Latest news with #KeystoneMission
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Officials weigh in as two homeless shelters announce closure
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The Keystone Mission has announced the closure of two homeless shelters in our area. Hundreds rely on these shelters for resources like food, water, and a place to stay, but now they'll be forced to find somewhere else to go. People 28/22 News spoke with in Wilkes-Barre were emotional about the closure, but more than anything, they're worried about what it means for Wilkes-Barre's homeless population going forward. 'This place is hope. You know, it don't matter if you're alone in this world or any of it. As long as you got hope and there's a will, then there's a way,' Wilkes-Barre resident Joshua Ervin told 28/22 News. A source of hope for many will soon be a thing of the past. Keystone Mission announced early Tuesday afternoon it would be closing two shelter locations, one in Scranton, the other in Wilkes-Barre. The Wilkes-Barre location on North Pennsylvania Avenue is set to close in four weeks. Attempts to reach the mission's director were unsuccessful, but Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown says the shelter is closing due to a lack of funding. PSP searching for missing woman in Pike County 'As far as I knew, everything was fine, everything was going well over there, and then to get a phone call from another news source that said, you know, 'They're closing, Mayor, what do you think?' It's just shocking to me,' Mayor Brown said. The shelters offer resources to those in the community who need them most. From the basics like food, water, and shelter, to tools like addiction recovery and housing assistance. For one man we spoke with, these resources allowed him to get back on his feet. 'I went from being homeless, sleeping in my car, to sleeping here. And then eventually, as time progressed, I got my one job, they got my bus pass, I got my phone back active,' Ervin added. We reached out to Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti regarding the Scranton location's closure, who issued the following statement: The loss of Keystone's services is unfortunate. In Scranton, we have formed strong relationships with multiple agencies focused on assisting the unsheltered population. Our Unsheltered Action Group meets regularly. We have already been planning for next year's Code Blue and are working with service providers to fill the weekend dinner gap that Keystone leaves. Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti But until those gaps are closed, many in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre will be without the resources they need to help them get back on solid ground. 'I've gotten back up on my feet enough thanks to this place where I'll- I'll be okay. Is it going to be okay for most of the people that use this place for a means to sleep? Probably not,' Ervin continued. There is no word on when the Scranton location is set to close. Keystone Mission's other Wilkes-Barre location near Sherman Hills will reportedly stay open. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Easter food and basket distributions benefit at-need citizens
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — An Easter tradition of giving returned to Scranton, bringing smiles, hope, and full bags to thousands of families in Lackawanna County. The annual Easter food and basket distribution, hosted by Friends of the Poor, took over the outside of the Scranton Cultural Center, welcoming everyone who came. 'This is a really important event to us because it's separate from our food pantry, it's a different type of food, and we recognize that a lot of families that are struggling and maybe don't necessarily need our food pantries, can't make ends meet to make a holiday meal,' explained Meghan Loftus, President & CEO of Friends of the Poor. Keystone Mission hopes to help homeless in new way Volunteers packed 4,000 bags of food, enough for a full Easter meal, and handed out 3,000 Easter baskets donated by the community. 'This year is really great. We have a lot of students from the local universities, we have a lot of high school students and teams, so it's great to see the younger generation coming out and realizing the importance of giving back and supporting our community,' said Loftus. The local students give the program a boost of liveliness, and they can use their experience to keep it running as the years go by. 'I think it's great because some people can't support for themselves, so like, it's just nice to give back,' West Scranton freshman Sophia Deluca said. 'I wanna give back as much as I could, you know, I think it's a great thing, it's a great feeling to have,' stated Jonathan Noll, a junior from West Scranton. For those who lined up, this event raised spirits, knowing they had everything they needed to celebrate the holiday. 'I'm really glad that the community has the opportunity to give back to the people who are less fortunate, I think it's a blessing for all,' Scranton resident Eyasu Palmore expressed. 'There's a lot of children that won't have an Easter, so I think this is very good. I think this is very good. It's helping the community, helping a lot of little children, and helping families also with the meals,' Laverne Strawder from Scranton said. From full hearts to full carts, Friends of the Poor says the mission is simple: Making sure no one feels forgotten during the holidays. 'So we want to make sure we're here for those families who just can't afford that extra bump in their grocery bill and have them have a nice holiday meal with their family and make those memories that we all get to make at Easter,' said Loftus. Supplies ran out at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Friends of the Poor is looking for new volunteers, and they're also in need of monetary donations to keep programs running. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Former marine finding new path at local nonprofit
