The Biggest Little Charity in Erie: History
In 1995 a homeless man was asked to leave the comfort of a soft chair at Erie’s Library. He had no place to go on that cold winter day. Seeing this, a retired IBM executive named Tom Schlaudecker joined forces with the Catholic Church and St. Paul’s Church of Christ in order to open a small shelter where the homeless of Erie might find refuge daily. That was nearly twenty-five years ago.
The early days witnessed a gathering of a few older men, some with drinking problems, others just down on their luck. The sound of hymn singing, and streetwise conversations could be heard from the second floor of the building attached to St. Paul’s on Peach and 11th Street. Supported by the faithful of St. Paul’s and Erie’s Catholic Diocese, The Upper Room, as it came to be known, somehow managed to keep the doors open and the lights on and became known as a safe sanctuary for those who might otherwise be left on the street.
Twenty-Five years later, The Upper Room still occupies the original little room on the second floor behind St. Paul’s along with the rest of the entire floor, consisting of six more rooms. Incorporated as a 501c3 non-profit in 2009, the agency saw a director’s change in 2014 when Mr. Schlaudecker stepped aside and Dr. Cris Taylor took the helm. Dr. Taylor led this effort until retiring in 2024, quite a legacy of service with us! Saunders McLaurin was hired in June of 2024. Now the charity serves more than forty-thousand visitors each year, brews up over 70,000 cups of coffee, and sponsors Erie’s largest and best-known winter blanket and coat drive for the homeless.
Understanding the need for all who might be vulnerable and homeless, in 2014 The Upper Room started to welcome women into the day shelter too. Now women make up over 21% of the shelter’s clients. And thanks to many who faithfully support The Upper Room with their donations, along with ECGRA, Erie County Mental Health, and The Community Foundation, hundreds of winter coats, sweatshirts, winter boots, thousands of socks, and other clothes are given free to those in need. But that’s not all…
The Upper Room is governed by an eleven-member board of directors as a tax-exempt 501c3 organization. Board members include educators, doctors, two psychologists, a presbyterian minister, and business leaders. It is now able to pay rent to St. Paul’s Church where it occupies space and works hand in hand with St. Martin’s Center to provide daily breakfasts for the homeless. Sunday dinner is provided also. Bus trips to a summer picnic at Presque Isle, a Christmas gift party for more than 200 families, summer picnics, special occasion celebrations, a chess tournament, and other events fill the calendar. Blizzard of Blankets was started twenty-five years ago and in 2020 saw 30 plus volunteers on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, accept and organize one-hundred and twenty (120) 55-gallon bags full of blankets and winter coats from the generous people of Erie. That translates to more than 300 coats and nearly two thousand blankets to be distributed to Erie’s homeless this winter, all free of charge.
“Our goal should be to go out of business, not grow our business,” said Taylor. But, as long as Erie has homeless, “we will do all we can to help make their lives better.” Individual secure storage lockers were installed in 2019, where people can safely keep personal items like IDs and important papers. Thanks to one of our board members, The Upper Room provides chiropractic services now. The Upper Room provides computers for resume and job search, daily newspaper and television, and referral services for medical, mental health, and other needs. The Upper Room has also joined with Gaudenzia to provide a doorway for addiction counseling and group meetings for those who suffer from alcohol and drug dependence.
By all comparison, The Upper Room is a small non-profit, but does a pretty big job.
