Bethlehem Inn homeless shelter moves into new building

The Bethlehem Inn homeless shelter in Bend has spent the past several days moving into its long-awaited new Adult Residence building.

On Friday, NewsChannel 21 employees were on hand to help in the move to the new facility, next to the former motel where the year-round shelter began over a decade ago.

Officials say the original structure will be demolished soon, to provide more room for parking.

Station employees helped organize clothes and washed and folded linens in the laundry room.

Gwenn Wysling, Bethlehem Inn’s executive director, said the upgrade was much needed, giving them more rooms to work with, better facilities and even heated sidewalks.

“We’ve been in this old motel since 2007, having 84 beds, and now we have 112 beds,” Wysling said. “So we’re able to serve more adult residents in our community that are just needing a place to stay while they get back on their feet.”

The new building, for single adults, joins a family shelter on the site that opened nearly a year ago. The 20-year-old organization began as a winter-only shelter that rotated among various churches in the area. It staged a $9 million fundraising campaign for its new facilities.

At one point on Friday, a donor drove up with several shirts for the closet. She also brought flowers for those who don’t have the means to celebrate Mother’s Day this weekend.

To learn more about the Bethlehem Inn and how you can help, visit https://bethleheminn.org/