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Once a dedicated marine, Keith Estep's life was marked by discipline, duty, and the constant demands of service. But after years of combat and struggle, something deeper called to him, an unshakable yearning for peace and purpose beyond the battlefield. PA Live! Co-host Chris Bohinski shares the inspiring story of a man whose journey from the military to faith transformed not only his life, but the lives of countless others. In a world often divided by hardship and struggle, some choose to dedicate their lives to bringing light and hope to others. 'I used to always say God was in the passenger seat for a while because I was trying to succeed in things I was doing in the world. In the marine core, they always told me, 'When you're doing the right thing, nobody can mess with you,'' Estep said. But it wasn't just the battles fought on the frontlines that would define his life, 'When I found this church, that's when it rejuvenated my faith and spirit and, you know, put God first,' Estep continued. Meet Keith Estep, a former marine whose service to his country, shaped him in ways he never imagined, especially with his faith, something he learned from his other great-grandfather Bishop Hamilton. Black participation rising in the sport of hockey 'My grandfather, he was in the army. I actually have his purple heart recipient for my great-grandfather on my mom's side, Bert Zimmerman. When you read your bible, it edifies you in ways not just doing the wrong thing, but even the good things you want to do,' Estep explained. Keith leaned on those role models and faith when he returned from serving our country. 'Both of my grandfathers were the biggest leaders on both sides of my family, the way our whole family came around them,' Estep added. After moving from Berwick to Wilkes-Barre, Keith found his true purpose at Keystone Mission's Luzerne County location, an overnight shelter, providing not just food, but compassion and empathy. 'He interacts with us. He builds relationships,' said, Keith's friend, Anayia Lovell. He reminds them that their worth is far greater than their circumstances. 'Keith extends for people. They see that about him. He extends his love for people,' Lovell stated. Now, Mount Zion Baptist Church is starting to take notice as well. Scranton chef named World Rice Champion 'That bridge, that conduit of trust between the church and Keystone is Keith,' Cyrus Solomon with Mount Zion Baptist Church explained. 'One day, he took us. We literally walked to Mount Zion,' added Lovell. With daily bible studies and encouragement groups, Keith's reach is growing. 'I had never been to church, when I did go and felt that, I was like, 'Yeah, I got to keep going,'' voiced Lovell. Keith reminds us all of the power of faith, compassion, and community. 'Keith is going to be somebody, that sounds like Jesse Jackson. He's going to be somebody. He's going to be a preacher. He's going to be somewhere he's affecting people. He will have his hand on the pulse of the community and we'll say, 'That's Keith,' and he's doing what he said he'll be doing',' explained Deacon Wayne Whitaker Sr., Mount Zion Baptist Church. 'Yeah, I love that church. I love it. When I came here, I wasn't a religious person,' Lovell said. 'I think my service to other people is my relationship with Jesus,' expressed Estep. 28/22 News is so honored to share his own chapter in the ongoing story of Black history. Keith's next chapter includes a boxing gym he'll open in the spring in Wilkes-Barre where he will focus on youth programs for both boys and girls. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Electric trucks hit the road in Milton
MILTON, NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Electric trucks are making their way to one part of our area. On Monday, Watsontown Trucking Company took to the road with its new electric vehicles. Watsontown Trucking Company is putting the brakes on emissions with their new electric vehicles. 'So right here in Milton, we have five. We have three Volvo VNR day cabs and two Autocar jockey trucks,' said Watsontown Trucking Company Director Of Operations Jared Brokenshire. Officials with the company say the trucks are a significant step toward sustainable transportation. What is the future of the Keystone Mission? 'A lot of our clients are pushing us to have sustainability goals as a company so it meets both of those our own sustainability goals and some that have been pushed to us from some of our clients,' Watsontown Trucking Company President Steve Patton Explained. Over the course of a year, the trucks will save approximately 28,000 gallons of diesel fuel. 'As a trucking company, when it comes to the environment, burning diesel fuel is the primary thing we do, so as much as we can save in that aspect is how we would be contributing to sustainability. So a fully electric truck is the best way to take care of that problem,' Brokenshire added. The company in Milton will use its five trucks locally and within their industrial park. State grants helped make the project happen. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Keystone Mission serving homeless people in Lackawanna, Luzerne counties dismisses director
