Open Arms Honorees: Ron Mitchell, Reverend Peter Larom,
Pierre Poux, Tom Wakins, and John Beyersdorf

White Plains, NY, October 22, 2009

Ninety people gathered in the Parish Hall of Grace Church October 22 to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Open Arms, a men’s shelter that provides housing and rehabilitative services for up to 50 homeless men from its location at 86 East Post Road, in the heart of White Plains.

Open Arms is one of the nine programs operated by Grace Church Community Center (GCCC), an $8 million nonprofit social services agency that is celebrating 30 years of serving the community this year as well.

On hand for the celebration were some of the shelter’s founding fathers, Ron Mitchell who was the first Director of Open Arms and who served in that capacity from 1989-2002; Reverend Peter Larom, former rector of Grace Church whose active work with politicians, community members and local churches and synagogues was instrumental in opening the shelter;  Pierre Poux Co-Founder of S.H.O.R.E. (Sheltering the Homeless is Our Responsibility) which partnered with Grace Church and GH Horace to establish Open Arms; Tom Watkins, the founding Board Chairman of Grace Church Community Center which was incorporated as a separate 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1979 who served as the Board Chairman for 14 years; and John Beyersdorf who worked on financing for the shelter.

Four former residents of Open Arms gave emotional speeches about their experiences at Open Arms, thanking staff for being tough but caring and citing their time at Open Arms as the catalyst for turning their lives around.

Open Arms is a collaborative effort between GCCC and local religious organizations who assist it in sheltering clients.  The facility is licensed to shelter 38 homeless men but only has beds for 19.  The overflow is housed on cots in the Parish Hall at Grace Church six nights a week and on Saturdays, local churches and synagogues alternate to provide accommodation for the men.

In addition to providing 24 hour services to homeless individuals referred through the Department of Social Services (DSS) Open Arms also provides emergency shelter to individuals “outside of the system” who would otherwise have to spend the night on the streets.  The shelter has housed as many as 50 men in a single evening during the winter.  

Back To Top | Back To News & Events | Want to Help?