Hello and welcome to living in the Lehigh Valley, where our focus is your health and wellness.

I'm your host, Brittany Sweeney.

The weather outside is frightful this time of year and can be dangerous for people without a place to stay.

That's why a hut, a Christmas city village in Bethlehem is promoting services for people experience homelessness.

It's an effort to get the word out about Bethlehem emergency sheltering to those who need it most.

From lights to shopping to holiday spirit.

Christmas City Village is all about spreading seasonal cheer.

But as many of the holiday themed huts are decked out in home decor, one of the first people the chance to help provide half of that equation a home.

So this site was provided for us by Bethel Merry Moravians.

And we come here to bring some goodies, some fresh baked, cookies and hot cider and distribute to folks to get the message out about the homeless population and the shelter here in Bethlehem.

The hut is being used to spread awareness about Bethlehem emergency, sheltering both the need for a warm place to go and the resources that keep it running.

The shelter provides a safe and secure place to be for the night.

It also allows them to get a hot, nutritious meal.

And we also have supported services like street medicine and mental health help.

Folks from drug and alcohol to to help folks with the issues that lead them to their homeless issues.

So when our guests come in in the evening, they'll come through this door and be here with one of our staff to register for this evening.

Bob Rapp is the executive director of the Shelter at Christ Church on Market Street.

It opens to adult men and women at 5 p.m. and closes at 7 a.m. daily.

They go through a security clearance at the police department, and they come to see us at 5:00 at shelter to secure a bed.

Nearly 70 beds are set up at the Bethlehem Church to accommodate those seeking a place to stay.

With hundreds of volunteers taking turns to keep the place running.

We are mainly volunteer operated.

If we don't have volunteers to do it, it doesn't happen.

Maria Shior is the director of volunteers.

It's not just a matter of I need 800 volunteers and we have about 800 volunteers.

But how are we utilizing their skills in a way that's not just beneficial to bees, but it's beneficial to our volunteers.

From a hot meal to clothing and a place to rest for the night.

The six month shelter sees people for varying lengths of time, from a single night to an entire season.

We see folks from almost every socioeconomic level of our of our community.

So we'll see folks who have had an issue, a medical issue that led them to losing their housing, and they come and see us.

We see folks who are in college or have been in college and graduated, who just can't make ends meet and temporarily have to come to see us.

While Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering only provides housing to adults, Rapp says the volunteers do whatever they can to help everyone, including children.

That's why raising awareness about donating time and money during the holiday season is imperative.

Even if you're just one person and you don't have a financial background.

You can make a difference and we need to make the world the place we want it to live in.

Part of doing that is to keep on working and keep on working together.

The shelter is seasonal at open November 1st and stays open nightly through April 30th.

The goal is to eventually be able to stay open year round.

That'll do it for this edition of living in the Lehigh Valley.

I'm Brittany Sweeney, hoping you stay happy and healthy.