The Keystone Mission has been having a rough time. The nonprofit, which provides services to homeless individuals in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties, dismissed Executive Director Danielle Keith-Alexandre on Jan. 29 and appointed former Director Justin Behrens as its interim director beginning Feb. 1. On his first day, Behrens faced a major challenge, when the organization didn't have enough staff to open its Code Blue Shelter at Weston Field in Scranton. Behrens said he went right to work and found staffing for the site, which enabled it to open, albeit several hours late. He pointed out that the emergency shelter now has staffing for the foreseeable future, but admits it was an early obstacle to overcome. Scranton City Councilwoman Jessica Rothchild discussed the situation at Tuesday's council meeting. She said the late opening of the Code Blue shelter was because of staffing issues, noting that temperatures that night dropped to 9 degrees. She said the Keystone Mission contracts with the city to staff the shelter with specially trained employees and so the city could not place volunteers at the site directly. Rothchild said she and Councilman Gerald Smurl went out to the shelter and it opened. She said the city would coordinate with the Mission to ensure the late opening would not happen again. No stranger to the role Behrens is no stranger to the position or its duties, having served in the role from 2018 to 2023, leaving when his wife began a job as a nursing professor at Penn State University. And, although Behrens lives in State College, when the organization's board of directors asked him to return and help the Mission out of a difficult time, he didn't hesitate. He admits the organization with both Wilkes-Barre and Scranton locations is going through difficult times and the nonprofit's reputation has suffered a bit. Behrens said donations to the organization are down about 40% in the last year, a reduction common to many nonprofits in the current economic environment. He is looking to community members and businesses to donate to the organization, to support the vision of equipping members of the homeless population to become productive members of the community. He's not looking solely to any politician or to any one-time grants to lift the organization out of its financial challenges. Instead, he hopes people of both counties will become familiar with the Mission and the people it serves. Behrens' vision for improving the Mission goes beyond simply an increase in finances to a vision of equipping those it serves for work and permanent housing situations, rather than a short-term fix. He recently stepped into the day room at the Innovation Center in Wilkes-Barre where he said people were 'sitting and waiting' to move from the day room to the nighttime shelter. Behrens would like to see the homeless population served by the Mission using their time to acquire skills such as budgeting and training, which will prepare them for life. He also looks forward to working with other nonprofits to meet the needs of the community. 'I don't want to do anything suddenly,' he said. 'But, I'd like to steer the organization toward equipping those we serve. So, they can work and talk about getting an apartment on their own.' One of the parts of the organization that works, he said, is Wilkes-Barre's Transformation Center, a residential program which centers around education, spirituality, life skills and training to prepare men to live independently. Behrens said the program, instituted during his previous tenure as director, was meant to transforms live. Behrens is not currently being paid for his position as director. He plans to split his time between his State College residence and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area. Behrens runs a comic book store in State College and can tend to the business from anywhere, since it is fully staffed. He acknowledges that moving forward, he may get paid, but that's not what's important. Instead, he is aiming at helping the Mission, which he calls 'his baby,' recover from a difficult time. When Behrens originally left his position as director two years ago, the Mission was in good financial shape, he said. He declined comment on the former director, but pointed out not everyone is designed for every position. Innovation Center When contacted by The Times-Tribune on Thursday evening, Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown said he hadn't been informed of the change in leadership. He pointed out the city had presented the nonprofit's Innovation Center with a total of $390,000 in grant money, including $109,500 check in June to enable the nonprofit to offer overnight housing for one full year. Behrens said the Innovation Center still provides a variety of services to the community, including a day room and overnight shelter.
