Top Stories Of 2023: Life Hub Gets Home Base, Start-Up Funding
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WHEELING - The Life Hub in Wheeling started as a concept to address the growing homeless situation in the city, and over the past year, major steps have been taken to bring the vision of the agency to fruition.
In early 2023, representatives of The Life Hub held an informational meeting with several local stakeholders to announce that the nonprofit agency was up and running, despite the fact that it did not yet have a physical location. That all changed later in the year when The Life Hub acquired the former First English Lutheran Church on 16th Street in downtown Wheeling.
The Life Hub officially became a 501c3 nonprofit organization in October of 2022, and during the winter of 2022-23, it helped operate the winter shelter for homeless individuals at the Catholic Charities facility on Main Street in Center Wheeling.
This winter, The Life Hub has taken on the challenge of operating the winter shelter at its new location on 16th Street.
Wheeling Homeless Liaison Melissa Adams and Wheeling Housing Authority Executive Director Joyce Wolen are among the local leaders who have brought a face of The Life Hub to the public and to the local homeless population. A stated goal of the operation has been to learn from and work with a number of nonprofits serving the homeless, law enforcement, health and mental health experts and other concerned parties to devise and implement a strategic plan and work collaboratively to end homelessness in the community.
The Life Hub operates as a program of the Wheeling Housing Authority, partnering with the city of Wheeling.
While The Life Hub is currently operating this season’s winter shelter from Dec. 15 to March 15, the long-term goal of the agency is to establish a low-barrier homeless shelter that operates year-round and operates wraparound services that address individual needs of homeless people and works to put them back on the path toward becoming housed.
Acquisition of the church building this year was a big step forward, according to Adams.
"Purchasing the First English Lutheran Church property is such a blessing," she said earlier this year. "Having a structure and property now enables the Life Hub to move forward in planning the shelter, the medical services and the wraparound care coordination."
In 2023, questions arose about city employees being involved in leadership roles with The Life Hub. Aside from Adams, Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron has served as president of The Life Hub’s board of directors, and Michele Rejonis, marketing and community relations coordinator for the city of Wheeling, has served as secretary.
Some have raised concerns about The Life Hub’s ability to operate and reach its long-term goals, as construction and operation of a year-round homeless shelter has been projected to cost a significant amount of money - with some estimates in the millions.
Before year’s end, however, a majority of members of Wheeling City Council voted in favor of awarding The Life Hub $100,000 from the last of the city’s pool of federal pandemic relief funds through the American Rescue Plan Act. The money is expected to cover a $25,000 expenditure for architectural services that would help get the ball rolling on design plans for a new shelter, which is expected to be constructed adjacent to the church building in the parking lot. Another $21,000 would go toward operating this year's winter shelter.
The funding, according to the ordinance, will "mitigate financial hardship and support the operations and maintenance of existing equipment and facilities" associated with The Life Hub, for which expenditure of ARPA money is eligible as services to the homeless is by federal rule is deemed a "Designated Impacted Industry."
The majority vote by the city to provide funding for The Life Hub at the end of the year was viewed by many as a huge step forward for the entity, which continues to seek additional funding sources to reach its long-term goals.
"We look forward to moving the entire project forward," Wolen said earlier this year. "Wheeling Housing Authority and the city of Wheeling bring an innovative approach in working together to serve the homeless. We hope to become a model for other projects in the state and around the country in showing how important it is to have many community partners supporting the efforts."
For more information about The Life Hub or for ways to make a donation, visit lifehubwv.org.