An effort to help combat Erie's homeless problem in the winter months received national recognition. 

Our Neighbor's Place is a collaboration between Erie County and the Erie United Methodist Alliance and during the coldest days of winter, Our Neighbor's Place Shelter provided a place of comfort for Erie's most vulnerable population.


People from several organizations, like The Blue Coats, the EMTA, the Upper Room, Erie County Care Management and the Mental Health Association worked for months to help provide shelter and resources for people out in the cold.


According to Eri County Executive, Brenton Davis, The lesson is that it can happen to anybody. No body is immune from potentially having a bump in the road. We all have them, there's nothing in life that's guaranteed."
The EUMA and the county worked with several organizations and volunteers to provide shelter to those in need. Ann Marie Ernest, the Volunteer Coordinator said, "The volunteers, the volunteer job doesn't end at 6:45 when the folks leave. We are constantly seeking out our neighbors and ensuring they are safe and seeing them in different places in the community."


An act of kindness that organizers say leaves a lasting mark. Kurt Crays, the CEO of the EUMA said, "It makes all the difference in the world for the 77 year old when he lost his home when he was unable to pay for his medical bills. It makes all the difference in the world for the 18 year old girl who aged out of the foster care system and doesn't have a home."


All the work of the past several months paid off when Our Neighbor's Place Winter Shelter earned a national achievement award. Community leaders said this is just the start. A lot more work needs to be done, a lot in the form of these tiny homes that are still being built and furnished.


According to Davis, "So we don't take our foot off the gas pedal. We still gave the streets to sustainability initiative, we still have the individuals in the streets, who lose their jobs or come on hard times. This is an effort that never ends. We would like for it to end, but what we can do is continue to add resources to stabilize folks and get them back to self sufficiency."


Volunteers said award or no award, what matters is helping those in need. "The real joy in this is at the end of the night when everything is said and done, you have people that re warm and fed and shelter and that's the most important thing to us", said Ernest.


Although winter is the last thing on people's mind. They are already looking for volunteers and faith leaders to help out with different weeks through the winter months.