Where to begin, how to start, and what to do next.

Willow Foundation’s Alderwood Office does not intend to change the landscape of downtown Lehighton.

Instead, the community resources center at 191 S. First St. seeks to connect what already exists and help strengthen the resources and systems currently in place.

Willow Foundation’s Alderwood Office plans to be fully operational by the middle of this month to provide services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity and/or food insecurity.

Amanda Gipson, CEO, Willow Foundation, and Kristen Topolski, vice president of the Willow Foundation, were present at the Alderwood Office Friday morning to introduce the center’s strategy moving forward.

Together, they explained that the center’s work is connective, as staff sit down with residents to help them reach services, such as counseling, recovery support, primary care, benefits assistance, and employment resources.

Each person who makes an appointment develops their own goals, which determine the next steps, such as making the appointment, completing the application, and returning the call, Topolski said.

Gipson said that in 2025, Willow Foundation was invited by St. Vincent de Paul, whose Cold Weather Station had been operating a seasonal day program and recognized a broader need in the community.

She stressed that St. Vincent de Paul continues its own work with the Cold Weather Station, and maintained Alderwood is a separate, year-round program.

“This is for the people living in Lehighton,” Gipson said, “It is literally meant for people who are our neighbors.”

Both Gipson and Topolski touted the location’s affordability, along with the fact that it’s open space and flexible.

Gipson said the response she’s heard from the community has been “overwhelmingly positive.”

“We’re not changing the landscape of the community,” Gipson said. “Willow is just people who want to try to help other people.”

Topolski said homelessness is an issue that exists where you either become part of the solution, or it inevitably gets worse and persists.

“We open our doors and be another resource for the community,” Topolski said. “Our doors are always open.”

Gipson said those who visit will be led in the right direction.

“At Willow, we do not turn people away,” Gipson said. “We will be the people who connect you; if not, we will find the people who can.”

Gipson assured they are here to stay.

“We are the connectors,” she said. “We’re never going to be a barrier.”

Willow Foundation’s approach is structured, practical support in which each program is organized around clear goals and consistent follow-through; along with a peer-informed practice in which staff includes individuals with lived experience, strengthening engagement while maintaining clear expectations and accountability.

Willow Foundation, a Northeastern Pennsylvania nonprofit organization, was approached by Hazleton about helping address housing and food insecurity in the city. In response to that request, in 2021 Heartwood began providing services within weeks.

Gipson said the founders bring a combined 50 years of leadership experience in human services, and Willow’s five-member board of directors have backgrounds in behavioral health, academic research, nonprofit operations, and clinical practice.

Willow employs 20 staff members across its programs, supported by trained volunteers and graduate-level interns from regional universities.

In 2025, Willow Foundation supported more than 17,000 visits across its programs, serving residents from Wilkes-Barre to Hazleton, Tamaqua to Peckville.