When a client comes to the Center for the first time, he or she completes an “intake card” that provides us with helpful information to meet client needs. There are literally hundreds of these cards!

Thanks to Vanguard employees who volunteered in January, our staff will soon be able to access this information on Hospitality Center computers. This would have been a monumental task for a few individuals, but the group of 20 volunteers accomplished digitizing 2009 and 2010 cards in two days! We are well on our way to completing this huge task! THANK YOU, Vanguard employees and organizer Denise Hall!

The Hospitality Center Family has lost a precious member in the death of Pastor Fred Ney. Ever the humble and smiling helpers, Pastor Ney and his wife Barbara blessed Norristown since his arrival in 1996 to pastor Evangel Church of God. Fred willingly wore many hats serving on our Board of Directors, leading morning devotions (as pictured), befriending clients, running daily errands and doing repairs without being asked. Fred’s trust and devotion to God were contagious—his love of people disarming. Fred was funny and genuine, loving and kind. His conspicuous enjoyment of everyone he met leaves us all the richer for having had the privilege of knowing him. We thank God for Pastor Ney!

It’s been over fifteen years since Nancy Vibbert first became involved with the Hospitality Center. Nancy recalls, “ JoAnn Engard visited a Sunday School class
at Lower Providence Presbyterian Church with one of the clients. I was so touched by the client’s story and with JoAnn’s sincerity that I decided I wanted to help.”

Since that day Nancy has served the Hospitality Center in many ways. She has been a member of the Board of Directors, acting as Secretary for several years. Her clerical help in the office, answering phone calls, sorting mail, assisting clients, acknowledging donations, and processing payments has been invaluable. Although her days on the Board and her two days a week in the office have come to an end, she still finds time to speak at churches to gather support for the
Center and to fill in when needed in the office.

Nancy says of her time at the Center, “The Lord surely has a sense of humor. Just when we need something the most, someone seems to show up at our door with exactly what is needed. I’ve seen that happen many times. The Lord has been very faithful.”

When Nancy is not working for the Center, she is busy serving as a Deacon at Lower Providence Presbyterian Church. She and her husband, Frank, are very proud of their four (soon to be five) grandchildren.

Thank you, Nancy, for your years of faithfulness to Norristown Ministries! Your dedication to the poor and homeless is clearly done in the name of the Lord!

The Hospitality Center strives to provide appropriate services to meet the needs of the poor and homeless population in the Norristown area. This is a huge task, as the circumstances of each individual are unique. Some of our clients are veterans of our country’s Armed Forces and, thanks to volunteer Ed Postell, we are helping them to secure the support services from our government which they need and to which they are entitled. According to Ed Postell,himself a twenty-one year veteran of the United States Army,about six to eight percent of our clients have served in the military. Ed sees his role at the Center as a catalyst to identify our veterans and connect them to medical and housing services. veterans are not aware of this assistance or how to go about initiating the process, especially if they are poor or homeless and out of contact with veterans organizations.

Ed, a Norristown native,volunteers at the Center every Monday morning, greeting guests at the sign-in desk and sharing his Christian faith and experiences during devotional time. “The personal stories that I share are often related to my experiences in the Army,” states Ed . “It has been at these times that I discover veterans who are clients at the Center.”

Ed often refers these individuals to Rhonda Sandford, a social worker at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Coatesville. Rhonda, coordinator for Homeless Outreach Services, often travels to Norristown to the Coordinated Homeless Outreach Center (CHOC) to meet with homeless veterans.

Sometimes this has resulted in veterans receiving medical services or even being accepted into housing at the facility in Coatesville. Homeless veterans may contact Rhonda Sandford at 610-384-7711, extension 5619.

Father of three grown children and grandfather of six, Ed attends Fairview Village Church of the Nazarene. He sees his volunteer work at the Center as a God -given opportunity to serve the Lord.

We thank Ed for his dedication to serving the needs of the poor and homeless and especially to our veterans.

Imagine spending a cold winter night on the streets. You’re awake early in the morning and you are chilled to the bone, not to mention having nothing to eat since yesterday’s dinner. You enter the Hospitality Center and already you feel the warmth and smell of freshly brewed coffee. On the kitchen counter you see scones, bagels, and Danish, along with fresh fruit and cereal. It is a welcome sight to an empty stomach!

Read more: A Valued Partner: Panera Bread of Audubon

The Citizens’ Bank Foundation recently awarded a grant of $10,000 to Norristown Ministries. The money will help service homeless clients that turn to the ministry for help with addictions, depression and homelessness. Pictured, from left, are Emillio Cooper, executive vice president of Citizens’ Bank, presenting the check to Rich Whitekettle, president of the board of directors of Norristown Ministries and Rev.Kim Egolf-Fox, Interim Executive Director. Norristown Ministries serves 1,400 clients a year, providing breakfast, case management, showers, lockers, toiletries and transportation services.

The Hospitality Center is helped in our ability to facilitate progress for the homeless by the generous participation of local business partners.  Sam Class, owner/operator of Chick-fil-A of West Norriton heard about the Hospitality Center’s impact on homelessness through his church and was glad to join the effort.

Read more: A Valued Partner: Chick-Fil-A of West Norriton