just about inserting people in a house, putting a roof over their heads. It's really about embedding them in a supportive community, which I hope many of us have been able to benefit from in our lives."
Guests at the center echoed that sentiment, and said the community component has been life-changing for them.
"I saw the place," one regular who only identified himself as Louis said Friday. "I saw people hanging around and, you know, like most of us are judgmental, so I said, 'I'm not going in there.'
"But something brought me in, and I came in, and through the process of being with RCI, I made so many friends, so many friends, so many smart friends.
"They knew a lot of stuff, and I learned from them. As a matter of fact, I learned how to play poker for the first time in RCI. And that was exciting."
Political support
Several public officials were at Friday's event, including state Rep. Mike Schlossberg, Allentown Councilwoman Ce-Ce Gerlach, Lehigh County Commissioner Sheila Alvarado and representatives from state Sen. Nick Miller's and state Rep. Josh Siegel’s offices.
Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk and state Rep. Pete Schweyer both made brief speeches.
"These are difficult times. But the work that's done here at RCI is more than just providing a warm space or housing. It's that sense of community that matters so, so very much."State Rep. Pete Schweyer
Tuerk, whose administration previously helped to secure funds for RCI, said he supports the organization's mission, especially when it comes to housing initiatives.
"I want everybody to remember: Permanent supportive housing is something that sounds like a mouthful to a lot of people, but it's critically important to our success in Allentown," Tuerk said.
"It's something that we must invest in in the city of Allentown if we're going to give people a chance to get together, get ahead, and constantly have that a roof over their head for the long term."
Schweyer, an Allentown native, self-described a precarious living situation and said he also is a big fan of the project.
"I grew up in 10th and Chew, and ... I lived in nine different places by the time I was 18 years old," he said.
"I know how difficult it can be when you're struggling and have family with addiction and poverty and those sorts of things.
"These are difficult times. But the work that's done here at RCI is more than just providing a warm space or housing. It's that sense of community that matters so, so very much."
More information is available at the nonprofit's website.
