Learn ways about how you can help the homeless in Erie, PA
Read MoreLearn about homelessness in Erie, PA and discover ways to help from the Upper Room's Executive Director, Dr. Cris Taylor.
2022 marks the first full year that the Upper Room has offered Social Services to our homeless clientele, and the program is expanding in 2023. With an extensive background in Social work Mary Taylor (Peggy) comes to the Upper Room with a Masters in Social Work (MSW) and years of experience in the field.
Peggy Taylor has seen more than one-hundred people over the past year at the Upper Room. The Homeless bring unique problems most of us do not have, and according to Peggy, her job is to help figure out how to solve them. Working withhomeless clients, Peggy helps to procure birth certificates, identification documentation, social security challenges, and even housing/apartment help in Erie.
On any given day it is not unusual for her to be working with agencies in Illinois, Florida, California, or other locations in order to help our folks begin their journey to a more stable and secure life. Clients write their names on a blackboard at the front desk of The Upper Room to make an appointment with who they now call “Miss Peggy”. In turn, she assists many of them negotiate the difficult steps they need to take in order to solve what may seem like easy problems to most of us, yet difficult problems for the homeless.
Miss Peggy works with the Veterans Administration, Our Neighbor’s Place winter warming program, The Mental Health Association (MHA) in Erie, Emmaus Soup Kitchen, and many others to make sure her clients have their best shot to be off the street and begin a process of healing.
Recently she established a working relationship with “Soldier On”, a large private group that helps veterans find housing and services. The results of her efforts were to establish ID and birth records from another state so that one of our clients could qualify for help. Now that veteran has his own apartment, is working a job andreceiving the benefits he deserves.
The Upper Room serves forty-thousand (40,000) plus client visits each year and is Erie’s day shelter for the homeless. Our clients are thrilled to have Miss Peggy on staff, and so are we!
Learn ways about how you can help the homeless in Erie, PA
Read More