Kyla Harvey, executive director of Shalom House
An Allison Hill nonprofit has a new initiative to make getting help more convenient.
While Shalom House is a nonprofit that primarily provides assistance and housing to women and children, the organization hopes to reach the wider community with a drop-in resource center.
“We just want to help people in the community,” said Mya Crawford, a case manager at Shalom House. “Anything people need help with, we will be here to help them.”
On March 14, Shalom House will open its community drop-in center to the public. Staff will provide assistance and resources for needs such as securing housing, managing finances, filing for disability and finding mental health services, among other things. Anyone in need of help is welcome to walk into the center, Crawford explained. Computers will also be available to access.
Additionally, Shalom House plans to offer monthly educational courses to the public.
The drop-in center will be open on Mondays, from 3 to 7 p.m. and Wednesdays, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The resource center is only part of a new vision and direction for Shalom House, which is under new leadership this past year.
Last September, former Shalom House board member Kyla Harvey took over as the organization’s new executive director.
Harvey has a degree in social work and has previously served as program director at the Camp Curtin YMCA and executive director of the Neighborhood Center of the United Methodist Church in Harrisburg.
Harvey’s own past experience as a single mother makes her passionate about Shalom House’s mission and helps her identify with the families they serve, she said.
“I’m truly passionate about helping women of all ages,” she said.
Shalom House currently operates a 22-bed emergency shelter for women and children near its office on S. 15th Street. However, Harvey has plans to possibly expand the organization’s offerings by adding additional housing in their main building.
Shalom House purchased their building, formerly the Unitarian Church of Harrisburg, in 2019 with plans to renovate the building for use as a community center. They also partnered with Capital Area Head Start which has offices in the building. Under the previous director, Denise Britton, Shalom House considered building transitional and emergency housing on lots behind the main building.
However, most of the plans were put on hold during the pandemic and much of the building still needs work, Harvey said.
Her new plan includes creating 12 apartment units for people in need of temporary shelter and two larger units for longer-term living. The additional units are especially needed, with the effects of COVID and a lack of affordable housing that makes securing housing more difficult.
“COVID has really created a huge issue for the homeless population,” Harvey said.
She hopes to begin work on the project before this time next year, she said.
It’s not just homelessness that Harvey is focused on in her role at Shalom House, but also what causes it. The new drop-in community center is one way to address those issues.
“My vision is to provide housing, but also to provide preventative measures so people don’t become homeless,” she said.
Shalom House is located at 9 S. 15th St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit https://shalomhouse.net/.
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