On Wednesday, Sept. 24, City Mission hosted a ribbon-cutting event to celebrate the grand opening of Sally’s Sanctuary, a newly constructed homeless shelter in Washington, Pa., which will open its doors to homeless women in October.

In January 2023, City Mission began a fundraising campaign to construct a 50-bed women shelter on their existing campus in Washington. This new space will increase the Mission’s capacity to serve homeless women by 35 additional beds.

Partnering with Mosites Construction and Rothschild-Doyno Collaborative, the Mission worked to develop a safe, welcoming space, incorporating trauma-informed design to maximize the healing impact on those seeking shelter. The $8.3 million facility consists of three floors and includes multiple suites, an emergency shelter, laundry rooms, common areas, office space and a large childcare center.

From 2023-2024 in the United States, there was a 26% increase in sheltered homeless women, which contributed to record-high homelessness numbers across the country this past year. City Mission has also been tracking a rising need among women within the local community over the past few years. A needs assessment study, which the Mission conducted in 2022, found that local business owners, human services employees, and public officials identified a new women’s shelter as one of the most pressing needs in our area.

Sally’s Sanctuary is the Mission’s response to that urgent need.

“This is a much-needed resource for the local area,” said Walt Turner, a City Mission Board Member and the Campaign Chair who spearheaded the fundraising efforts for the facility. “Homelessness is a growing problem, and the only way to fight against it is for the whole community to stand together. With Sally’s Sanctuary, we saw businesses, foundations, churches, financial institutions, and individuals from all walks of life embrace this project for the good of the community.”

The ribbon-cutting event featured remarks by City Mission President/CEO Diana Irey Vaughan, Campaign Chair Walt Turner, Construction Chair Brian Kengor and other distinguished guests. Local pastors also prayed over the facility.

“I pray that God is now preparing the hearts of the women who will be coming through the doors of this new shelter,” said City Mission President/CEO Diana Irey Vaughan. “And I pray that the hearts of our donors will continue to be opened so that we can continue the services we provide in Christ’s name.”

Please consider giving to City Mission. Together, we can make a brighter future. Go to citymission.org/donate.

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