Volunteers participate in cleanup days
It could happen to any of us.
No matter how things look now, an unexpected twist of fate could make you, or someone you know, homeless.
Just ask Kelly Lester, co-founder of Tent Valley Ministries, a grassroots organization that tends mainly to a homeless community situated near PennDOT’s administration building in Harrisburg.
Lester said that the residents of these tented woods “come from all sorts of different places in life.”
“Some are still recovering from COVID (shutdowns), some are veterans, some are everyday people who happen to have a mishap,” Lester said. “Most of us are just one step away, just one paycheck away from being in the same situation.”
One example? A man with a “six figures” income who recently spent a year living at the homeless community after his identity was stolen, according to Tent Valley co-founder Donna DeVore. He came to the encampment after being left with no money, no housing and a girlfriend who abandoned him.
Others are left homeless due to unemployment, natural disasters, personal issues, or just a bad turn of luck. The reasons vary; few are the same.
“If you sat down and talked to some of them, their stories would amaze you,” DeVore said.
Tent Valley Ministries was founded four years ago by a coalition of women representing four area churches. Lester represents Grace Temple of the Living God in Steelton, while DeVore represents Christ Community Church in Camp Hill.
Also working as co-founders are Sheri Emswiler of Fountain of Life Church in Middletown and Jocelyn Maddox of Shiloh Church of God in Christ in Swatara Township.
The women met while volunteering “out in the field,” assisting homeless around the city, according to Lester. Today, they’re accompanied by “a variety of people” on their weekly visits to the encampment, offering food, medical needs, clothing, and at times, even tents.
“My dream always was to have a cookout for these people,” Lester said. “We all met at dinner and started talking about doing a cookout. I’ve been doing this since 2020. I started out with soup and sandwiches at church as a missionary.”
Today, about 100 people reside in the tent encampment near PennDOT, according to Mischelle Moyer, director of communications for the City of Harrisburg. Moyer said that she believes that “some people […] prefer the encampment” to other available alternatives.
“We generally have homeless shelters with empty beds even in the coldest months because people do not wish to leave their pets or belongings even though we store belongings up to 30 days for free,” Moyer said. “Some people simply do not want rescued and wish to lead that way of life. They will take advantage of food and medical offerings. However, when it comes to living, they prefer the encampment.”
The biggest challenge the encampment currently faces is the impending replacement of the I-83 South Bridge. Construction is tentatively slated to begin in 2026, according to PennDOT. At that time, encampment tent residents will need to move from the area, DeVore stated.
For now, Lester said that, through Tent Valley, she wants the encampment’s occupants to “feel at home.”
“We bring them firewood bits, hats, gloves, hand warmers. It’s cold out there,” she said. “We take enough food so that we don’t run out.”
Last Feb. 15, Tent Valley hosted a “Love Day” at the encampment, for which the women made chili, hot coffee and desserts. The YMCA Center for Healthy Living provided care packages with thick, warm changes of socks, while other volunteers performed music around a community campfire.
Besides regular weekly supply visits, Tent Valley also celebrates Thanksgiving, Christmas, Independence Day and other holidays there with food, campfires and decorations for surrounding trees. Encampment residents, in turn, help the group with setups and “treat us like family,” Lester said.
Today, Tent Valley’s volunteer and donation network also includes Love Church of the Living God, Lifepoint Church, Baptist Fellowship Church, By His Mercy Ministries, Positive Attitude in Negative Situations (PAINS), Christian Churches United, Socks It 2 Me Inc., Elle & Olyv Baking Company, NP Blessed Decor & Rentals, Kennedy Blue Communications and Harrisburg Dairies.
While group members and passersby also offer donations, Lester said the group is “in the process” of becoming a state registered nonprofit organization eligible to apply for various funding grants.
In the meantime, Tent Valley encourages people to join their cause.
“They [encampment residents] are just regular people like us,” DeVore said. “They shouldn’t be shunned.”
For more information on Tent Valley Ministries, call 233-231-6805 or visit the group on Facebook.
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