When United Churches Elizabethtown Area (UCEA) hosted an open house of the expansion of Community Place on Washington (CPOW) in April, it fulfilled a longtime goal. "For many communities, there is nowhere for people to go for help in difficult times," said Doug Lamb on behalf of UCEA. "The churches of Elizabethtown have been dreaming of a campus where everyone is welcomed to come find their path forward. Some would say this has been 40 years in the making. So, to see a new facility able to directly help the homeless, those seeking further education, others needing financial counseling and individual case management, is truly an amazing success story."
Construction on the two-story building at 105 E. Washington St., Elizabethtown, began in the fall of 2020 and was completed in January of this year. The community center houses various local social service agencies, including the Elizabethtown Community Housing & Outreach Services (ECHOS) offices and emergency shelter.
"The building expansion at CPOW is truly a blessing," said Brie Anderson, executive director of ECHOS. "One thing is for certain: Without this new space, ECHOS would not have the physical capacity to serve the number of community members who have sought us out for support. This building and partnership with UCEA have not only physically provided additional space to serve our neighbors in need, but have created a place where community partnerships can continue to be formed so that rural Lancaster residents have access to a network of services."
Natalie Dixon, development director for ECHOS, said although the agency moved into the new space last October, construction was just completed, and the open house gave the community the opportunity to see everything that's available at CPOW. While ECHOS is the main tenant and features an emergency shelter, enrichment center and additional housing stability programs, CPOW also includes the Community Cupboard, Clothing Barn, Toastmasters, Elizabethtown Area Communities That Care, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and more. "It is a central campus for community members in need to find a variety of social service agencies to meet their needs," Dixon noted.
Dixon emphasized that CPOW exists to support the community and the open house offered a way to showcase the center's services. "We want to create more awareness surrounding the social services that are being offered right here in Elizabethtown to help our neighbors who may be experiencing crises," she said, adding that ECHOS especially has benefited from the expansion. "The increase in space has allowed us to introduce new programs and services to better meet the needs of our clients in the northwest region of Lancaster County."
For more information on Community Place on Washington, visit https://communityplaceetown.org.
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