Marsha Curry and Timothy White
Last August, on a hot summer day, Amiracle Community opened in South Harrisburg, offering space to those displaced by the closure of the nearby “tent city.” The nonprofit Amiracle4Sure acquired the land to offer a place for tents, along with much better access to amenities and services. Recently, we sat down with the executive director, Marsha Curry, who runs the community with her son, Timothy, to find out how it’s going and what comes next.
Please give us some background about Amiracle Community.
Its intention is to provide housing options for a group of individuals, 100-plus individuals, who have been relocated from the encampment. So, we purchased this space with the intention of providing a space for them to call home.
What motivated you to start Amiracle Community?
I have experienced homelessness in my past. Prior to coming to Harrisburg, I was in Philadelphia, where I struggled with maintaining and sustaining housing due to a variety of reasons. With that being said, I have a heart, and for the last five years, maybe more, I have been engaged in this countywide community through the Capital Area Coalition on Homelessness. It’s a group of individuals who care for the unhoused community, provide resources and support, and so I’ve been a voice in that space as a person with lived experience. Through my interaction there, for years, we had been talking about finding an alternative to housing for those that were about to be displaced.
What do you regard as the mission of Amiracle Community?
It is to respect and value the needs of the unhoused community, to provide support and stability with dignity and respect. That’s about the gist of it.
Can you offer some examples of the impact you’ve had?
I believe the last time we did a count, over 145 individuals have come through this space, have lived in this space. We welcome them and help give them the opportunity to transition. Through direct support, we’re able to provide case management services and help individuals acquire the necessities that they need. If moving into housing is an alternative, we assist with getting that paperwork completed. I think that is something that wasn’t at the previous location, having direct contact with supportive services. They can apply for benefits, put in housing applications and do other things. When people are hungry in our space, the community has responded and provided food. So, I think it’s a good thing that they have a community of support. We collaborate with mental health, substance abuse and several faith-based organizations that do street outreach. Those individuals that had been serving them at the previous location are now serving them at the Amiracle Community location.
What kinds of challenges have you experienced?
When we first started, it was the heat—burning hot in August. So, we got funding to build pavilions so that they could go and sit under to prevent from being impacted by the heat. Then we weren’t sure how we were going to handle the winter. With the snow, we’ve had tents collapse, but, again, funding allowed for us to be able to replace those tents, rehab those tents, and make sure that that individual has housing. With donations that we get, we get to restore those things.
What’s next for Amiracle Community?
We are looking to work with an engineer to help us put vision to this piece of property, and how we can bring the resources that are necessary. One of the things we talk about is helping people move into more permanent, structured housing. We’d like to guide them and direct them in that process. We want to make sure they have the things that we have when we go home, such as a kitchen, a bathroom, and making sure that they have someone to teach them the skills to cook and take care of themselves or help them get access to services that they need. So, we’ve started to dream and plan around that right now, and that’s going to take a lot of money. Our very next step, our next immediate need, would be to cover the tent area with the temporary structure. My prayers, if I were to ask for one right now, is to have the funding to be able to build that structure so that we won’t have to be concerned about difficult weather. That, to me, is the most immediate need right now.
What’s the best way for people to help you?
Of course, everything comes down to finances, right? We have an Amazon wish list that’s on our website. People have been so amazing—the hand warmers, the hot chocolate, the coffee, the food, the clothing. So, the community has been responsive, but right now, I think we could most use monetary donations.
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