The Y is Here to Help
The Warming Station is now open for the 2022-2023 Season.
The Y's Warming Station provides shelter, food, and a safe place for those experiencing homelessness in our community.
The Warming Station is open to welcome guests from November 1 through April 30. Our doors are open each night from 7:00 p.m. - 7:00 a.m. to provide this critical service for our neighbors.
Our Warming Station guests will always find themselves greeted with kindness. The Allentown Branch’s Warming Station provides a safe place to sleep and a dignified sense of community for neighbors in need.
The Y also serves healthy, prepared meals Mondays through Fridays to our Warming Station guests.
Support
There are many, valuable ways to support the Warming Station.
Volunteer:
Volunteers are needed throughout the winter to help run our Warming Station.
Volunteer Opportunities:
- Opening (6:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m.)
- Intake (6:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m.)
- Food (6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.)
- Closing (1:15 a.m.-7:30 a.m.)
- Outtake (5:00 a.m.-7:30 a.m.)
- Custodial (7:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m.)
Contact Tim Larney at timlarney@gv-ymca.org to volunteer your time to support our guests.
We're Hiring!
Join the Y team to support our Warming Station work. Your help is needed to provide care and services to our fellow neighbors in our community.
- Supervisor (10:30 p.m.-7:30 a.m. or 6:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m.): Full-time
- Counselor (1:15 a.m.-7:30 a.m.): Full-time
- Counselor: Full-time
Contact Tim Larney for employment opportunities: timlarney@gv-ymca.org
Donations
The Y is grateful for in-kind donations that allow us to meet the tangible needs of those who make use of the Warming Station. If you would like to donate items to the Warming Station, please visit our Amazon Wish List to purchase the items we need most. Orders from this list will be delivered directly to the Warming Station.
Financial donors help build the foundation for the Y's programs and initiatives. It is because of generosity like this that the Warming Station's existence is possible. If you would like to offer a financial gift and make the Warming Station sustainable for years to come, then please visit gv-ymca.org/donate.
History of the Allentown Warming Station
The Y took over operation of the Allentown’s Warming Station in 2018, after volunteer-run efforts were not sustainable. Before this time, the Station had moved from several locations and organizations in just a few years. When no other local organization could take on this program, the Y had the capacity, knowledge, and space to do so. In partnership with the City of Allentown, Lehigh County, First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, and fortified by an anonymous donor who pledged $200,000 to make the project happen, the Y took on this project. We renovated our Allentown Branch first floor space, hired a team, developed operational plans, and trainings, and got ready to operate our first Warming Station season in just ten short weeks. The 2021-2022 Season is the Y’s fourth year of Warming Station operation.
Community Partners
Anonymous Donor
Bombas Socks
The Charles H. Hoch Foundation
City Center Allentown
City of Allentown
County of Lehigh
First Presbyterian Church of Allentown
Faith Presbyterian Church of Emmaus
Lehigh Mission District
PPL Foundation
St. Ann's Church
The Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation
The Harry C. Trexler Trust
Join the Y
Households across our community have different needs so we offer a variety of membership types. Each of our locations offer many different programs, schedules, and classes therefore offerings and fees may vary by branch.
Please select a branch near you for more information
Financial Assistance
Every day, we work side-by-side with our neighbors to make sure that everyone, regardless of age, income or background, has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. At The Y, no child, family or adult is turned away due to an inability to pay.
Financial assistance awards are assessed on a case by case basis during a one-on-one, confidential session with a staff member. Those interested in applying for our financial assistance program are encouraged to download this form in English or download this form in Spanish, or stop in to any of our branches to learn more and pick up an application.
Program Registration
To register for member and non-member programs, please use our secure Online Registration.