New Bethany Ministries (NBM), located in Bethlehem, PA, recently promoted staff member Lupita Bonilla to director of residential services. In her new role, Lupita will expand her duties by overseeing caretakers, residential advisor staff, and residential programs and providing resident case management.
Lupita began her career as the transitional housing manager at NBM in December 2019. Along with managing the shelter, she and other staff members worked closely with families to help them obtain permanent housing and provided resources to help them prevent homelessness in the future. As director of residential services, Lupita will continue to manage NBM’s Traditional Housing Program in addition to managing its Wyandotte Apartments Building, maintaining inspections, auditing with the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, and meeting with residents weekly to encourage, assist, and evaluate their efforts. She also now manages Bethlehem’s and Coplay’s Single Room Occupancy Program and NBM’s two single-family residences and oversees NBM’s caretakers and residential advisors’ daily performances, amongst other managerial responsibilities.
“New Bethany is comprised of a dedicated, passionate, and caring group of professionals, and Lupita has always fit that description,” said Veronne Demesyeux, associate executive director of NBM. “She has a great passion for our work and truly connects with the residents. For example, one of our former residents, Corey, initially felt uncomfortable coming to New Bethany for help until Lupita showed him that she understood his situation and provided him with the push he needed to get back on his feet. We are excited to see Lupita continue to thrive in her new role.”
