Poverty in the Lehigh Valley -- New Bethany Ministries

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."

Women in the Lehigh Valley Economy

For much of our country’s history, women have been seen as inferior to men.  The men were seen as the breadwinners of their families, while the women were left to care for their children and tend to the house.

However, it is obvious that times have changed.  Women have risen to the status of men in the business world, and their power continues to grow.  The women of the Lehigh Valley exemplify this.

When examining the Bethlehem area, it is clear there are a large number of businesses operated and managed by women.  Since 2007, at least eight new businesses have been opened by women in the area.  These businesses include Loose Threads Boutique, Shuze, and Hello Burrito.

Women have a ton of opportunities to find work in the Lehigh Valley.  Tiffany, an employee at Apotheca Salon and Boutique on Third Street, agrees.

“It wasn’t that hard for me to find employment in the Lehigh Valley,” she said.  “I feel like hair and cosmetology is something that always has an opening position.”

However, she does not deny that there may be a bit more opportunities for men in other areas.  “I feel like maybe in other industries men get paid more.”

Nevertheless, Tiffany does not witness any discrimination towards women or men in Apotheca.  “We have male employees and we interview males,” she said.  “Here, there’s no discrimination against anybody.”

Though she does acknowledge some inequality in the workforce, Tiffany also feels like motivation and effort, not gender, is what really allows people to succeed. “If you can’t get a job I think it’s pretty much because you’re not trying hard enough,” she said.

Just down the street is another female entrepreneur at Cleo’s Silversmith Studio.  Chelsea, a resident of the Lehigh Valley, inherited the business from her mother. 

Chelsea definitely recognizes inequality in the workforce between men and women.  “I think it’s harder for women everywhere,” she said.  “I know more men who I graduated high school with that have jobs now than women even though both have degrees.”

There is an organization called Office of Minority and Women-Owned Businesses (OMWOB) located in the Lehigh Valley that helps support women and minorities with employment in the area. This group strives to do things such as help with business planning, and promote and support entrepreneurship companies started by females and minority community members.

Statistics for Bethlehem, PA show that the most common industries that Bethlehem females work in are Health Care at 18%, Educational Services at 17%, and Accommodation and Food Services at 8%. The most common occupations for Bethlehem women are Office and Administrative Support Workers at 7%, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants at 6%, and Teachers and Cleaning/Maintenance at 4%.

According to the census taken in 2010, Bethlehem had 74,982 residents. Of those residents, 12.8% of households had a female householder with no husband present. There were also 100 females per every 91.5 males in Bethlehem.

It is a stereotype nationwide that men are more likely to receive job offers than women, and when they are employed men are categorized as receiving more money as a salary then women. From talking to several women in the Bethlehem area, we have gathered that they are more optimistic about employment opportunities locally compared to the national stereotype. Yet, they also have their doubts due to their individual experiences, which means that this opinion could differ depending on who you ask individually.

Tiffany from Apotheca Salon and Spa had a personal opinion on the topic of female stereotypes in the workplace, because she is in the cosmetology field. She feels that there are always opportunities for employment in this area, because you need a specific skill in order to have the position, which is also typically female-dominated.

Chelsea from Cleo’s Silversmith Studio also had a unique situation in terms of her view of stereotypes for hiring in the area. Since she was hired by her mother, who started the company, she naturally didn’t have trouble finding employment. Yet, she touched more on the specific issue of men who come into the store to shop. These customers are sometimes snooty and feel that a young girl’s opinion is not any better than their own, or that it is valued less than if the advice came from a male employee. Under these circumstances internally in a company, Chelsea admitted that she definitely sees a divide between males and females in the workplace.

Lehigh University Career Services Battles Unemployment Rates

While the national economy and unemployment rate are still struggling, the Lehigh Valley has seen some improvement in recent months. Despite having its lowest unemployment rate of 8.1 percent in the past three years, many residents remain searching for jobs and resources to help them find employment.

Lehigh University’s Career Services provides many resources to provide aid to its students and alumni who have been negatively affected by the struggling economy. Although the services are only available to members of the Lehigh community, they do in fact help the local economy by placing qualified workers in job within the area. According to the office's Undergraduate Placement Summary, 24 percent of job placement by the Career Services happens in Pennsylvania. So, its effects are potentially helping the Lehigh Valley’s economy in a more indirect manner.

Donna Goldfeder, director of Career Services, said the resources she and other representatives provide have had an impact on helping recent graduates gain employment for after graduation. Even in the worse economic times, Goldfeder said the students were still finding jobs.

