Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church

About the Shelter
Founded in 1986, in cooperation with The Partnership for the Homeless, the FAPC Shelter has provided safe, warm lodgings for ten men, 365 nights of the year. With the recent renovations, we are currently able to house twelve men every night!

Each night of the year, both men and women from the congregation volunteer their time to create a safe and renewing environment where our Guests are able to develop a sense of community within the Church and among the volunteers.

Our Shelter Guests
The twelve men who stay in our Shelter are all over the age of 60 and are currently experiencing homelessness in New York City. Other than these two characteristics, our Guests bring varied and diverse backgrounds with them. Some have never spent a night on the street while others have lived on the streets for many years. They come from as far as California, China, and Africa. They have served in World War II, driven taxis in NYC, and even skated professionally at Rockefeller Center. The men serve as an inspiration to the volunteers and bring more than 600 years of life experience into our Shelter each night.

Peter's Place
Our Guests are pre-screened by Peter’s Place, a division of The Partnership for the Homeless, where they receive counseling, job training and assistance in obtaining housing.

The Can Opener Fund
The Can Opener Fund was established to help our homeless guests purchase household items and toiletries when they leave FAPC and transition into housing. They are able to purchase whatever they need to get themselves started in their new home with a $150 donation.

Becoming a Volunteer
There are several ways to volunteer for the Shelter:

Early Evening Host:
The Early Evening Host opens the Shelter and welcomes our Guests into the Church. The Early Evening Host arrives at 7:00 pm and finishes by 8:30 pm.
Overnight Host:
The Overnight Host arrives at 8:30 pm and sleeps in the Shelter (separate, secured sleeping quarters and security provided). The Overnight Host prepares coffee in the morning and sees the Guests off at 6:15 am.
Food Host:
The Food Host assists in maintaining the food supply for the Shelter by delivering snacks to the Early Evening Volunteer at 7:30 pm.

Because the Shelter is open every night of the year and hosts many different events such as "Birthday Parties," "Movie and Game Nights," and special holiday celebrations at Thanksgiving and Christmas, there are many opportunities and ways to volunteer your time. Stay tuned to this web site for details about these special events. A brief orientation and training must be completed before volunteering. Please contact Joe Vedella for details and use of the scheduling calendar.

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9

Homelessness in New York City

The number of homeless children and adults sleeping in New York City shelters has reached an all-time record level.

During this year the number of homeless New Yorkers residing in shelters each night has reached the highest point in New York City’s history. In July 2004 more than 36,600 homeless men, women, and children were sleeping each night in the New York City shelter system, including 15,400 children, 12,800 adult family members, and 8,400 single adults. Thousands more sleep on city streets, park benches, and subway trains.
Over a recent nine-year period (1987 through 1995), 333,482 different homeless men, women, and children utilized the municipal shelter system in New York City. This represents nearly one of every twenty New York City residents.
Approximately 90 percent of homeless New Yorkers are black or Latino, although only 53 percent of New York City’s total population is black or Latino.
Permanent housing for homeless families and individuals costs less than shelter and other emergency care. The cost of sheltering a homeless family in the New York City Shelter system is $36,000 per year, while the cost of shelter for a homeless individual is $23,000 per year. In contrast, a supportive housing apartment with services costs as little as $12,500 per year, and rental assistance with support services for a family costs as little as $8,900 per year.

Partnership for the Homeless is the umbrella organization that runs 120 church and synagogue shelters throughout the city that house 10 to 12 men each. FAPC's Shelter is one of the 120, housing 12 men. Peter's Place is a drop-in center for the Partnership. You can learn more about Peter's Place and about issues related to homelessness by visiting their web site at www.partnershipforthehomeless.org

Contact: Joe Vedella (jvedella@fapc.org)