Sixth Street Shelter

08/14/2026

🎒 It's almost time for the start of school, and we need your help collecting needed items for the families at the Sixth Street Shelter.

The kiddos at the shelter will need backpacks, notebooks, pencils, pens, crayons, markers, colored pencils, notebooks, folders, water bottles, and disinfecting wipes to start off the new school year. ✏️

All donations can be dropped off at the Shelter on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.

Thank you for supporting our families. ❤️

08/12/2026

🎉 We are very happy to welcome our two new staff members at the Sixth Street Shelter, Lisbeth and Santiago!

​Lisbeth Santos brings 16 years of experience in early childhood education and family support to her role as Family Engagement Coach at the shelter. Her past experience includes early childhood education and family advocacy. Outside of work, Lisbeth loves spending time with her family, cooking traditional Puerto Rican meals, and visiting different family-owned coffee shops.

Santiago Daza brings 5 years of combined experience in Benefit/Supports Coordination and Patient Advocacy to his role as Housing Specialist at the Sixth Street Shelter. His case management background has included empowering and advocating for individuals and families in desperate need of medical and personal services to better assist independent living in their respective communities. Outside of work, he loves spending time on his hobbies, enjoys time with his family, and thoroughly enjoys culturally rich meals and visiting different family-owned restaurants or antique stores.

Please help us welcome them to the Sixth Street Shelter team!

07/29/2026

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Looking for a simple way to support families staying at the Sixth Street Shelter? We're currently in need of the following items:

🛏️ Blankets
🛏️ Pillows
🍳 Pots & pans
🧼 Dish soap
🗑️ 13-gallon garbage bags

All donations can be dropped off at the Shelter on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.

Thank you for supporting our families. ❤️

07/22/2026

🍳 When a new family arrives at the Sixth Street Shelter, we help them feel at home by providing essential items such as pillows, blankets, bath towels, and other household necessities.

We also equip each family with pots and pans so they can prepare healthy, nutritious meals in their apartment while staying with us. This , we're in need of new cookware sets to support the families we serve.

All donations can be dropped off at the Shelter on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.

Thank you for supporting our families. ❤️

07/10/2026

We are stronger when we work together!

Thank you to Second Harvest Food Bank of Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania for delivering emergency food boxes to help our families stretch their food budgets this month.

Our families staying at the Shelter are facing increased food insecurity due to a reduction of their SNAP benefits when they work extra hours to save money for their futures. These emergency food boxes help bridge the gap and ensure families have access to nutritious food when they need it most.

We are grateful for the support of our sister program and their commitment to helping our shelter guests on their journey toward stability. ❤️

07/08/2026

Many of the families staying at the Sixth Street Shelter are facing increased food insecurity due to cuts in SNAP benefits. While many parents are working extra hours to save money and build a more stable future for their families, those additional earnings can sometimes result in reduced SNAP assistance.

You can help.

We are currently collecting Walmart and Aldi gift cards to help our guests supplement their grocery budgets and make their food dollars go a little further each month.

📍 Gift card donations can be dropped off at the Shelter between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Every gift card, no matter the amount, makes a meaningful difference for a family. ❤️ Thank you for your continued generosity and support of our families.

07/03/2026

Happy Independence Day!

We hope everyone has a great and safe holiday.

Sixth Street Shelter will be closed today in observance of the holiday. Our offices will be open again on Monday, July 6th. If you are experiencing homelessness and need assistance, please call 211. Thank you!

07/02/2026

to this year’s Sixth Street Shelter Day on June 7! 🎉

Thank you to everyone—our vendors, food trucks, Mega Allentown, the Central Elementary cheerleaders, elected officials, and community members—who came out to show their support for the Shelter and the vital work happening every day in the Allentown community. 💛

We’re so grateful to celebrate alongside such an incredible community!

07/01/2026

Here are a few resources from the City of Allentown to help beat the heat over the next few days. 🥵

Remember to take care of yourself, check in on your neighbors, and stay hydrated. ☀️

Updates (7/1): Jordan Park cooling station is moved to the southern parking lot along Sumner Ave. Mack Pool and Bucky Boyle Spray Park are temporarily closed. We hope to reopen them tomorrow, stay tuned!

Cooling Stations, Pools, & Spray Parks Open This Week! ☀️🌡️

With the Extreme Heat Warning in effect, the City of Allentown is opening multiple ways for residents to beat the heat safely.

Here is everything you need to know about where to find relief, courtesy of our Allentown Fire Department and Parks & Recreation teams:

🚒 Water Cooling Stations (Open 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM)

The Allentown Fire Department will have water cooling stations set up to provide relief for park-goers:

🗓️ Wednesday: Roosevelt Park & Jordan Park
🗓️ Thursday: Roosevelt Park, Jordan Park, AND Franklin Park

🌊City Pools (Free to Allentown residents as capacity allows)

Cedar Beach Pool (Open 3PM - 7PM)
Mack Pool (Closed until further notice)
Irving Pool (Open 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM & 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM)

💦 Spray Parks (Open 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM)

Bucky Boyle Park (Closed until further notice)
Clyde E. Bosket Sr. Park
Old Allentown Fairgrounds

Heat Safety Reminders:
Hydrate & Stay Indoors: Drink plenty of fluids (even if you aren't thirsty) and stay indoors with air conditioning if possible.

Check In: Look out for relatives, friends, and neighbors—especially the elderly and very young.

Look Before You Lock: Never leave children or pets in unattended cars for any amount of time.

Know What to Do: Anyone overcome by heat should be moved immediately to a cool, shaded location.

⚠️ For heat strokes, heat-related illnesses, or any other medical emergencies, please call 9-1-1 right away.

Stay safe, look out for one another, and stay cool, Allentown!

06/29/2026

As we approach the end of our 2025–26 fiscal year, we’re reflecting on the impact made possible by our community. 💛

Before we share this year’s numbers, we want to pause and remember what that impact looked like just one year ago: In fiscal year 2024–25, Sixth Street Shelter served more than 370 individuals, 224 of them children.

Homelessness doesn’t just affect individuals. It impacts entire families and creates uncertainty where there should be stability. But together, we’re helping to support families and shape paths that move forward.

Stay tuned as we share more about the lives you helped change this year. ✨