Here's a shout-out to two recent developments in the Syracuse community's response to homelessness and poverty.
First, the Samaritan Center opened its new dining hall in the former St. John the Evangelist Church on North State Street. The center serves breakfast and dinner to the city's homeless population in the building's spacious, light-filled sanctuary. The new space seats 180, up from the seating capacity of 120 in the basement of St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral on Montgomery Street. There's a new kitchen where the altar once stood, and private spaces for consultations with clients. The pews and communion rail are still here, but repurposed.
The Samaritan Center's move to St. John's accomplishes more than an expansion of services, as we have noted before. It resolved a dispute over a proposed location in the Hawley-Green neighborhood. It brings help closer to the people who need it. It breathes life into a landmark building -- the city's first Catholic cathedral - that needed some tender loving care. Literally and figuratively, it brings the poor out of the darkness and into the light. We thank St. Paul's for serving as a gracious host for so many years.
As more meals are served, more volunteers are needed. To find out how you can help, go to samcenter.org.
Meanwhile, a plan to build tiny homes for homeless and low-income people is moving forward. Two nonprofits - Operation Northern Comfort and A Tiny Home for Good - are teaming up to build 250-square-foot cottages. After a Marcellus Street site fell through due to opposition from neighbors, the groups are eyeing a county-owned parcel on West Kennedy Street.
Operation Northern Comfort will raise money for the project through its annual Crawfish Festival Saturday in Clinton Square. If mudbugs, clams and shrimp are your thing, come on out and eat some for a good cause.