Credit Courtesy of First Congregational Church
The Concord Coalition to End Homelessness is repurposing a historic church on Main Street into an emergency winter shelter and resource center.
The expansion comes as shelters across the state struggle to balance demand with strict social distancing and other COVID-19 protocols.
“Our existing shelter was built with the idea of efficiently serving as many people as possible: one big room with wall to wall beds,” says Ellen Groh, the director of the coalition. “It was the opposite of social distancing.”
The coalition says the new space, at the former First Congregational Church on 177 N. Main Street, will allow them to resume offering shelter to 40 people starting this weekend.
First Congregational Church to serve as emergency winter shelter
The Rev. Michael Leuchtenberger (center) and his son, Daniel, bring in bunk beds to the former office space of the First Congregational Church on Friday morning. Leuchtenberger, pastor of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Concord and the outgoing chair of the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness, brought items from the existing winter shelter over to the new facility. GEOFF FORESTER photos / Monitor staff
Rev. Michael Leuchtenberger, center, and his son, Daniel, bring in bunk beds to the former office space of the First Congregational Church on Friday morning, December 18, 2020. Leuchtenberger, pastor of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Concord and the outgoing chair of the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness, brought items from the existing winter shelter over to the new facility. GEOFF FORESTER Monitor staff