“In the first years, 2008, 2009, somewhat even 2010, I think what we were really seeing is the students were still getting the jobs almost that same percentages as always, but they didn’t have so many choices,” she said.

Goldfeder described that in 2006, a student could have received five or six job offers, but by 2008, students were glad to have a single employment option lined up. The first class to start having more options following graduation was the class of 2011, and future classes will start to see more as well.

The fact that graduates are seeking out entry-level jobs has also alleviated some of the job search woes of the ongoing economic downturn, Goldfeder said. Those positions become available much sooner than more advanced levels, which helps recent graduates who aren’t seeking higher positions within a company like their older, more experienced competition.

Among the center’s various resume, mock interview and job seeking services, one program stands out as having helped the largest percentage of students. LUCIE, an online database where Lehigh students can login to see current career listings, is how 59 percent of graduates found their jobs. Goldfeder also noted that most of the 13 percent of students who earned employment following an internship or co-op probably found those opportunities through LUCIE. The database post hundreds of available employment positions each month, and it is Career Services’ leading tool to helping students have success in their job search.

The statistics show popularity for LUCIE and other online resources, which is mirrored by the students’ feelings about them.

Kathleen Ryan, a junior finance and economics major, has found both LUCIE and the Career Services office helpful in searching for possible job opportunities.

 “I find that the online services [and] LUCIE are really helpful because it’s easy to navigate, and you can upload your resume and cover letters right on the website,” she said.

Ben Hulac, a junior political science and journalism major, said he sees advantages to having a resource like LUCIE.

“It’s pretty helpful to see what’s out there,” he said. “[…] but it’s frustrating that opportunities aren’t close to campus.”

Hulac described that many of the internship and employment opportunities that are listed online are for jobs in locations like major cities. New York City and Washington, D.C., stand out as having the most job opportunities for jobs he's looking for.

Goldfeder agreed that many job prospects are looking to place employees in the major cities, but she has seen many graduates move back to the Lehigh Valley, or neighboring areas, after having been employed for a while in a different location. 

Also, the campus climate seems to relate that certain sectors, such as business and engineering, seem to offer more job possibilities on LUCIE.

“It’s just hard to deny that business and engineering majors and students have some sort of leg up [on the competition],” Hulac said.

In reference to the two percent of graduates who have to continue their job search following graduation, Goldfeder said Career Services continues to offer support to help those people get placed in appropriate companies.

“There are just certain majors that the types of employers don’t know as much in advance how many people they’re going to have to hire. A lawyer’s office, a hospital, a museum will hire just in time. And students who want to work for those types of employers might find themselves still seeking after graduation,” she said. “And we’ve always the LUCIE account to those students.”

While Goldfeder advocates the use of the resources Career Services has to offer, she has one other piece of advice for students and alumni: “You’re going to hear everywhere that the key to doing a successful job search at any level is networking. Lehigh alums are just amazing, and any and every student, and alum, should take advantage of that network and use it to get advice and leads.”

Story by Melissa Collins, '13

Entrepreneurs in Bethlehem, Pa.

Amid the large chain stores in the Lehigh Valley there are countless small businesses owned by passionate entrepreneurs working to make their business thrive in an America that seems to favor large corporations.

Starting and building your own business is no small feat.  Just ask Kathy Graybill, owner of Spa Soleil on E 3^rd St in Bethlehem. It took Graybill approximately a year and a half to open her luxury spa, which offers nail, hair and massage services.

“It is not a woman’s world out there,” Graybill said as she pushed back a perfectly highlighted chunk of blond hair.

“I had a lot of contracting situations that had happened that – they took my money and they ran,” Graybill said. “It was a rough ride [to open my business], but it was all worth it in the end.”

Graybill opened Spa Soleil in 2003 with her daughter. Recognizing a need for a day spa on the South Side of Bethlehem, Graybill has successfully marketed her spa’s services to Lehigh University students and staff, as well as other members of the greater Lehigh Valley community.

Spa Soleil managed to stay afloat during these hard economic times. Many small businesses felt the blow of the faltering economy and were forced out of business, but Graybill’s spa continued to turn a profit. She believes this is largely due to Spa Soleil’s expansion into hair services. Sands Casino, only minutes away from the spa, has also brought in more patrons.

In fact, Graybill thinks her business is even more crucial given these tough economic times.

“The whole point of having a day spa is because I care about people, and it’s all about making people feel good, especially in this economy,” Graybill said as she wiggled her pink pedicured toes. Owning a spa means your job is to make people feel relaxed and happy, Graybill said.

“And [to make] them look prettier!” Graybill said. “And younger… and younger and younger!” she adds with a laugh.

