DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette Dr. John Piper talks about working at the church that is now Saving Grace Shelter on Elmira St. in Williamsport during a recent program to highlight the work done by the shelter that’s run by the Williamsport American Rescue Workers. The 24-bed facility supports homeless families with day-to-day emergency shelter.

What began as a gift to the American Rescue Workers (ARW) 15 years ago, the Saving Grace Shelter has become a gift to those in the community who are experiencing homelessness-a place to go when they have nowhere else to go.

“What happens inside these walls is more than just being a shelter,” said Jennifer Rempe, ARW’s Director of Development and Community Engagement, in her opening remarks at the recent Open House Celebration at the shelter. The event was also held to bring awareness to the issue of homelessness in the community.

“It’s a home for those who have lost theirs for one reason or another. It’s a place of hope, renewal and truly saving grace,” she said.

The shelter officially opened on Valentine’s Day, 2011, an act of “putting love into action,” Rempe said.

“Since that day, Saving Grace has provided refuge to thousands of individuals and families, offering not just a bed, but a path forward,” she said.

“This shelter began with a simple, powerful vision, that nobody in our community should have to face homelessness or hardship,” said Ron Frick, CEO of the United Way, North Central Pennsylvania.

“I think about the faces of the families who have walked through these doors. Parents who found refuge for their children. Individuals who have discovered a path forward toward independence and a dedicated team who has made the transformation possible right here in this building. Together they tell the story of what this community really stands for,” he said.

The American Rescue Workers currently operates three shelters. In addition to Saving Grace there is a smaller men’s emergency shelter with six beds on Elmira Street and a 39-bed men’s long-term shelter which houses the participants in their Fresh Start program, a work rehabilitation program.

“Together these three shelters provide 69 bed nights every single night, which equates to 2,070 bed nights a month,” she noted.

“Saving Grace Shelter over the past 14 years has provided…122,640 bed nights…that people have not had to sleep in their cars, on the streets or couchsurfing,” she said.

Although the Fresh Start Program has been in existence since the 1930’s, the men’s program officially began in 1975. Since then it has provided 606,630 bed nights.

The building housing the shelter at the corner of Grace and Campbell streets, was originally a church owned by Pine Street United Methodist Church. On hand at the event was Dr. John F. Piper, the last pastor to serve there.

Originally founded as an extended ministry of the original Pine Street church, by the 1880’s it had a membership of almost 1,000 from the neighborhood, Piper said.

Piper, who is also a local historian, shared some of the building’s history, pointing out the interesting design of the circular windows located in the high ceilings.

“Those windows remain dark for the winter months of the year,” Piper said.

“The week after the spring Solstice, light begins to appear on the south side, until in mid-summer, full sunlight streams down and hits the windows here on this side and then as the winter Solstice comes, the light gradually disappears,” he said.

“I’ve never been able to find the source of the decision to build a house of worship that fits into the calculus of the universe in such a way,” he said.

When the church closed, there was a discussion about what should be done with the building. At the time, the idea was floated about opening a shelter for families, something that had not existed in the community. So,the building was sold to the Rescue Workers for one dollar.

Tony Visco, the architect tasked with designing a shelter setting inside the church building, opted to construct rooms in the sanctuary. However, Piper shared that Visco said he did not want to dramatically change the area.

Because of this design decision, all the walls forming the separate rooms where residents stay are removable. Each room has a stained glass window and there are no ceilings in the rooms.

“The church is still intact…I think it was a marvelous architectural decision,” Piper said.

The shelter is in the process of installing a new heating system on the men’s side and ceiling fans on the women and family side, Rempe noted.