The LIFE HUB Winter Shelter for adults experiencing homelessness in the city of Wheeling is set to open this Friday, December 15. The LIFE HUB Winter Shelter is now permanently located in the former English Lutheran Church at 35-16th Street in downtown Wheeling. The LIFE HUB nonprofit purchased the church building in May of this year through the generosity of individual donations and private foundation funding.
The Winter Shelter is designed to keep individuals warm during the winter months. The shelter will operate from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. throughout the winter months with a 40-bed capacity.
“Ohio County is blessed with several social service agencies and faith-based communities dedicated to providing resources within their mission to assist the poor and homeless. Collaborative efforts are important for the low barrier shelter to operate this winter and beyond,” stated Melissa Adams, the City of Wheeling Homeless Liasian and LIFE HUB Interim Executive Director.
Meals are being provided by the Catholic Neighborhood Center, the Soup Kitchen, and HoH-Share at their locations during hours of operation throughout the week. The groups are also providing snacks to the LIFE HUB Winter Shelter. Youth Services System, Street Moms, and partnering organizations are providing toiletries and supplies as well as showers and laundry. The current church building will undergo renovations and the construction on-site of a new shelter building in the near future that will include showers and laundry facilities.
Helping Heroes will be coordinating shelter services for Veterans. YWCA Wheeling continues to house victims of domestic violence. Families will be sheltered at partnering organizations or in hotel rooms when needed. Project Hope will make regular rounds and care for medical needs.
“It certainly takes an entire community to ensure those in need have the proper care and coordination for wraparound services. The LIFE HUB is so grateful to all our community partners. We cannot thank them enough for their partnerships,” Adams added.
Adams and John Moses, LIFE HUB Winter Shelter Director, both stress that the LIFE HUB is also working with community partners to coordinate homeless services beyond the shelter and to ensure basic emergent needs are addressed quickly and efficiently. Housed individuals and families needing rental assistance or utility assistance can continue to call 211, another community partner through the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley.
“We are grateful for all of the individuals, organizations, foundations and faith-based organizations that have supported our efforts through financial and In-Kind gifts over the last several years,” said Moses. “We thank them for their continued support this year. The LIFE HUB and its winter shelter would not happen without these generous benefactors.”
“We are also so grateful to the faith-based community for their donations of time, talent, and treasure,” added Deacon George Smoulder, who is leading faith-based initiatives for the LIFE HUB. “We must remember that we are called to serve those in need with dignity and respect. Our local faith-based communities have always stepped up to assist when the need is great.”
Checks may be made out to the LIFE HUB and mailed to P.O. Box 2089; Wheeling, WV 26003. A website landing page can securely accept online donations at lifehubwv.org. Cash donations are used to purchase items such as work uniforms, scrubs, workstyle boots, shoes, and bus tokens. Donations are also used to prevent homelessness in certain cases.
“We are also accepting In-Kind donations and ask that items be dropped off at the Wheeling Housing Authority’s Elm Grove office and not the church,” stated Joyce Wolen, Wheeling Housing Authority Executive Director and LIFE HUB fiscal administrator. “We need to process and sort all donations, so drop offs are from 8:30 a.m. to Noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Wheeling Housing Authority, located at 11 Community Street in Elm Grove (near the I-470 ballfields).
The most needed In-Kind items include the following:
- Thermal undergarments-men and women sizes small to 5x
- New boxer briefs-men and women sizes small to 5x
- New Sports bras-sizes small to 5x
- Coats-men and women sizes small to 5x
- Hats
- Gloves
- Sweatshirt hoodies
- Rain ponchos
- Belts-All sizes
- Twin XL fitted and flat sheets, pillowcases, and blankets
- Hand and feet warmers
- Tampons and feminine hygiene products
- Cleaning supplies
The LIFE HUB was created as a nonprofit organization in 2022, as a program of the Wheeling Housing Authority partnering with the City of Wheeling. The goal of the LIFE HUB is to operate a spacious shelter year-round for homeless adults and families. The program will also provide a variety of services under one roof to strategically and compassionately help the homeless successfully navigate through a variety of systems that include housing, employment, education, health, and mental health, to ensure a rapid response to basic emergent needs and prevent homelessness.
