Construction begins on new homeless shelter
Construction of Jack's House of Hope, the new homeless shelter to be operated by the Friends of the Homeless of Tuscarawas County, is now underway.
The Friends of the Homeless of Tuscarawas County has broken ground on Jack’s House of Hope, a new shelter and multipurpose facility designed to serve the unhoused and others in need in the community.
The start of construction culminates more than three years of planning. The Friends of the Homeless of Tuscarawas County is constructing the facility immediately behind the current shelter at 211 E. High Ave. in New Philadelphia.
The House of Hope is named in honor of Jack Ream, who founded the Friends of the Homeless and was instrumental in opening the current shelter in 2005. The House of Hope will be attached to the current shelter building and will include 14 individual rooms for men, 13 rooms for women and four rooms for families.
The building also includes a chapel, dining room, kitchen, offices, meeting rooms, community space for shelter guests and an interior courtyard with a playground.
“This is more than a shelter for the unhoused. We will be able to better serve our guests with privacy and dignity, helping those in need find permanent housing and receive the services they need to improve their lives,” said Rev. Joe Svancara, Friends of the Homeless Board president.
Svancara is pastor of the First Presbyterian Church next door to the current shelter. His church congregation gifted to the Friends of the Homeless the current shelter building and the property where the House of Hope is being constructed.
“The new building will provide the space and resources that will enable the Friends of the Homeless to work even more closely with the social service agencies in our area that serve the unhoused and others on the margins in our community,” FOTH Executive Director Calvin White said.
Coblentz Renovations LLC is the general contractor for the project. Construction is expected to take nine to 12 months. The Friends of the Homeless shelter and all the services provided by the organization will remain open during construction. In addition to providing shelter to the unhoused, the Friends of the Homeless distributes food boxes, hats, gloves, blankets and hygiene products to community residents in need.
The Friends of the Homeless is currently conducting a fundraising drive to finance the construction. The 20,000-square-foot facility is estimated to cost $5 million. To date, the campaign has raised about $3 million in donations and pledges during the last three years.
“We greatly appreciate the support this project has received from dozens of donors in the community,” said Jeff Mathias, House of Hope Committee co-chair.
Donors can make contributions online by visiting the Jack’s House of Hope page on the Friends of the Homeless website at www.fothtusc.org. Donors also can call Connie Clarke at 330-204-7657 or Matt Ritzert at 330-827-5710 for more information about giving options.
“No donation is too small, and all contributions will help the Friends of the Homeless change lives and create hope for people in our community in desperate need of a hand up and a fresh start,” said Ritzert, co-chair of the House of Hope Committee.
Donations to the campaign can be made in a lump-sum payment or spread out over three years.
Since opening in 2005, the Friends of the Homeless shelter has provided housing to more than 4,500 men, women and children. Thousands more have received food boxes and other assistance.
The Friends of the Homeless is currently planning to renovate the current shelter after construction of the new facility is completed. The building will house the Pathway to Wellness Recovery Program in collaboration with Dr. Mark Welty and the Wellmore Centre. The building also will be used for storage, offices and other social service agencies.
Call Svancara at 440-396-4151 or Ritzert at 330-827-5710.