Many of the women who come to us for help are mothers who have experienced various degrees of trauma. Whether from a difficult or unsafe environment or from the trauma of homelessness itself, the journey through our doors is not easy. At our family emergency shelter for moms and their children, our goal is to meet each family with a loving environment, so they know they are in a safe place.
While Water Street Mission offers a mixed-gender campus, we have areas designated strictly for women and their children.
Mothers and children stay together
At Water Street’s family emergency shelter, all moms with kids stay in family-style dorms. This starts the moment they get to our campus; we do not separate mothers and children. Our team of staff and life coaches are dedicated to helping our kids on campus and their moms feel safe and welcome during their entire stay with us.
We keep guest information confidential
Many of our guests have experienced trauma from difficult or unsafe environments. Here at Water Street, it’s important for us to provide a safe and healing environment where guests can feel free to open up. To maintain a safe space here on campus, we never share guest information with anyone outside of our organization.
Emergency shelter setup
Water Street’s family emergency shelter is separated from our Providence shelter and it is located on a separate floor designated for moms and their children only. Our trauma-informed services are designed to invite guests into deeper engagement, helping each guest develop a feeling of safety and love that will guide them into further internal work and life change.
Health services
Our on-campus health clinic offers free medical, dental, and behavioral health services to our guests. If you are experiencing health issues and you are worried about your safety, our clinic is there to help you. We keep your health information confidential. Staff and volunteers at Water Street Health Services spend as much time with a patient as they need, as many of the individuals we serve have gone years without any medical help.
Who can I talk to on campus?
At Water Street’s family emergency shelter, our guests have access to case managers and life coaches who will spend time with each guest and help access resources and design plans to move forward in a safe environment. We don’t rush this process. We strive to equip mothers with the tools needed to build a brighter future for themselves and their families.
About Water Street Mission
Located in the heart of Lancaster City, PA, we walk alongside those at or near the poverty line, those who are most at-risk of experiencing hunger, violence, addiction, and homelessness, so they can experience the freedom that comes from Christ-filled restoration. For over 100 years, we have been caring for those living in poverty, not only solving immediate needs, but addressing the problematic wounds that lead to poverty itself through our trauma-informed, whole-person approach.
