Water Street Mission, a resource to restore individuals and families experiencing homelessness, recently announced the reopening of Providence Day Shelter for guests in its emergency overnight shelter.

Providence Day Shelter is the latest building to be remodeled with the goal of restoring dignity and healing to those in need. This project comes at the end of a six-year renovation cycle, which saw the upgrade of all of Water Street's facilities for those coming off the street.

In 2016, the mission completed a seven-day Mission Makeover of its dining room and kitchen. This was followed by a 2019 unveiling of Providence Emergency Shelter, offering a safe haven for guests in need of overnight shelter. The Access Center renovation was also completed during this time, offering concierge service to welcome first-time guests seeking help.

The newly renovated space, with a coffeehouse feel, offers a safe place during the day for guests to access resources, counseling, housing information, and financial services, and to be rejuvenated so they can focus on getting back on their feet. The Day Shelter was scheduled to officially open to Water Street guests in early April.

Working with Heck Construction, Water Street Mission transformed the 7000-square-foot building to create a more welcoming and relaxed atmosphere. The formerly open floor plan now boasts one main gathering space, surrounded by smaller rooms for meeting spaces to allow guests to speak privately with case managers, liaisons, counselors, and pastors. The outdated furnishings have been replaced with smaller tables as well as chairs and new sound and video equipment. Providence Day Shelter also offers a conference room for local community partners to meet with guests on-site.

Additionally, the men's and women's bathrooms have been remodeled to provide single-use bathrooms so guests have complete privacy. New windows, surfaces, and materials are designed to make the entire facility easy to maintain and clean. The new, durable facility is intended to take the weight off frontline workers and to provide an experience of dignity to guests in emergency shelter.

Since 1905, Water Street Mission has sought to provide an environment of hope and healing where at-risk men, women, and children in Lancaster County can find a hand up and restoration with God. In addition to food and shelter, all guests have access to medical, dental, behavioral health, spiritual, and career support while on campus. For more information, visit http://www.wsm.org.