Gettysburg CARES, the emergency shelter organization serving Adams County, has announced the purchase of a two-unit house that will provide transitional housing for local families in need. The property was officially acquired on May 9 following more than two years of planning by CARES Director Debi Little.
CARES—short for Combined Area Resources for Emergency Shelter—is a coalition of churches and volunteers that provides overnight shelter during the cold-weather months. The seasonal shelter, located on the third floor of St. James Lutheran Church in Gettysburg, closed for the season on April 13. It accommodates up to 30 men, women, and children, and operates with the help of more than 500 trained volunteers annually.
Little said the newly acquired property, located on Chambersburg Street, will undergo heavy renovations before it is ready to house two low-income families. “It is very challenging to find housing by the time the cold-weather shelter closes for the season,” she noted. The new units are intended to serve as “next-step” housing for individuals transitioning out of homelessness.
While the specific address is not being publicized due to current tenants who will be assisted in finding new housing, Little emphasized that rent will be set below market rate once the renovations are complete.
The property will not be managed by CARES directly. Instead, the organization is partnering with the Adams Rescue Mission, which already manages a nearby five-unit residence. “We’re not in the business of being landlords,” said Little.
She also clarified that operational Giving Funds are not being used for the purchase. “Those funds are strictly to help those experiencing homelessness from freezing to death,” she said. The acquisition was funded through separate grant support.
Volunteers remain essential to the CARES mission. Opportunities include overnight shelter staffing, preparing breakfast, offering job skills training, laundering blankets, and providing evening devotionals. For more information, visit gettysburgcares.org, email director@gettysburgcares.org, or call 717-334-4195.