Ninety years ago in a duplex on Edwin Street, William Morehart had a vision to help those who were less fortunate. He lived on one side of the duplex and offered the other side for shelter for those who needed it.

It wasn’t the largest building, but it did what Morehart needed it to.

Now, nine decades later, the American Rescue Workers does more than Morehart probably ever could have envisioned in 1934 when it was founded. But the mission has stayed the same: helping those who need help.

This year, the American Rescue Workers will celebrate its 90th anniversary with a blow-out on Thursday, Sept. 19, which will allow the organization to feed the community, its neighbors and partners, and cut a cake with Williamsport Mayor Derek Slaughter to honor the work the organization has done for nine decades and counting.

The American Rescue Workers have done a ton of work in the area and continue to provide for those in need, be it through the Fresh Start program or with the food pantry and social services the organization offers.

Offering a fresh start

On the upper floors of the American Rescue Workers building off High Street you will find a 39-bed long-term men’s dormitory. It’s part of the Fresh Start men’s work rehabilitation shelter which helps provide shelter for men in need.

Those who are involved will stay in the program for nine to 12 months and it helps provide an opportunity for a fresh start not only through work, but teaching much needed skills to help the residents be successful members of the community.

“There’s a couple business owners in the city that have gone through our program,” American Rescue Workers director of development and community engagement Jennifer Rempe said. “It gives a lot of hope to guys that are living here. They have educational classes every Monday.”

Those classes include subjects such as healthy eating, how to do repairs on their households and financial management, among other topics.

The program consists of three phases.

The first phase is a 30-day blackout period where they’re only allowed to leave the campus for appointments. The residents are given monetary allowance, setup resources and obtain legal documents. They’re then assigned work detail within the American Rescue Workers for 90 days.

The second phase allows the residents to gain full employment to earn wages and 15% of their wage goes into a personal savings account.

“We’re teaching them that if you miss a week of work because you got sick or your car breaks down, you have to have a savings account to help you cover that,” Rempe said. “So, in order to graduate successfully, they have to have stable employment, stable housing which we help them find in their third phase here.”

They must save $1,500 in the savings account as well to graduate.

The third phase helps the residents locate an apartment or leasing program, they receive $500 rent match for security deposits and have their apartment furnished. And Dawn Astin, the American Rescue Workers’ business administrator, gives the residents who graduate a pillow which says “HOME” on it.

“It’s really cool,” Rempe said. “In May we had five guys graduate. That is the most we had in a year. It was a really profound month for us.”

In addition to the Fresh Start program, the American Rescue Workers also run the Saving Grace Shelter, the only emergency shelter in the city which offers a 24-bed facility. It offers housing to men, women and children and has offered 8,760 nights of shelter and more than 17,500 meals per year.

Feeding those who need it

Across the street from the American Rescue Workers’ thrift shop, which funds a lot of what the organization does through its sales, is the social service center and its food pantry. The organization feeds a thousand families a month, equating to nearly six thousand people a month.

“It’s crazy,” Rempe said.

The Central PA Food Bank delivers food twice a week, and the American Rescue Workers also receive donations from the likes of Weis, Giant, Wegman’s and Wenger’s.

Rempe and others know that it can be a pride issue to request food. That’s why the food pantry allows people to do client’s choice, where people walk in and are able to choose from various dry goods, desserts and more.

“When you walk in the front door area, it’s a very small space and we have a client choice where people can actually choose what they want,” Rempe said. “Client choice is a very big thing. The Central PA Food Bank is so smart in terms of being able to make sure that we’re giving as much dignity as we can to our people who are food insecure. … Handing them a box isn’t exactly the most dignified way of providing food for your family.”

Rempe noted that the American Rescue Workers plan to expand the food pantry with an additional building where a lot currently stands near the complex. The organization received some funding, but is looking to get more to complete the project.

“Once we expand our client choice, they can pick out their dry goods and that’ll be really awesome,” Rempe said.

The food pantry allows people to come in twice a month for food.

“We don’t turn anyone away. I sat over here when I first started learning the operation and people from all walks of life, from college kids to senior citizens, come through,” Rempe said.

In addition to dry goods such as bread, the food pantry also provides milk, meats, eggs, various cheeses and produce as well.