Being a strong entrepreneur does not come easily.  Loraylie Aguilar, manager of the newly opened Sweet G’s on E 4^th St. in Bethlehem, said being successful requires patience and kindness.

"You need to be good with people. You always have to be nice. You always have to be aware of what people want,” Aguilar said, whose store, which specializes in perfumes and electronics, opened Feb. 1.

Aguilar admittedly struggles with this side of entrepreneurship. As a mother of three, Aguilar is used to respect and order. But being a mother has greatly helped Aguilar run Sweet G’s seamlessly.

“I run the store like I’m running my house: on a schedule. Everything has to be a certain way and everything needs to be done a certain way,” Aguilar said.

Juggling motherhood and her business is difficult, but her children – ages 18, 13, and 5 – all help out around the house when she’s working.

As the boss of her home, Aguilar enjoys being the boss at work, too. Her favorite thing is “not answering to no one” and being able to make her own choices and decisions.

Aguilar always wanted to be an entrepreneur. She originally hoped to open a bakery, but going through the US Department of Health and Human Services seemed too daunting of a task. As Aguilar assessed her other options, she recognized a need for a store in Bethlehem that provided lower priced electronic accessories and goods.

Aguilar prices her products by thinking of her own personal price range and whether she could afford something in the store.

“If I can’t afford to buy something here, no one else can,” Aguilar said as she fixed her oversized t-shirt with her business’s name on it. This mentality has shaped the pricing model for Sweet G’s, even if the store only makes a few dollars in profit off of a single sale.

It is inevitable that all entrepreneurs will face challenges as they operate their small business, but one of the most important things is to stick with it, said Graybill.

“Stick with it even when you’re down,” Graybill said, who also noted that she has had many moments in which she has felt defeated.

When asked what else is needed in order to be a successful small business owner, Graybill’s voice softened.

“[Go] after what you really want – not what people tell you [you want]. You really have to have it in the gut and in the heart,” Graybill said with a small smile.

“Hang in there.”

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Victory House: How Poverty, Homelessness and Unequal Employment Opportunities Have Affected Men in the Lehigh Valley

Victory House is a non-profit, community-based organization, which caters to homeless men and veterans, located in Bethlehem, PA.

Victory House has significantly expanded since it was opened in 1985, and currently offers 40 beds to homeless men and veterans.  When executive director Pat DiLuzio began working at Victory House in 1999, there were only 28 beds.  The expansion to victory house occurred between 2006 and 2007 due to the higher demand after the economy took a downward turn.

"In the last several years, we've seen an increase in the number of clients coming through Victory House," DiLuzio said.  "We've seen an increase in the number of veterans we served.  So like in last year [2011] we saw 113 men come through victory house, and I believe it was 50 of them who were veterans."

DiLuzio said the economy in the past two to three years has caused low wages, resulting in poverty and forcing many clients of Victory House to become unable to afford housing.  DiLuzio said other problems that land men and veterans in Bethlehem in shelters such as Victory House include medical issues and inability to afford medical insurance, along with drug and alcohol problems.

Victory House has 19 transitional housing beds, which are occupied by clients who will be staying at Victory House for an extended period of time and 21 emergency shelter beds, which are used in emergency cases.  DiLuzio said there is a waiting list for beds in Victory House, and in the last six to eight months they have been close to full capacity.

DiLuzio said veterans typically stay at Victory House longer than other men due to particular issues they have such as post-traumatic stress disorder.  On average, veterans will stay at Victory House for about seven or eight months but sometimes up to a year.  Non-veterans typically occupy a transitional bed at Victory House for about four months.

Ron Zigler, a veteran client of Victory House, said homelessness due to unemployment has caused him to end up in the shelter.  Despite his qualifications and certifications in forklift operations, warehouse logistics and chemical mixing, Zigler has been unable to find a stable job that would allow him to escape poverty.  Zigler said he has a specifically hard time finding a job due to a minor criminal record he has, resulting from a simple assault charge.

DiLuzio said the population of homeless veterans in the Lehigh Valley is very close to the number of homeless veterans on the national scale.  According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, 23 percent of the homeless population are veterans.  However, DiLuzio said many veterans do not look for assistance despite their impoverished lifestyles, and therefore there is no way to get an exact number of homeless veterans in the Lehigh Valley.

Non-veteran clients of Victory House often end up there due to alcohol and drug abuse issues.  DiLuzio said though Victory House caters to men between the ages of 18 to 65, the average age of clients is between 35 and 40.

