Norristown, PA – December 6, 2022 – Senator Amanda M. Cappelletti (D-17 Montgomery/Delaware) announced $100,000 in state grant funding for Norristown Hospitality Center. The funding will be utilized for operational upgrades for their location on Church Street in Norristown to support the growing homeless and food insecure populations they serve.

“Norristown Hospitality Center is an invaluable resource to our community,” said Senator Cappelletti. “I’m proud to have secured this funding to further aid its operations to provide people experiencing homelessness with case management services, street outreach and other basic necessities to fit the everyday needs of community members struggling with housing insecurity.”

The growing housing insecure population was only further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and recent extreme weather events – such as Hurricane Ida – which have displaced individuals and families from their homes. Norristown Hospitality Center has been a central resource for individuals seeking shelter, a hot meal, or basic resources, such as mail service or hot showers. The organization also provides shelter for up to 15 people during evenings when temperatures are below freezing and case management services for financial education and rapid re-housing.

This critical funding will enable Norristown Hospitality Center to implement operational upgrades that will improve the services and resources they provide to the housing insecure community. These operational upgrades include strengthening case management services and furthering their street outreach.

“The Center is a vital part of the safety net for unhoused individuals, and those who are living paycheck to paycheck in the community,” said Sunanda Charles, MSW, Executive Director of Norristown Hospitality Center. “Supporting community-based organizations like the Hospitality Center with grants like these to build our capacity and support our operations goes a long way in strengthening the safety net in the community. While we must address the root causes of these problems in our society, we cannot let people suffer in the ” now” when support can improve their lives. We must find ways for systems change and direct services to work together.”

You can learn more about Norristown Hospitality Center and its critical work here.

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