WILKES-BARRE – The new year brings a new, permanent home for an emergency shelter in the city of Wilkes-Barre.
On Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, city and county leaders participated in a formal dedication and blessing ceremony for the new location of Mother Teresa’s Haven, a shelter for men experiencing homelessness.
For the last several months, construction has been underway to create the new permanent shelter space above Saint Vincent de Paul Kitchen, located at 39 East Jackson Street in Wilkes-Barre.
“We are thrilled to finally have a permanent home after all these years, absolutely thrilled,” Harry Lyons, program director for Mother Teresa’s Haven, said.
Mother Teresa’s Haven first opened in the 1980s, but rotated locations between several area churches.
“This shelter has been in existence for decades but it was nomadic up until about four years ago and when we think about the clients we serve, there is a certain dignity that they deserve to have,” the Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, said at the dedication ceremony.
With the new location finally complete, Mother Teresa’s Haven now has shower and laundry facilities available, will offer beds to men experiencing homelessness instead of cots, and will be housed in the same complex as the Saint Vincent de Paul Kitchen, food pantry, and clothing bank.
Joseph Mahoney, Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Social Services, says that will lead to a better coordination of services.
“We’ve got the kitchen, we’ve got the food pantry, we’ve got a clothing pantry, we’re bringing all these services into one building and trying to make it easier for our clients,” Mahoney explained.
Mother Teresa’s Haven is able to house 20 men each night. It is now open from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
During the 2024 calendar year, Mother Teresa’s Haven provided more than 4,700 individual nights of emergency shelter to 311 men in the local community.
“Everything is designed in this complex to help the homeless and it is done the right way,” Wilkes-Barre mayor George C. Brown said.