"Typically, that's the individual who has maybe been in and out of rehab centers, have been homeless for a while, in and out of hospitals for medical reasons dealing with mental health," DiLuzio said.  "And at some point in time anybody who has been addicted to drugs or alcohol comes to the conclusion that they cannot continue that way anymore because they've lost their family, they've lost their job, they've lost their house, they've lost everything."

DiLuzio said the biggest challenges clients of Victory House face after leaving include staying drug and alcohol free, affording health insurance, finding affordable housing and finding employment.

Donald Smith, a non-veteran client of Victory House, has been living there for a month.  He said his mental disabilities (bipolar disorder and ADHD) along with an abusive relationship caused him to end up homeless.  After thinking about committing suicide, Smith checked himself into a hospital, and is currently in the transitional period at Victory House.

"I have a very strong work ethic, but I have a hard time with people giving me a chance," Smith said.  "If they just could see me work and not worry about my past, I would feel a lot better."

DiLuzio said there are eight homeless shelters in the Lehigh Valley, but there are still approximately 2700 men, women and children that remain on the streets within the area.  He said the Lehigh Valley could use more shelters, but housing is the issue.  DiLuzio said the Lehigh County Housing Authority is probably doing the best they can with the resources they have, but more funding is necessary to get homeless people off the streets, into the shelters and eventually into affordable housing.

Unemployed in the Lehigh Valley

The Lehigh Valley, like the rest of the country, has been affected by the recession. Unemployment is often a telling factor in evaluating the state of the economy.  At the end of 2011, the Lehigh Valley’s unemployment rate was 8.1%, compared to the national rate of 8.7%.  Though this rate is lower than the national rate, unemployment has affected a large amount of people in a great way in the last few years.

Vanessa Williams and her husband Dan Morick are just two of the Lehigh Valley residents that are a part of that 8.1%.

Williams, who is in the public relations and social media field, has been unemployed since June 2011.  “It was really hard because at the time my husband was laid off as well and you kind of go into panic mode and, ‘What am I going to do?’” she said.  “But you kind of pick yourself up off the ground and you keep moving forward.” (See video below)

Williams definitely stresses the challenges that unemployment can present, which includes making daily sacrifices.  However, she has a positive outlook on her situation.  “It’s been difficult, you know, it hasn’t been easy, but at the same time I almost wouldn’t give it back because I feel like I’ve learned so much over the past two years,” she said.

Williams also remains proactive and continuously tries to update her skills in order to end her unemployment streak.  She focuses on moving forward and staying up to date with the market that she is trying to jump back in to.  “One thing my professor told me when I was in college is to always have your resume fresh,” she said.

Morick, also unemployed, is in the mechanical engineering field.  He has also felt the pressure of unemployment.  “It almost seems like the instability that I have been experiencing is the new normal,” he said.

However, though Morick has experienced ups and downs in his career in the Lehigh Valley, he is still optimistic of the valley’s situation.  “It seems like the Lehigh Valley is pretty resilient in comparison with the rest of the country in the recession,” he said.

It is evident that unemployment in the Lehigh Valley region (Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton) is actually improving at a faster rate than it is nationally. This can be contributed to more individuals finding work, or a growing proportion of individuals opting to remain unemployed, thus lowering the unemployment rate.

As Williams mentioned in our interview, a company called CareerLink Lehigh Valley was overwhelmed with calls especially around the peak of the recession from 2008-2009, and is still working hard to find jobs for all those unemployed in the area. CareerLink explains that the Lehigh Valley is aiming for growth in a few key industry clusters, including Healthcare and Life Sciences, Diversified Manufacturing and Services, Business and Professional Services, Information and Communication, Financial Services, and Energy/Green Manufacturing and Services. These areas are selected due to the belief that they will make the most improvement on the status of unemployment in the Lehigh Valley.

While the unemployment rate in Bethlehem has been lower than the national unemployment rate in the past year, it was still higher than that in Pennsylvania. Bethlehem had a 10% unemployment rate as of March 2011, whereas Pennsylvania had a rate of 8%.

The employment status of Bethlehem men in the labor force is 64.4% and women is 54%. The current unemployment status of Bethlehem men is 9% and women is 6.8%. As Williams and Morick discussed, things are looking up for the Lehigh Valley employment status, and locals are still more than willing and optimistic to continue to search for jobs in the Bethlehem area instead of spreading farther outside the district.

As long as the community is still able to come together and work to hold jobs in our area, it is looking more hopeful that the unemployment rate will continue to decrease until it is as close to zero as possible. Yet, it is becoming more common in today’s world to be let go from a job and have to look for another one, so it is recommended that everyone be on the constant lookout for openings, even if they are happy at their current job.