The partnership’s simple concept consisted of houses of worship opening their doors to offer a safe place to sleep to those in need of shelter. Alcorn says that his congregation had been very involved with the homeless in New York City so ESP was a natural next step for them. On January 24, 2005 the Bedford Presbyterian Church in Bedford Village opened its doors to provide shelter for four men. Volunteers from the organizing group provided the coverage each night of that first week. The American Red Cross provided the cots and bedding for the shelter. There are now 17 participating congregations in Northern Westchester.

As you know, for many years, Temple Shaaray Tefila has opened its doors to provide shelter to our community’s homeless through the Emergency Shelter Partnership (ESP). This year, we will open our doors at TST to provide shelter and a warm meal from November 1st through November 7th.