For many children in our community, a shelter will be “home” for the holidays.  Community Shelter Services will make every effort to ensure that Christmas will be memorable for the children in our area.

Here’s how you can make a child’s Christmas “merry and bright:”

1.  Groups or individuals can provide everything on a child’s list.

2.  Choose one or two items off of a child’s list.

3.  Provide gift cards.

4.  Make a monetary donation by donating online at communityshelter.org or by sending a check to:

Community Shelter Services
Christmas Sponsorship Program
655 West 16th Street
Erie, PA  16502

Make this Christmas a holiday for a child to remember!  Donate today!

Needy children in the Erie area are celebrating Christmas with a special Christmas party with Santa on December 14th, 2009. Donations of pizza are needed to make the event merry and bright for those at-risk children in the community. Approximately 100 children will be attending this party. If you would like to help out, please make a monetary donation by giving online at communityshelter.org or by sending a check to:

Community Shelter Services
Christmas Pizza Party
655 West 16th Street
Erie, PA  16502

Make this Christmas a holiday for a child to remember!  Donate today!

The Congratulations to Kiwanis member, Howard LeFever, who won the TaylorMade Golf Clubs sponsored by Iadeluca Chiropractic!  The drawing took place at noon on Tuesday, August 18th at the Kiwanis Club of Erie’s weekly luncheon at the Manneachor on State Street.  The guest speaker for the meeting pulled the winning name.  Howard was present at the meeting and was immediately awarded his prize!  The value of the golf clubs is over $1,500!  Thank you for everyone that helped raise crucial funds to help the homeless at Community Shelter Services! 

Several excited youngsters enjoyed a complimentary haircut from none other than Amber Kinem, the owner of “Ambience Salon by Amber.”  The salon, located at 1164 West 10th Street, right on the corner of 10th & Cranberry Street, was the perfect place to inspire the Back-to-School crowd to try their best at school this year.  Many of the children staying in the emergency shelter or participating in the annual Back-to-School program at Community Shelter Services had tremendous smiles as Amber pampered them with beautiful haircuts.

Amber is one of the many success stories associated with the agency’s Back-to-School program.  In the past, she received much-needed school supplies for her children.  Now it is Amber’s time to give back, “I am happy to use my talents to give something back to those children starting the new school year.  I enjoyed pampering them today and seeing their smiling faces!”

Thanks again to Amber for donating her time and talent to those less-fortunate in the community!  The agency’s Back-to-School program is still in need of funds to help send local at-risk children back to school with essentials such as school uniforms and bookbags.  It is not too late to help!  Please make a financial contribution online by clicking on the “Donate Now” button or sending a check to:

Community Shelter Services
Attn:  Back-to-School Program
655 West 16th Street
Erie, PA  16502

Your gift can grant a child self-esteem, self-respect and other essentials that children need to succeed in school as well as in life!  Donate today!

Help the homeless while enjoying some old-fashioned root beer floats and some great music!  On Sunday, August 9th at 6:30 p.m., the Belle Valley Presbyterian Church will hold a summer concert series which will be held outdoors.  Bring your lawnchairs and blankets - sit and enjoy listening to some of Erie’s top musicians and vocalists for a suggested donation of $5!  The price of admission includes root beer floats for all those that attend!

Do you want to help the homeless and really make a difference in someone’s life? You can generously sponsor an at-risk child by providing Back-to-School clothing and other necessities.  This year, the agency is asking for donations of school uniforms and sturdy backpacks.  You can also contribute to the Back-to-School program by providing a gift card or a financial donation online at communityshelter.org.  Your contribution will provide an opportunity for academic and social success that is necessary for the happy and healthy future of a local child.  If you would like more information on this year’s Back-to-School program, please call Georgian Turri at (814) 453-4613. 

Community Shelter Services has family apartments known as the Jane Earll Family Apartments, which are located at 652 West 17th Street. This is an extended shelter-stay program for families who are unable to secure independent housing at the end of their shelter stay. Families may stay in these units for an indefinite amount of time or until they are able to secure housing within the community. Families staying in the Jane Earll Family Apartments are required to pay 30% of their income for rent. 

One family staying in the Jane Earll Family Apartments is in need of gently-used summer clothes for their children. The twin boys fit into 12 month-old clothes and the little girl needs summer clothes that are fitted for 18-24 months. The family is also in need of a double-stroller for the twin baby boys pictured here (Jayden is on the left, and his brother, Justin is on the right). If you have any gently-used clothes, please donate them to the agency by dropping the items off any time to the emergency shelter at 652 West 17th Street. Please specify that the donations are for the family in the Jane Earll Family Apartments.  If you’d like to make a financial contribution to help those in the Jane Earll Family Apartments, click make a donation online.

Dear Friend:

Please ask students at your school to participate in Kiwanis One Day, One Dollar on Wednesday, April 15^th, 2009.On Kiwanis One Day, we’re asking students to bring in $1 to help the homeless children at Community Shelter Services, a local emergency shelter.Your donation of $1 will provide a nutritious meal for a hungry child in the shelter.

As a reminder of feeding the homeless children at Community Shelter Services, a special miniature wooden house will be placed at your school on Tuesday, April 14^th, 2009 to remind students to bring in $1 for Kiwanis One Day on Wednesday, April 15^th, 2009. The school that raises the most money will win a pizza party for the members of their Kiwanis Club. A special Kiwanis reminder form is also enclosed that may be copied and sent home with the students in preparation for Kiwanis One Day.

A representative from the school’s Kiwanis Club is asked to count the amount raised and bring it (cash or check) in the miniature wooden house to Community Shelter Services at 655 West 16^th Street, for a special media presentation on Wednesday, April 22^nd at 10 a.m.

Please encourage students at your school to participate in Kiwanis One Day on Wednesday, April 15^th, 2009 and help feed the homeless children in Erie – one dollar and one meal at a time!

Sincerely,
Denise L. Kolivoski, MBA

Director of Marketing and Development
Kiwanis Club of Erie Board Member

It’s not too late to help, donate online now!

Community Shelter Services is thankful for a group of ladies known as the “Soup Group!” Every other Thursday, these women create healthy and delicious, homemade soups for those staying in the emergency shelter! One of their most popular creations has been chicken noodle soup.  Joe Cancilla, the Director of the Emergency Shelter, taste-tasted many of the culinary masterpieces saying, “The soups are very good!  Everyone looks forward to the next tasty treat that the ladies will create for those hunger and in need of food while staying in the shelter.”

If you’d like to form your own group and serve a meal at the agency, click on denise@communityshelter.org or to make a financial donation to help offset the cost of serving meals in the emergency shelter, make a donation online.

The number of people experiencing homelessness increases during recessions. Increasing numbers of unemployed people are unable to afford rent and local governments are unable to keep up with assistance. Based on the projected increase of persons in deep poverty - those earning one-half of the poverty level - the National Alliance to End Homelessness has released a paper estimating that approximately 866,000 additional Americans will experience homelessness at some point during each of the next two years. In other words, without intervention, an additional 1.5 million Americans will experience homelessness in 2009 and 2010.

If you have a heart for homelessness, consider donating your time or providing much-needed monetary support! These two-month old baby boys are named Justin and Jayden. They are the latest arrivals at the emergency shelter! If you’d like to make a financial contribution to help feed and shelter those staying at Community Shelter Services, click make a donation online.