It was a time to reflect on the strides that were made, with an eye toward the future.

The Lehighton Cold Weather Station held an end-of-season celebration event for its volunteers and supporters recently at the Bethany Wesleyan Church’s Lehighton campus.

More than 30 people attended the event, which included a light meal, according to Grace Clayton, a volunteer with the Lehighton Cold Weather Station at Ebenezer Church, 119 S. Third St., Lehighton.

Clayton said the group discussed experiences of volunteering at the shelter, as well as personal learnings and growth from the experience, along with challenges facing neighbors in need.

“It was just an opportunity to share, everybody talking about their experience,” Clayton said. “For most people, it was their first time volunteering like this.”

Jessica Jones, a co-founder of Operation Cold Front, mirrored that sentiment.

“The volunteers had an opportunity to just share some specific interaction with our guests, some of them funny, some of them heartbreaking,” Jones said. “It just kind of gave everybody an opportunity to discuss and process everything that happened over the season.”

Clayton said it was also about the volunteers recognizing how hard it was for the homeless, and the barriers they encountered at every turn.

“A lot of people realize it’s not easy to find a job when you don’t have a place to shower for your job interview, when you have to walk, when you run out of minutes on your phone and are not receiving calls saying you’re receiving a job interview,” she said. “All of those barriers make it very difficult, and how it opens your eyes.”

Grassroots effort

In addition to being a success, Clayton said the Lehighton Cold Weather Station was a true grassroots community effort in which the community pulled together to support vulnerable neighbors, and fostered relationships and understanding between different groups.

Clayton noted that nine individuals found shelter, and four individuals went through detox, and added “the reality is we’ve got lot more work to do to address these issues in our community.”

“The Cold Weather Station success demonstrates that loving and including our vulnerable neighbors is what makes an ordinary community into an extraordinary one,” she said. “We are stronger together. Everyone has something to contribute.”

Clayton noted they are working on launching two new related projects beginning next month.

She said the group is looking for any volunteers, along with individuals who can provide support services such as graphic designers, website and bookkeeping, as well as legal expertise.

“We would love to engage; we would love for people to engage at some point with the unsheltered population,” Clayton said. “It’s not just chaperoning or cooking meals; there’s so many other things that you can get involved with.”

Jones said that while their winter season is over, they will look to start the planning and working on next year’s Cold Weather Shelter, which will open at the end of this year.

She said anyone interested in volunteering may reach out to their website, Facebook (Lehighton Cold Station), and email.

Jones, who grew up in Lehighton, said it was an amazing experience.

“It opened my eyes; I’ve lived here my whole life and had no idea there were so many people living as homeless in our area,” she said. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would serve 53 people.”

Clayton said that from the time the Lehighton Cold Weather Station opened Dec. 1 until it closed the evening of March 26, the most difficult shift to fill was from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m., and noted that one volunteer who is working two jobs somehow managed to fulfill at least 60% of those shifts.

The organization

The Lehighton Cold Weather Station is a coalition of churches under the support of St. Vincent de Paul Society of SS. Peter & Paul.

The basement of Ebenezer United Methodist Church is open at 6 p.m. for registration and dinner to the homeless when the temperatures are 25 degrees or lower at night.

Nancy Berchtold, officer of St. Vincent de Paul Society of SS. Peter & Paul in Lehighton, said they provide food, mostly from volunteers and folks donating food items, but that they would love to have donations of nighttime meals.

Berchtold said they are seeking more volunteers and donations to offset costs for heating, and are grateful for any assistance.

The Lehighton Cold Weather Station is always accepting hand warmers, hats and gloves, and chaperone hours. They are located at the corner of Third and South streets in town by the park.

Those interested in volunteering may sign up to provide meals or chaperone at lehightoncoldweatherstation.org. For more information, call 570-657-6738.