Partnering with the Keystone Opportunity Center
in Souderton, PA
Our church partners with other area churches to provide the salary of Keystone's community case manager who in turn helps encourage and empower community members to become self-sufficient. The Opportunity Center receives funding from the county and state, and while not overtly a Christian organization, they publicly acknowledge that much of their support and many of their volunteers are from area churches. What a testimony to the fact that Christians actively care for their neighbors in need!
Although Bucks and Montgomery counties are 2 of the wealthiest in Pennsylvania, more need exists than we may initially recognize. Housing can be difficult to afford and finding transportation in commuter communities is challenging. We don’t frequently see homeless individuals on the streets in Harleysville, but Keystone assures us they are certainly present, often living out of their cars in parking lot or other public places.
Keystone is unique because they provide a variety of social services under one roof. The center collaborates with hundreds of local volunteers to:
- House the homeless in Bucks and Montgomery Counties - emergency and transitional shelters, help with obtaining and maintaining permanent housing
- Feed the hungry through a food pantry which serves hundreds
- Educate children and adults - ESL classes, GED test preparation, family literacy classes, citizenship test preparation, career counseling and guidance