Local Congregation Digs Deep To Help Get 2 Homeless Families Into Housing
By Mark Abrams
AMBLER, Pa. (CBS) -- An Ambler congregation raised $300,000 that will go a long way in helping two homeless families in need of a place to live.
Senior Pastor Ryan Balsan says members of First Presbyterian Church in Ambler were contemplating renovations to the church when they realized there was an even greater need.
So, Balsan says they contacted the Inter-Faith Housing Alliance, and raised enough money to buy a vacant home that had been converted to two apartments on Forest Avenue.
"This house is something that our congregation is much more proud of than anything we're going to do to our own house of worship."
Marsha Eichelberger, from the alliance, says the project is moving along quickly.
"Settled on it on April 1, and then we hope to raise a little bit of additional money, about $50,000, to renovate the home. And, in September, we're going to move in two families that were experiencing homelessness."
She says community volunteers are stepping forward to help with the renovations.
Eichelberger says the two families will be identified in the coming months.
