New Bethany offers hope and support for those experiencing hunger, poverty, and homelessness in the Lehigh Valley through providing immediate assistance to address basic needs, advocacy efforts, and partnerships with other equitable organizations. An important component of our daily operation is taking action to raise awareness, draw public support, and get people personally involved in our work with the intention of making a difference. Advocacy is instrumental and offers an opportunity to:

• rally around our cause 
• increase public knowledge and empower donors 
• tackle root problems.

If you feel passionate about the mission of New Bethany, check out these external resources to learn more about our work. There are many ways to lend a hand to those in need in the Lehigh Valley and beyond, and a great first step is understanding the issues at hand. If any of this information resonates, and you’d like to get involved with New Bethany, click HERE for ways to help, or contact us HERE.  

Latest News

• The hottest trend in U.S. cities? Changing zoning rules to allow more housing
• Jordan Neely wanted help. A brutal narrative about homelessness blamed him for his own death
• Food bank lines grow as costs go up and pandemic aid expires
• Want to address the housing crisis? Incentives for landlords to take chance on tenants might work 
• What the Lack of Premium Groceries Stories Says About Disinvestment in Black Neighborhoods

Take Action!

• Urge Congress to Permanently Expand SNAP Benefits
• Homeless encampments — and the debate over what to do about them — explained

• US ending extra help for groceries that started during COVID

• What Does Spatial Justice for Unhoused People Look Like?

•  60% of renters saw rent increases in the past 12 months, Freddie Mac survey shows

Resources/Statistics

 Homelessness

• Lehigh Valley Regional Homeless Advisory Board  – https://lvrhab.org/
• National Low-Income Housing Alliance – https://nlihc.org/
•  Pennsylvania Housing Alliance – https://housingalliancepa.org/
• National Alliance to End Homelessness – https://endhomelessness.org/
•  Eastern PA CoC 2022 Point-in-Time and Housing Inventory County Data – https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/dma.associates/viz/EasternPACoC2022PITandHICData/EasternPACoC2022PITandHIC
• Point-in-Time County and Regional Homeless Advisory Board Level Data (year over year) – https://pennsylvaniacoc.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=691833f4d20a0417787b47dbe&id=426d18fd76&e=929601a254
• Out of Reach Report from the National Low-Income Housing Alliance –https://reports.nlihc.org/oor
•  U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) – https://www.hudexchange.info/homelessness-assistance/ahar/#2021-reports

Hunger

• Feeding America  –https://www.feedingamerica.org/
• FRAC (Food Research & Action Center) – https://frac.org/
• Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap – https://map.feedingamerica.org/
• Food Insecurity Among LGBTQ Youth – https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/food-insecurity-lgbtq-youth/