NEW HOPE SHELTER OFFERS COMPASSION AND CARE TO CITIZENS WHO NEED IT MOST
By Robb Helfrick
For an individual or a family, homelessness is an incredibly stressful and humbling phase in life. When people have no roof over their heads, no resources to feed or warm themselves, or no refuge from domestic or sexual abuse, they often lose hope.
In Waynesboro, a haven to restore hopefulness is the New Hope Shelter. Since 1998, when the organization’s charitable efforts began, it has helped thousands in need at its 25 S. Potomac Street facility. New Hope has 38 beds with separate sleeping areas for women and men, and seven family rooms. The space has a full-service kitchen, laundry facilities, and communal areas.
New Hope’s non-profit organization owns the building, and the operation requires an annual $350,000 budget, funded 90% by donations. Waynesboro’s Fellowship of Churches is an important partner. WFC recently sponsored a Hunger Walk on Oct. 12 to raise funds for New Hope and other local charities.
New Hope Shelter also utilizes multiple grants to supplement its operating costs. The shelter recently received a $7570 grant from Franklin County for case management services.
Mandi Howell is New Hope’s Executive Director, and she has an extensive educational and professional background in helping people in need. Howell spent seven years helping victims of domestic and sexual abuse in Chambersburg, Gettysburg, and Martinsburg.
At that last location, Howell managed a shelter for victims and found her true calling. When a position materialized to manage New Hope’s facility in 2023, Mandi was thrilled. “When this opportunity became available in the hometown that I love, I couldn’t pass it up.”
More than two years later, Howell is pleased by the progress she’s seen at the shelter and thankful for the people she’s met and helped. “It’s been an absolutely amazing experience,” she said. “Everyone here becomes like family. You meet people at their lowest and watch them through their journey to build themselves back up, and nothing beats that.”
Howell said New Hope typically houses 30 to 33 people at any time. The shelter enforces strict rules for these temporary residents, who receive a 30-day initial stay. Additional 60-day renewals are then possible, but after that juncture, a small rent payment is required, or residents must volunteer their time to the shelter if they have no current income.
Drugs and alcohol are forbidden at the shelter, and individuals must treat fellow residents with respect and courtesy. “We want people to take full responsibility for their lives,” Howell said.
Mandi believes that when her team treats residents with kindness and compassion, they open up to freely discuss their problems, and then they can move forward to independent living.
Howell mentioned recent shelter renovations that updated their communal spaces. The children’s play area was previously the size of a walk-in closet, and now that space is an inviting and much larger room. “Kids only get one childhood,” Howell said.
These cosmetic upgrades, sponsored by Waynesboro’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, improved and added privacy to the TV and Computer rooms.
New Hope’s building also has unutilized space on two separate floors above the main-level shelter, and a future design envisions that area hosting transitional efficiency apartments.
Before that wish can be fulfilled, a new roof is needed first, and new windows will be replaced on the building’s front façade. “These are all challenging goals, but it’s what we need,” Howell said.
Other recent improvements include new shelving donated by Lowe’s, fresh paint on the exterior, and new subdividing walls in the family units, which added two additional rooms.
Despite the shelter’s improvements and continued community support, Howell and other community advocates remain concerned about society’s most vulnerable citizens. They include seniors who cannot keep up with rising costs, disabled people of all ages, and young adults aged 18-21.
“We’ve seen a huge increase in demand for our services during the past year,” Howell said, “especially among the elderly, who are on a fixed income.”
Like many in her field, Howell hopes for progress toward new and affordable local housing. Howell said that often shelter residents are ready to leave but can’t find a suitable rental unit.
She would like to see revisions in federal programs that penalize people for too long for previous evictions. Some leeway from local landlords to give people a second chance would also be helpful. “Housing is so difficult to afford,” Howell said. “There isn’t enough income-based or affordable local housing.”
Transportation is another obstacle for people seeking to re-enter society and maintain a job. Waynesboro has very limited transportation resources, and Howell and other local charities are seeking workable solutions.
“That’s one of our biggest hurdles that we’ve been trying to overcome,” Mandi said. “We’re trying to help people get employment, but the warehouses are in Chambersburg, Greencastle, and Hagerstown, and people don’t have a way to get there.”
Often, Howell and New Hope’s Case Manager, Erika Lohman, transport residents to doctor’s visits and other important appointments. “Sometimes, all these people have is their feet,” Howell said, concerning the challenges of re-entering society in a town with no public transportation.
No community, county, or state is immune to incidents of homelessness. Intelligent solutions are constantly debated to combat this crisis. Various programs are implemented every year by governments, faith-based organizations, and charities. Still, homelessness persists, and in some areas, it has grown.
Unfortunately, many rural counties lack suitable resources for the homeless or for individuals seeking treatment for mental health issues, addiction, or general healthcare needs.
In Franklin County, the local government’s homeless facility in Chambersburg, is designed to service an entire county of 156,000 residents, but only houses 9 people. That space is 25% of the capacity that New Hope Shelter accommodates alone, and NHS is the only other shelter in the entire county. Neighboring Fulton County has no shelters.
Another recent regulatory issue is anti-camping laws passed to keep homeless people out of city parks or other outdoor public spaces. Hagerstown recently passed a related ordinance. Critics argue that treating homeless individuals like vagrants is the wrong approach. However, most agree that private property must be respected by all.
Howell expressed frustration at some of these new ordinances, in which governments penalize people for having no home, but then offer few solutions to help get them off the street. “They’re not providing more shelter space, they’re not providing more funding, they’re not creating more rehab facilities, and they’re not building more mental health facilities,” Howell said.
Understanding the process, the problems, and potential solutions will help both residents and the people who need their support.
New Hope Shelter does not accept walk-ins. Individuals must phone 211 to begin the sheltering process. Often, this starting point places a person on a temporary wait list.
A background check is also required to make sure an applicant hasn’t committed violent or sexual-related offenses, since shelters need to protect children and others who reside and work there. This vetting process doesn’t imply that homelessness is connected to criminal activity, it is simply a safeguard to protect the vast majority of people in need who pose no community threat.
Once someone enters the system properly, New Hope Shelter will do everything possible to assist them. “We are here to help people get off the streets and help them get them on their feet to be a productive member of society,” Howell said.
Mandi Howell takes that compassion and care toward her residents a step further. “I tell them I love them, every day,” she said. “They need to hear that, since many don’t have a support system in their lives.”
Howell encourages Waynesboro citizens to learn more about New Hope’s mission. Their website (newhopeshelter.org) posts a listing of ongoing needs. Charitable people can donate money, services, food, or supplies, or volunteer their time in multiple ways. Also at New Hope, shoppers can go on a nearby excursion to benefit the shelter.
New Hope sponsors a Thrift Shoppe at the rear of its building, which raises funds through a unique retail operation. Individuals and businesses can also donate items or money to help sponsor this enterprise.
The store offers constant surprises, selling a wide variety of household accessories, clothing, books, furniture, collectibles, seasonal décor, artwork, and more, all at amazing prices.
For additional information about New Hope Shelter’s ongoing work or its partner shopping venue, call 717-762-3840.
