Bethlehem Inn receives $25,000 bank donation
Bethlehem Inn received a $25,000 grant Monday from Bank of the Cascades to sponsor a transitional unit for homeless families in the upcoming planned construction of a family residence and service hub in Bend.
A presentation of the $25,000 grant funding occurred at Bethlehem Inn, with Bank of the Cascades executives and staff and board members of Bethlehem Inn.
The 18,600-square-foot facility will allow the Inn to serve more people, more effectively, and with greater cost-efficiency. As a combined family unit and service hub, the facility will provide shelter for ten families, replacing a dilapidated five-family facility.
Plans for the new facility also include a large commercial kitchen and dining room to support a larger resident population; a classroom to provide residents with access to education promoting self-sufficiency and upward mobility; and the program space needed to deliver best practice case management and programs that helps residents stabilize, work toward goals, and rebuild their lives.
The facility will be fully ADA-accessible, reflecting the Inn’s commitment to inclusion and strengthening, especially in its capacity to support homeless U.S. Veterans living with disabilities.
Bethlehem Inn Executive Director Gwenn Wysling commented: “The support of outstanding corporate partners such as Bank of the Cascades, with this extraordinary leadership gift, allows us to move forward with our plans to serve more of the area’s most needy with a facility that is designed specifically for the programs we provide.
“Everyone benefits when our homeless citizens are well cared for and supported through this critical transition from crisis to stability. I am very grateful to Bank of the Cascades for its generous and well-timed philanthropy.”
The need for new construction is also an existential necessity for Bethlehem Inn. Despite the demand for the program in Central Oregon, the services provided by Bethlehem Inn cannot be sustained in its current cramped quarters.
The current facility was not designed to meet the needs, nor provide the level of services, for the sheer number of individuals and families who come to the Inn for help. It is a very old motel, now long past its lifespan. Capacity at the Inn is limited to only five families at any given time, far short of current and projected needs.
Services will continue uninterrupted during the construction, which is scheduled to begin in March.
About Bethlehem Inn:
Bethlehem Inn is Central Oregon’s largest emergency shelter; providing shelter, food and case management services to over 1,100 adults and children last year; 70,000 meals were served to those in crisis. To learn more about Bethlehem Inn and how Transform Lives with Shelter, Help and Hope call 541.322.8768 or visit www.bethleheminn.org. Donations may also be mailed to Bethlehem Inn, P.O. Box 8540, Bend, OR 97708.
