The Warming Station in the Allentown YMCA provides shelter, food, and a safe place for those experiencing homelessness in our community.
The Warming Station is open to welcome guests from November 15 through April 15. Our doors are open each night from 7:00PM-7:00AM (Intake hours: 7:00PM-9:00PM) to provide this critical service for our neighbors.
Our Warming Station guests will always find themselves greeted with kindness and a safe place to sleep. 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 dinner seven days a week to our Warming Station guests.
Warming Station Operational Dates:
November 15 to April 15
The Program
This free program provides:
✔️ Shelter
✔️ Evening meal
✔️ Bathroom and shower
✔️ Wheelchair accessibility
Who qualifies:
✔️ Community members 18 or older experiencing homelessness
Program Location
Allentown Warming Station is located at our Allentown Branch:
425 South 15th Street
Allentown, PA 18102
610.351.9622
Support the Warming Station
There are many valuable ways to support the Warming Station.
Donate Wishlist Items
We maintain an Amazon Wishlist of items needed for the Allentown Warming Station. Visit the list for an up-to-date list of items needed at the Warming Station.
Volunteer
Volunteers are needed throughout the winter to help run our Warming Station. Prior notice is required to volunteer, Please contact: Mike Macharsky
Volunteer Opportunities
Food Service (6:30 pm-9:00 pm)
Custodial/Laundry (7:00 am-10:00 am)
Attendant (6:30pm to 11pm)
Donations
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 our donor webpage here.
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.
The Impact
Our Allentown Warming Station has impacted countless individuals and families in our community.
Learn more:
Warming Station 2023-2024 Impact Report
Supported by:
We would like to thank our Foundational community partners for their support
of the Warming Station:
City Center Allentown
City of Allentown
County of Lehigh
First Presbyterian Church
Faith Presbyterian Church of Emmaus
Grace United Church of Christ
Holy Trinity Memorial Lutheran Church
St. Ann’s Church
Union United Church of Christ
We would also like to thank our individual and in-kind donors for their support.
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 ground 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 2024-2024 Season is the Y’s 7th year of Warming Station operation.