W&L Subaru donates $50,652 to Haven Ministry for expansion project

Francis Scarcella, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
·2 min read

May 1—SUNBURY — The $1.4 million expansion at Haven Ministry should be complete by August. The homeless shelter is well on its way to phase two of the project thanks to the help of several Valley businesses, including W&L Subaru which donated $50,652 on Tuesday.

Haven Ministry, located at 1043 South Front St., in Sunbury, broke ground in November on its $1.4 million expansion project. On Tuesday, shelter Executive Director Christy Zeigler said she was overwhelmed by the amount of support the shelter has received from businesses and the community.

"I drive by and look at this new section of the property and just say wow," she said. "We are so thankful to everyone who has helped us along the way."

Tuesday also marked a donation of $50,652 from W&L Subaru, of Northumberland, after the dealership added haven Ministry to an annual Subaru Share the Love event this past winter. W&L was also able to raise funds for Geisinger Janet Weis Children's Hospital, according to marketing director Meghan Balum.

"This is a great project and a much needed facility in our Valley," W&L Subaru owner Andy Long said. "We are happy to be able to help out and be a part of our community and give back."

The money comes in the wake of Weis Markets announcing Monday a donation of $10,000 to the project.

Haven Ministry primarily serving men, women and families from Northumberland, Snyder, and Union counties.

Zeigler was stunned when Long delivered the check to the facility Tuesday morning.

"This is just so great," she said. "We couldn't be more thankful."

Haven Ministry was able to secure a $600,000 grant from The 1994 Charles B. Degenstein Foundation for a large portion of construction costs for a two-story addition to the current facility.

In September 2022, board members started the campaign to raise the funds for the nine additional client rooms and a new laundry facility.

Haven Ministry board member Cory Fasold said Phase 2 of the project, which includes the renovation of the current structure, is still in need of funds and a new campaign will be launched soon.

Northumberland County Commissioner Sam Schiccatano said he was thrilled to see the community and businesses coming together to help the facility.

"Haven is an important part of our county, and it is great seeing so many people working together to make sure this project gets completed," he said.

Zeigler said the new two-floor building will have nine rooms and will hold 36 people, in addition to the existing structure that holds 34 people. The new rooms will be 600 square feet compared to the current rooms of 324 square feet.