Charlotte Searcy, originally from Sharon, attended Monday's meeting of Farrell council to lend her voice in support of Ark House.

"(Ark House) is needed here for homeless people," she said. "If it were not for my church telling me about it, I'd probably be sleeping under a bridge right now."

Several other women and men attended the meeting to ask council to help the shelter in any way it can.

Dr. Kimberley Richards, executive director of Southwest Gardens Economic Development Corp., represented the agency in asking council to apply to the state's emergency shelter grant program for funding for its Ark House, to the tune of $95,000.

The request is made annually, but the agency has up to two years to spend the money.

The agency owns and manages the house at 418 Fruit Ave. The house staff provides shelter, food and other support to single women and women with children who have been left homeless by life's circumstances.

The house has a capacity of 20 people, and the maximum length of stay is eight months.

Southwest Gardens is asking for $2,375 for administrative costs, including audit costs; $28,500 for essential services, half to pay an employment and training support staff person and the other for a substance abuse counselor; $39,125 for operations; $17,525 for night security and maintenance; and $25,000 for homelessness prevention.

If approved, the state will fund 50 percent of the total request of $190,000; the other $95,000, Dr. Richards said, the agency will match with volunteer hours, cash, materials and donations.

She said the homelessness-prevention portion of the grant is critical, since it is a service that will attempt to place residents of Ark House in permanent housing by working with landlords and banks to arrange payments and budgets and to prevent foreclosures.

"We don't just want to be in the business of helping homeless people," she said. "We want to prevent homelessness in our county."

That portion of the grant was not financed last year, she said, but added she hopes it will be funded this year because "the state is looking favorably ... on preventing homelessness in our communities. We're praying they keep the homeless prevention."

At the meeting, Lois Oakes was the first woman to speak on behalf of Ark House, saying it has "given me a home."

"They're good at helping us to be able to stand on our own, so we don't have to ask anybody," she said.

While at the house, residents have access to many agencies and services, including AW/ARE, Prince of Peace, Salvation Army, Community Resources for Independence, Mercer County Housing Authority, Northwest Legal Services and local churches.

The agency also runs Unity House for men who need assistance with housing, food, shelter and support through recovery.

Council agreed to apply. The application is due in Harrisburg by 4 p.m. Friday.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Patrecka F. Adams at padams@sharonherald.com.