Have you ever considered helping in a more hands-on way? One of the most practical ways we can help homeless men is by equipping them with the skills needed to obtain stable employment. We are currently seeking volunteers to tutor male residents in basic math and English or to teach life skills workshops.

When their van became stranded on the highway, a recent day trip to the Poconos turned into a lengthy ordeal for the staff and residents of Wayne Hall. The women were returning from a snow tubing trip with their children. Read how a kind family helped them to stay warm and get home safely.

Have you ever wondered exactly what a “Code Blue” is? The City of Philadelphia issues a Code Blue when the weather circumstances are deemed dangerous enough that additional actions should be taken to protect the homeless. Specifically, a Code Blue is issued when the weather prediction calls for wind chill temperatures below 20 degrees OR wind chill temperatures below 32 degrees combined with precipitation.

Thank you for providing items for our Christmas Care Packages! Volunteers assembled the packages, and we had everything needed. We can’t wait to pass out the gifts during our big meal on Christmas Day. Everyone will be so thankful to receive a present!

Volunteers are already working in the kitchen, and the food is in the oven. Visit www.facebook.com/sundaybreakfast to see pictures posted throughout the day. Thank you for helping to make this special meal possible!

The wait is over! You can now purchase Christmas merchandise at the Penndel Thrift Store. You will be impressed by the large selection and quality of items, including trees, wreaths, and other home decor. Christmas merchandise is 50% off on Tuesdays.

Work has begun to repair the masonry along the top of our building, which is severely damaged and in imminent danger of collapse. So far, we have received enough to cover half of the repair bill. Additional help is greatly needed, especially as we enter the busy Thanksgiving season.

Meeting the physical and spiritual needs of the homeless and disadvantaged

Summer is not the time that you normally think of overflowing beds at homeless shelters. But with the recession still lingering, people are having a hard time making ends meet. “We recently had a program alumni return,” said Chaplain Clay Parks. “His hours were cut back from full-time to 20 hours a week, and he can’t afford his apartment anymore.”

Want to know how your gifts make a difference? Watch your mailbox for the most recent edition of the BEACON newsletter. Or just read the main story right here. The Summer 2010 issue features Christina, a mother of four who still had lessons to learn after completing our program at Wayne Hall.