Immanuel focuses on permanent housing

For more than a decade, Immanuel Shelter has been providing temporary shelter for the homeless in the Cape Region. Now, Immanuel is looking to develop permanent housing.

The organization's board of directors is taking a comprehensive look at its long-standing commitment to develop a more permanent solution to homelessness.

“We are happy to see new organizations that are willing to help meet the emergency, temporary housing needs of those experiencing homelessness in this area, particularly during the winter season,” said interim Board President Ellan Hylton. “With that support in place, Immanuel Shelter now has an opportunity to focus attention and direct our existing resources to the issue of finding a long-term solution for those who experience chronic homelessness.”

She said the best way to serve that group is with permanent, supportive housing. “We will take the next year to consider the various possibilities and approaches to develop that housing,” she said.

Immanuel owns the former John Wesley United Methodist Church property in Belltown near Five Points. Hylton said the property is situated adjacent to proposed road improvements at the intersection, which offers the potential to more effectively develop the site.

“While we are thrilled to own such an exceptional piece of property and hope to further develop it, we need to work through the process. The use of that parcel is but one of many options we will consider as we move forward,” she said.

Immanuel's previous efforts to develop the property as a homeless shelter have been stymied by a lawsuit filed by three Henlopen Landing residents, which resulted in a Delaware Supreme Court ruling blocking the proposed project.

Code Purple during COVID-19

For the past 11 years, Immanuel Shelter has helped coordinate the Code Purple shelter serving the Lewes, Rehoboth and Dewey Beach areas during the winter months. The shelter has housed more than 1,000 people and served more than 25,000 meals during that period.

“We are very proud of what we have accomplished and so grateful for the support of this community. All we have had to do is ask, and the churches, individuals and local companies have stepped in to help. And none of this would have been possible without the undying and enthusiastic support of our beloved volunteers,” said former President Janet Idema.

This year for the first time, due to the COVID-19 state of emergency, Immanuel Shelter managed a hotel voucher system from April 1 to May 31 supporting 81 people, including, also for the first time, five families and 16 children. A state grant allowed the shelter program to operate well beyond its normal winter hours.

Volunteers not only provided dinners each night but also furnished daily lunches, as well as emergency school lunches for homeless children.

“Guests reported an unprecedented feeling of stability and security that was helpful in maintaining their health and well-being,” Hylton said. “Utilizing motels also offered our guests a much safer environment for self-isolation during the COVID pandemic.”

Also this past winter, LOVE Inc. managed a Code Purple emergency shelter at the former Delaware State Police Troop 7 building on Route 1 near Lewes.

Hylton said other efforts are underway by other organizations to meet the needs of children and families this coming winter.

“The growth of these services, and these positive changes, is allowing Immanuel the time to explore how best to meet the needs of those we serve during the entire year,” Hylton said.

The interim president said developing permanent housing is complex and takes time. “As Immanuel Shelter focuses on this multifaceted issue, we welcome the participation and support of talented individual wishing to join this cause as well as organizations interested in working with us,” she said.

For more information, contact Hylton at ehylton2@aol.com

Historic church in a prime location

The 41,000-square-foot John Wesley Church was built in 1946, with roots dating back to 1873. The church closed in 2007 when the congregation merged with two other churches to form Faith United Methodist Church. Immanuel purchased the property in April 2018. Before Immanuel sought to build a shelter there, Revelation Craft Brewing had applied in 2016 to convert the church into a restaurant and brewery, but that application was later withdrawn.