Tiny Homes to Provide Shelter for Homeless in Erie
Erie Insurance, along with The Housing Authority or the City of Erie and The Kiwanis Club of Erie, contributed a generous donation to help provide families/individuals in need with three new Tiny Homes. These new tiny homes helped increase the Community Shelter Service’s (CSS) temporary housing services the nonprofit can provide to families experiencing homelessness.
A Meaningful Dedication Ceremony
To commemorate this milestone, a ribbon cutting for all three homes was held in October. The ceremony took place at the CSS Building grounds, where local agencies along with CSS leadership and Erie Mayor Joe Schember were present to celebrate.
Driven by Purpose
Erie Insurance has always believed in giving back and supporting the communities it does business in.
“At ERIE, give where you live is a value we take to heart, and our company is truly humbled to play a role in ensuring that an entire family will have a warm, safe home to stay in together while receiving beneficial services provided by CSS,” said Christine Blashock, ERIE’s community outreach manager.
“These tiny homes are more than just a roof over someone’s head; they are a stepping-stone towards stability and self-sufficiency. We see this investment as an opportunity to make a tangible difference in our community, one tiny home at a time,” said Kiwanis Member Cathy Szymanski.
“The Housing Authority Board of Directors and staff are pleased to partner with Community Shelter Services in its efforts to provide transitional housing opportunities to families and individuals who are homeless or at-risk of being homeless. The ability to reunite families in a stable transitional home environment is a big step forward and I commend CSS for their efforts,” Michael Fraley, Executive Director of the Housing Authority.
A Glimpse Into the Kiwanis Family Village
The Kiwanis Family Village opened its first home sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Erie this past April. The goal of the Kiwanis Family Village is to provide family style emergency housing units where nuclear families can remain together while utilizing the services provided by CSS in the Emergency Shelter. These families/individuals will have access to facilities for meals, case worker services, and all normal programming at the shelter.
15 ERIE employees will be volunteering throughout the year, performing tasks related to setting up, furnishing and decorating the home to provide a welcoming touch.
The Erie Giving Network donated $15,000 to Community Shelter Services to provide emergency shelter in the form of a Tiny Home.
To learn more about Community Shelter Services and how it’s been serving Erie’s homeless through its mission to provide a pathway to housing, help and hope for more than 50 years, please visit communityshelter.org.
To learn more about ERIE’s Giving Network and how it works to invest its time, talent, and resources into our community, please visit erieinsurance.com/givingnetwork.
