A homeless shelter in Jacksonville is celebrating its five year anniversary with a special event this weekend.
New Directions Director Vanessa Tyus tells WLDS/WEAI News that the shelter is “blessed, humbled and excited to remain open the last five years without state or federal funding.”
Tyus says New Directions has supported over 37,000 visits from children and adults in Central Illinois. She talks about some of the great things New Directions has been a part of over the last five years.
“Our community has stepped to the plate and supported New Directions. The Illinois College play ‘The Many Faces of Homelessness’ was an awesome play they did. Our ‘Shelter the Storm’ has been successful on the Downtown Square. Our new program ‘Opportunities with a Vision’ is something new we started. The six week boot camp has been amazing.”
On Sunday, New Directions will host a music celebration featuring choirs, praise dancers and praise teams. The event runs from 2-4 p.m. and is open to the public.
Looking into the future, Tyus says New Directions plans on finding a bigger location to accommodate the growing number of guests.