In the Lehigh Valley, 15% of individuals live below the poverty line. New Bethany Ministries, located at 339 W. 4th Street in Bethlehem, feeds over 150 of these people each day in its meal center and provides groceries for over 300 families each month.
New Bethany Ministries celebrated its 25th year of servicing the community this past July. Their website will tell you that their mission is "to provide care, services and facilities to the homeless, the hungry, the mentally ill and the poor with a level of quality that exceeds that of secular agencies." The volunteers and members will all tell you that New Bethany Ministries fulfills that mission and much more.
The main building houses the family shelter, the food pantry, single rooms, administrative offices, and the Mollard Hospitality Center (a drop-in center offering day shelter, socialization, showers, clothing vouchers, telephone access, mailing services, hot meals, and 12-step support groups to homeless individuals). The Mollard Hospitality Center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Breakfast is served from 8 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. every day, and lunch is served weekdays from 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
Fiona Byrne, the Assistant Director at the Hospitality Center, said that despite the influx of people in need since the economic recession, only 15 people work at New Bethany Ministries. However, they are very lucky to have such a large group of volunteers: in 2011 alone, New Bethany had 778 volunteers for a total of 13,670 volunteer hours.
New Bethany Ministries is also the only provider of transitional housing for families in Northampton County. Families that have seen drastic financial struggles (such as losing a job suddenly) can live in transitional housing from 6 months to 1 year.
John Retliford has been volunteering at New Bethany Ministries for 12 years and lives in the Rooney Building on the South Side for 1/3 of the typical rent price. He enjoys volunteering because it gives him something to do and helps him to meet new and interesting people.
When asked what he would do if he won the lottery, Retliford said, "I would give it away mostly. I couldn't use all that money. Rich people -- they're not happy. They might think they are because they have money, but money is the root of all evil."
Despite the struggles many of the people at New Bethany Ministries face, they all have very positive attitudes and are thankful for the services they are provided with.
Zoraiva Muniz has been going with her husband to New Bethany Ministries for about 8 months. She had a stroke two years ago that left her blind and paralyzed on the left side of her body.
Muniz and her husband have had financial difficulties since her stroke because she can't work."So I live off Social Security and Welfare, Medicaid," Muniz said. "My husband doesn't get paid for taking care of me. He's supposed to but he doesn't."
Economically, Muniz and Retliford both say that they wouldn't categorize themselves as really poor. They both think they are at a mid-level across the nation.
To sum up, Muniz said, "This is a beautiful place, it's a blessing. This place, it's God. God will bless us."
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