The Norristown Hospitality Center is pursuing a new property to enhance its services for vulnerable residents. This facility will offer more space for guests, improved shower facilities, and an expanded emergency cold-weather shelter.
The Center must navigate the municipal approval process, with a key hearing at the Norristown Zoning Board which occurred on April 22nd. Community members expressed different viewpoints on the zoning variance, but the Center received strong support, particularly from Kenny, a guest who shared how the Center has positively impacted his life. Kenny’s testimony underscored the critical need for the Center’s services and reinforced that the new facility will provide greater support and hope to the community.
Personal Testimony: Kenneth DeSantis
My name is Kenneth DeSantis and I came to rely on the Hospitality Center in November 2023. At that time, I had just been released from jail and was roaming the streets contemplating selling drugs or even robbing people to get enough money for food and water. Not wanting to go back to jail, I continued to wander the streets without a plan.
One day at the Norristown Transportation Center, someone recognized that I was a person in need. The Hospitality Center has kept me away from criminal activity by providing me with food. Now I don’t have to rob and steal to get it. Not to mention the staff here helped me get on food stamps so I can eat something when I’m not close to them. This place is extremely helpful for people in need. I’m homeless and in the summer the center gives me a place to chill inside, away from the hot summer weather. The same for the winter, I get time every weekday to get out the brutal cold. I wouldn’t have a place to charge my phone without it. I need to be able to contact my parole officer and my boss. That is extremely helpful.
I wanted to get my ID so I could hopefully get a job and get off of the streets but I didn’t know how to do it. The staff here were extremely helpful in breaking down the process and helping me act on it. I say that because, after they told me what I needed to do, I wasn’t making the effort. They repeatedly checked in to see if I was doing what I needed to do. They helped me get a copy of my insurance card, gave me a mailing address to help me get my birth certificate, which led to me getting my social security card, and now I have my first state ID!
The staff also pointed me to my current employer and now I have my first official job. The Center showed me that I never have to go to jail again in order to survive. They provide me with clothing, hygiene products, and the facility that I need in order to stay clean and presentable in my current situation. Any unhoused person would be in a bad place without the resources provided at the Norristown Hospitality Center. Please help us continue to operate. Thank you.
