State Sen. Nick Miller, D-14th, state Rep. Mike Schlossberg, D-132nd and state Rep. Peter Schweyer, D. 134th, announced a $50,000 state grant awarded to the Lehigh Conference of Churches in Allentown to expand its services for homeless residents, in a press release dated Jan. 6.

The Lehigh Conference of Churches’ Daybreak Center serves approximately 1,400 individuals each year, with 65% experiencing homelessness.

“With this grant, the center will be able to extend its operations to include weekends, increasing access to meals and support for those in need,” according to the release.

“Addressing homelessness takes strong community partnerships and the Lehigh Conference of Churches has long been a pillar in the community in delivering compassionate and reliable support to our most vulnerable neighbors,” Miller said in the press release.

“This $50,000 state grant will enable them to open their doors on weekends, ensuring critical services are available and giving individuals a helping hand when they need it most,” Miller continued.

“We are deeply grateful to Sen. Miller, Rep. Schlossberg and Rep. Schweyer for securing this $50,000 state grant,” Executive Director of the Lehigh Conference of Churches Abigail Goldfarb said in the press release.

“I am always pleased to partner with my colleagues to secure state funding that benefits our community,” Schweyer said.

“The Lehigh Conference of Churches is an integral part of assisting our most vulnerable citizens, those experiencing homelessness. In these times of uncertainty, and as we go into the long months of winter, this funding will allow the Lehigh Conference of Churches to expand their current schedule to ensure that services are more readily available to individuals in need,” Schweyer continued.

“The Lehigh Conference of Churches is a critical partner in supporting our community,” Schlossberg said. “I am proud to work with Sen. Miller and Rep. Schweyer to support the work of serving our neighbors experiencing homelessness.

“Our country clearly has miles to go to address this housing crisis and factors contributing to homelessness, including strengthening mental health care and creating good paying jobs, but we cannot shy away from supporting the work of organizations providing compassionate care in our communities,” Schlossberg added.

The Lehigh Conference of Churches is a faith-based nonprofit organization dedicated to meeting basic human needs for the most vulnerable people in the Lehigh Valley.