CINCINNATI -- People who are homeless in Cincinnati will be able to learn to sew, make jewelry and even have their laundry done once a new homeless center in Over-the-Rhine is dedicated Tuesday.
Seven agencies have dedicated space in the 40,000-square-foot facility for the new St. Anthony Center. The building is a former warehouse owned by the Franciscan Friars.
"I think we will see an increase in the flow of services, through just having all of the non-profits together in one place," Father Frank Jasper of St. Francis Seraph Ministries said.
St. Francis Seraph Ministries will be serving two meals five days each week in a new dining hall, along with offering bagged lunches to go. Mary Magdalen House will provide showers, clean clothes and laundry services. The Center for Respite Care will have up to 20 beds available for homeless people recovering from surgery or other medical procedures.
"There's a medical end of it, and then also case management, just to see that when they leave here, they have something else going on besides homelessness," Ed Slater, chief advancement officer for the Center for Respite Care, said.
Nurses will be staffed at the center around the clock. They also have exam room for patients who need to see a doctor.
Some spaces are open now, others will be ready in another week or so.
The dedication is scheduled for 4 p.m. Tuesday, with an open house at 5 p.m. The center will host a Christmas Dinner on Dec. 20.
All the agencies need volunteers.
