The Cenacle has a new director. What are his plans for the homeless shelter

Saunders McLaurin has been conducting homeless outreach and promoting HIV/AIDS treatment throughout the Erie area for over 20 years.

McLaurin believes those experiences prepared him for his next professional challenge: overseeing the Upper Room homeless day shelter.

The board of directors of the nonprofit Upper Room has hired McLaurin, 48, as the shelter’s new executive director. The shelter is located on the second floor of St. Paul United Church of Christ, 1024 Peach Street.

McLaurin succeeds Cris Taylor, 72, who retired June 1. Taylor had been a part-time paid director of the Upper House since March 2014.

Upper House officials previously said the part-time position would pay between $22,000 and $26,000 a year.

For the past four years, McLaurin has worked full time as a high-impact prevention team supervisor at PA Thrive Partnership, 1001 State St., a health clinic that focuses on HIV and AIDS treatment and on improving the health of underserved populations.

Before that, McLaurin worked at Community Health Net, 1202 State St., for 16 years as a coordinator of health care programs serving Erie’s homeless population.

“Cris did a great job. I’m just here to improve on what he did,” said McLaurin, who started in the Upper House on June 3.

“I think the people we serve communicate with me on a good level. I have had a passion and commitment to helping this community for a long time.

The Upper Room serves up to 200 clients each day at a time when the unsheltered homeless population in the Erie area is increasing. Nearly 1,100 people are homeless in Erie at some point each year, according to statistics compiled by Erie County government.

McLaurin said the shelter will continue to be “a place where people can come get something to eat, use the phone, talk to other people, get different types of help, (and) even get mail there.” if they don’t have one. a permanent address.

“And if there are other things or ideas that I can bring to the table from my network or my experience to improve what the Upper House can do for people, I want to do that,” said McLaurin.

A father of six, McLaurin earned a bachelor’s degree in human services/human service management from the University of Phoenix.

Erie City Councilman Chuck Nelson, who serves as chairman of the Upper Room’s board of directors, said the nonprofit “is thrilled with the hiring of Saunders.” He really brings the on-the-ground experience and leadership we were looking for in an executive director.

Contact Kevin Flowers at [email protected]. Follow him on @ETNfleurs.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie homeless shelter hires new director