Expansion to Add Beds to Emergency Shelter Completed
(ALLENTOWN, PA) – The Allentown Rescue Mission announced today that it will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 21, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. to celebrate the completion of its Emergency Shelter expansion. The event will include a tribute to the late Mr. Albert Granger, former owner of the Glasbern Inn in Fogelsville, who funded the project in its entirety.
Because of Granger’s generosity, the Mission’s Emergency Shelter added 22 beds, increasing access to emergency services for men experiencing homelessness by 24%. The Mission now offers 94 beds in the Emergency Shelter and 145 total beds to accommodate guests in all three of its programs: Emergency Shelter, Transformation, and Clean Team Workforce.
For over 30 years, Granger believed in the work of the Allentown Rescue Mission. Aside from yearly donations, he financed the Mission’s elevator in its 30,000 ft. building and sponsored an education fund for men to become more employable.
“Mr. Granger believed in giving our guests the skills they needed to hold jobs to support themselves and their families. His compassion and generosity gave many men the opportunity for a better life, and his last gift allows us to expand our capacity to meet the acute need of rescuing more men off the streets,” explained Skip Smith, Allentown Rescue Mission CEO.
Granger passed away in June 2024 before the commencement of the expansion, but the Allentown Rescue Mission will remember him for his life-changing contributions that benefited countless men in crisis.
The Allentown Rescue Mission, a 501c3, 123 bed non-profit homeless shelter has been providing shelter to men experiencing homelessness since 1900. In addition to emergency shelter services (365 days a year), the Allentown Rescue Mission offers a residential life skills program, and transitional employment on the Clean Team Workforce that’s available for hire to the community. The Clean Team Workforce pays the men above PA state minimum wage– helping them save a nest egg to transition back into the community. In a typical year, the Allentown Rescue Mission provides shelter services for nearly 1,000 men and serves more than 60,000 meals to men in need.
To refer someone to the Allentown Rescue Mission for services or to learn ways you can help make a difference please visit www.allentownrescuemission.org
Information provided to TVL by:
Stefanie Appel
Community Relations
Allentown Rescue Mission
www.allentownrescuemission.org
