For being over 90 years old, you would think that the American Rescue Workers (ARW) would be slowing down, but that is definitely not the case.
Once again, the ARW is stepping up to help those in need by planning a holiday drive-thru-only food distribution on December 20th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at their Elmira Street facility in Williamsport. Employees and volunteers will be on hand to serve approximately 1,200 families, with each family receiving either a ham or a turkey, a 10-pound box of fresh produce, a bag with milk, eggs, butter, and bread, as well as a box of dry goods to be used to prepare the holiday meal. The food for the distribution is purchased in collaboration with the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank on behalf of the ARW.
The Junior League of Williamsport will be helping to pre-pack some of the items on December 17th in preparation.
This year, there is a pre-registration for the event, and food will be distributed to only those families that have pre-registered.
The food will be handed out on Elmira Street this year. Cars may enter from Park Avenue, proceed in a double lane north on Elmira Street, and exit on High Street (last year, it was on Bridge Street). There will be volunteers outside to assist with food distribution. Pre-registered recipients may not arrive early, as parking will not be available.
EuroOptic and UPMC are the presenting sponsors for the food distribution. Additional sponsors include AAA North Penn, Geisinger, Wegman’s, and AmeriHealth Caritas Pennsylvania.
In addition to the food distribution, the ARW will be holding a drive-up Christmas Dinner from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Christmas Day. The dinner will be similar to the one that was held on Thanksgiving at the ARW’s furniture donation dock at 643 Elmira Street. Those wanting a hot meal are welcome to drive up; pre-registration is NOT required. Meals will be served on a first-come, first-served basis. Please call by Friday, December 20th, no later than 4 p.m. to have a meal delivered to shut-ins. The ARW will plan for approximately 350 meals to be served on Christmas Day. Volunteers are still needed for Christmas Day, and applications can be completed at arwwilliamsport.org/about/volunteer-information.
For those needing assistance more regularly, ARW’s food pantry is open at the Social Service Center Monday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The American Rescue Workers have a long history of helping the community, going as far back as 1917, when the Reverend Morehart was feeding the hungry through various churches and, eventually, when he started Calvary Rescue Mission.
The ARW in Williamsport was officially founded in 1934 and has helped hundreds of thousands of Lycoming County residents since that time.
Reverend Morehart began his mission by founding Calvary Rescue Mission in a small duplex off West Edwin Street to provide a place to sleep and food for low-income individuals. He continued his mission until the mid-1950s.
The organization’s leadership changed several more times until, in 1980, Captain Claude Astin Jr. took over leadership of the ARW, further expanding the ministry by purchasing Lowry Electric Company to accommodate more homeless men.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the ARW continued to grow by establishing shelters for families, women, and children.
In 1996, Colonel Claude Astin Jr. became the new Commander-in-Chief.
Then, in 1997, the National Headquarters of ARW relocated permanently to Williamsport, with Majors Sam and Dawn Astin appointed as Commanding Officers, continuing the mission.
In 2006, the new Social Service Center was opened, and the ongoing operations of the Elmira Street warehouse underscore the organization’s commitment to sustainability and community support.
Annually, ARW provides shelter to over 750 homeless men, women, and children and serves approximately 100,000 meals to residents and members of the community. Their shelter on Campbell Street, Saving Grace Shelter, serves men, women, and children, while the Fresh Start program on Elmira Street serves men and is a 9-12 month work therapy program. The ARW also operates a short-term, 30-day men’s emergency shelter at Elmira Street.
The Social Services Center provides financial assistance as well as case management. These services are distributed to individuals yearly, including 10,000 families who receive groceries.
The focus of the ARW is to help members of the community reach self-sufficiency through work programs, shelter, food, case management, and holistic guidance. In addition, they provide over $200,000 annually in rental and utility assistance to prevent a homeless crisis from occurring because of shut-off notices or eviction.
For over 90 years, the ARW has provided food and shelter to thousands of people in Lycoming County and has treated them with the dignity and respect they deserve, but serving the community can be costly. The ARW is primarily funded through the resale and recycling of donated goods in their 10 Thrift Store locations. Other critical annual funding comes from grants, as well as a generous foundation and individual and corporate donors. For more information, you can check out the American Rescue Workers online at http://www.arwwilliamsport.org. Better yet, if you would like to donate, you can donate via PayPal on their website or mail your donation to:
American Rescue Workers
643 Elmira St., Williamsport, PA 17701
570-323-8401
