WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Keystone Mission is continuing to open the door to possibility and hope for people experiencing homelessness.
Two cities, one mission. Keystone Mission is continuing to open the door to possibility and hope for people experiencing homelessness.
Keystone Mission operates centers for those experiencing homelessness in both Wilkes-Barre and Scranton.
On Thursday, Keystone Mission expanded its reach in the Diamond City and opened its second location in Wilkes-Barre with even more resources for the community.
A new space for hope. On Thursday, Keystone Mission celebrated the opening of its Wilkes-Barre Innovation Center.
It offers a wide variety of resources for people experiencing homelessness.
“So vocational services, job readiness, helping as well with getting all the skills, linkage to medical care, mental health, drug, and rehab services as well that our guests may need,” said Keystone Mission CEO and Executive Director Danielle O. Keith-Alexandre.
In addition to these tools, the center also offers meals, showers, and laundry facilities for their guests to use during hours of operation. They also offer overnight shelter during extreme weather conditions.
Keystone Mission says they aim to do everything with dignity and build relationships with their guests.
“So we are interested in getting to know them, know their name, know their story. Really understand who they are,” said Wilkes-Barre Keystone Mission director of operations Scott Wills.
Wills says this helps the staff better understand their guests’ needs.
“And then we can refer them out to different agencies to get them moving forward,” Wills added.
The project is four years in the making and was made possible through working with Mayor George Brown and the city of Wilkes-Barre, the city council, and representative Eddie Day Pashinski.
Officials say there’s a great need for these services, especially in Downtown Wilkes-Barre.
“I know we’ve all seen down by the square the gathering of individuals who are houseless. We’re hoping to give them back that hope through the different services that we have here that’ll help them to be better able to re-integrate into society effectively and efficiently,” said Keith-Alexandre.
Keystone Mission says they are always looking for volunteers or donations. Information and the organization’s hours of operation can be found online.
