Press Releases

Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 20, 2008
In September of this year, the planned sale of the First United Methodist Church in Wilkes-Barre forced Ruth’s Place Women’s Shelter to move from its home of five years. The sale caused the shelter’s steering committee to search for a new permanent home for Ruth’s Place, and to discover interim sites until a permanent location could be found. Since September, the shelter has enjoyed uninterrupted service thanks to the great generosity of the Salvation Army, who has made their gymnasium available to the shelter since September 9. Because of their kindness, in September the shelter was able to provide 241 nights of lodging to an average of 8 women each night, with a high of 16 women in mid-month.   We would especially like to thank Capt. Doug Richwine and Capt. Patty Richwine of the Salvation Army for their help to the shelter.
The search for a permanent home for the shelter continues. Several groups have offered Ruth’s Place the ability to lease or purchase a facility, and the steering committee continues to research the physical and financial practicalities of their proposals.   The burden that Ruth’s Place faces is great, since the shelter has previously operated without rent or utility expenses, and, until recently, without any money provided for staffing costs. The shelter has run chiefly through the generosity of the host church First United Methodist Church, Shelter Coordinator Julie Benjamin, Rev. Keith Benjamin, the Commission on Economic Opportunity, and the many community volunteers who have acted as overnight attendants at the shelter. While the shelter must find a permanent location, it must do much more than find a new building to continue its old operations. With the loss of the church and the relocation of the shelter’s founders, the Benjamins, to Carbondale, the shelter must essentially start afresh, with new and previously unfaced expenses and challenges. Again, in order to continue the shelter must successfully transition to a new site, identify personnel for a new staff, and discover funding for the new costs of rent, utilities, and staff salaries.
Ruth’s Place invites the community to join it in its continuing quest to provide hope to women experiencing homelessness in and around Wilkes-Barre. Since December of 2007, the shelter’s “Homelessness to Housing” program has moved twenty women into permanent housing, where they have remained. It has done this by providing an accepting environment where women can get shelter and, once they have settled, receive the counseling and referrals they need to find comprehensive and long-term solutions for their situations. The shelter hopes not just to continue but to expand this program in its new location.
The existence of a quality and professionally-run shelter is especially important as the economic downturn continues, the winter approaches, and the number of homeless persons continues to rise. In September 2008 Ruth’s Place saw an increase of 17 percent of those seeking shelter compared to the same period last year. Unless our ability to transition the homeless into permanent housing expands, this trend is likely to continue.
To raise awareness of the women’s plight and to raise funds for a new shelter, Ruth’s Place is organizing a homeless awareness walk and fundraiser on Sunday, Nov. 16 from 1:00—4:00pm starting in Public Square. The walk, “A Mile in Her Shoes,” will go past the many sites that homeless women must visit each day in order to survive, including the shelter’s temporary site at the Salvation Army, Community Counseling Services; Victims Resource Center; REACH Ministry at St. Stephen’s; Manna House; St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen; Luzerne-Wyoming Counties Mental Health/Mental Retardation; and Luzerne-Wyoming D&A Counseling. While this walk cannot begin to show what it is like to homeless, the event will allow participants to show their solidarity with the women as they struggle to live on the streets of Wilkes-Barre. A brief rally will precede the walk, including speakers who will address the crisis facing the homeless in Wilkes-Barre, the purpose of the walk, and what is needed to help solve this crisis.
The walk will also serve as a walk-a-thon fundraiser. Participants are asked to get pledges for every mile they walk. A full loop is two miles. Participants can also walk half loops, or many loops if they so choose.   Teams are welcome as well as individual walkers. Persons are also welcome to attend the pre-walk rally and not the walk. Anyone may register at ruthsplace.com, where pledge sheets, route maps, and further information is available. Interested parties can also call 822-6817 to find out more.
This event walk occurs at the beginning of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness week (Nov. 16-22), and was the idea of one of the women staying at Ruth’s Place. It is co-organized by Methodist Urban Ministry, Ruth’s Place Women’s Shelter, Wilkes University, King’s College, Misericordia University, and LCCC. The shelter would like to acknowledge the kindness of Mayor Tom Leighton and the City of Wilkes-Barre for making this event possible.
Finally, the Shelter remains in need of volunteers to act as overnight attendants and donations of goods, services, and money to help keep the shelter running. Please go to ruthsplace.com or call 822-6817 if you are interested in helping the shelter. The shelter would like to thank the many individuals and community organizations that help Ruth’s Place provide hope to women experiencing homelessness.

PRESS RELEASE

August 21, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

In December of 2003, in response to a perceived need in the community for a shelter for women experiencing homelessness, Ruth’s Place at the United Methodist Church at 47 South Franklin Streetin Wilkes-Barre began to receive women for shelter overnight and to facilitate them in accessing social services in Luzerne County to assist with their many needs. First operated as a program during the winter season, Ruth’s Place now operates year round and has served 527 women experiencing homelessness in Luzerne County.

The Methodist Urban Ministry, known as MUM, has served as the governing body for Ruth’s Place since its inception. Julie Benjamin, RN, is the Shelter Coordinator. Many volunteers have supported the project with donations of time, food, bedding, clothing and other items as well as monetary gifts. All gifts have been appreciated and are critical to the continuation of this program which offers hope to women who face the very serious, often dangerous and regrettably sometimes fatal like without a home.

At MUM’s request earlier this year, a group of individuals began to meet to work toward the establishment of a new governing structure for Ruth’s Place and to search for a new site for the program, pending a sale of the United Methodist Church. This group is known as the Steering Committee for the Emerging Board of Ruth’s Place and includes a number of clergy and lay members of MUM, among them, Reverend Doug Posegate who is the Clergy Director for the Methodist Urban Ministry Cooperative Parish, and Reverend Dr. J.P. Duncan. I serve as the convener and spokesperson of the Steering Committee. We are in the process of forming a new organizational structure for Ruth’s Place at the request of MUM and will complete that process within the next several months. However, at this time our primary focus is on two critical needs: finding a new site for Ruth’s Place and raising funds to continue program operations.

Ruth’s Place has seen an overwhelming and very hopeful success in helping women experiencing homelessness find housing using a model proven by research on the national level called “Housing First.” A total of 16 women have been housed and have remained in their new living arrangements. Many social service agencies that provide the safety net for this vulnerable population have assisted in these positive outcomes. On an individual level and collectively, these successes are immeasurable and we celebrate these very human and humane outcomes. The results can also be measured and have been measured in lowering of expenditures for such things as inpatient psychiatric care and substance abuse services, outpatient treatment and even prison.

In the preface of a document published by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, US Assistant Secretary Darlene F. Williams stated her belief that “Understanding homelessness is a necessary step toward ending it, especially for those persons living with a chronic condition such as mental illness, an addiction, or physical disability…” MUM and The Steering Committee for the Emerging Board of Directors for Ruth’s Place ask for your assistance as we work together to establish our own “Housing First” site, a new location where the work of Ruth’s Place can continue. We also invite your continued assistance in donations of time, the many items needed on a daily basis not only in your homes, but here in Ruth’s Place, and also for any financial support you can offer.

Mary Zack, Convener of the Steering Committee of the Emerging Board of Ruth’s Place

Ruth's Place

House of Hope--P.O. Box 254 Wilkes-Barre, PA 18703 Phone: 570-822-6817