Safe Harbor Easton
History
Safe Harbor Easton has grown from two roots. In 1983, CACLV created the Easton Drop-In Center as a day shelter for the city’s poorest residents, people who spend the bulk of their time on the streets. The Drop-In Center offered meals, recreation, advocacy, and socialization for low-income residents. The Drop-In Center was located at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church until it outgrew its facilities.
In 1988, Lafayette College students demonstrated a need in the community for a shelter for men by opening a temporary “roving” shelter that moved from church to church during the winter months. Soon CACLV organized a community group to establish a permanent shelter in an abandoned building owned by the City of Easton. CACLV led the capital campaign that raised $435,000 for the renovation of the facility, which became known as Safe Harbor Easton.
Finally, in the fall of 1990, the Easton Drop-In Center moved to the Safe Harbor building and the Salvation Army of Easton opened an overnight shelter for adult men and women there. These two programs operated independently, though cooperatively, until 1993 when CACLV was asked to take over the shelter and merge the two programs.
