Center of Hope
FRIENDSHIP ROOM
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, "I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me,
I was in prison and you came to visit me."
Matthew 25
Here at the Friendship Room we are present to serve the immediate needs of our neighbors in downtown Steubenville and the Ohio Valley. To feed the hungry, clothe the naked, tend to the sick and elderly and invite our guests in for refuge. We believe that a single action or interaction can make a difference in the community, and that collective action can greatly impact the world. Through advocacy and outreach, our team works tirelessly each day 24/7 to service the needs of the most vulnerable, hidden poor and abused in our society.
OUR STORY
“The Gospel takes away our right forever, to discriminate between the deserving and the undeserving poor.”
― Dorothy Day
Here at Friendship Room, we are driven by a single goal; to meet the immediate needs of the lost and forgotten people in the Ohio Valley. We strive to build productive relationships and make a positive impact on all those that we meet.
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
Friendship Room is in the business of changing and shaping lives. The work we do at our 501C 3 Non-Profit Organization is aimed at providing a holistic, love filled and non discriminatory approach to solving some of our society’s biggest challenges. We make sure our guests are empowered by creating opportunities for education, healthy relationship building and mental stability for individuals and communities.
BIKE SHARE
Helping The Community Commute:
According to studies conducted by the Brooke Hancock Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission the locations in Jefferson County that have a high concentration of households without a personal vehicle are in east Steubenville and Mingo Junction adjacent to the Ohio River.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
SEX TRAFFICKING AND ADDICTION
According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, Ohio had 450 documented cases of human trafficking in 2019 and the Ohio Task Force states 3,000 Ohio children are at risk and 1,000 of these will likely end
up in the sex trades.
At the Friendship Room, we are dedicated to stepping up our efforts in addressing these issues, being a safe haven for these women and providing them direction to a way out of this vicious life. Through cooperation and community empowerment we believe we can facilitate progress in this area. We are always striving to make a difference, and invite you to learn more and lend your support.
HOMELESS OUTREACH
According to a study done in 2021 on a single night, more than half a million Americans go homeless, which represents 0.2%of the US population. Of those homeless persons, 65% are sheltered whereas 35% are living on the streets.
Many mornings we will open the doors to find one of our guests sleeping on the porch. At the Friendship Room we welcome them in and provide for their needs so they do not have to sleep on the porch again.
FOOD DONATION DROP-OFF
We encourage the community to help us refill our free outdoor pantry, coolers and refrigerators daily. This allows our in need neighbors provisions for their survival. We serve meals all day and night to hundreds of in need individuals and families per week.
"Thank you to the Friendship Room for being the voice for the voiceless and loving each person when they don't always love themselves. God sent true angels to love those who often feel lost."
