27 Jan Pathfinders Program Helps Guests Develop New Skills at Innovation Center

Scranton, PA – When guests enter Keystone Mission’s Innovation Center for Homeless & Poverty, they find more than basic relief. The Innovation Center is designed to connect men and women experiencing homelessness with mental/physical health resources, housing assistance, and vocational training.

Individuals suffering from chronic homelessness often lack the vocational skills necessary to secure gainful employment. The Pathfinders Program was created to produce job-ready and purpose-filled individuals who can get off the streets by securing sustainable pay.

“Pathfinders is a groundbreaking volunteer program. Enthusiasm is spreading quickly. [Guests] are taking pride in their work, and that is success any way you look at it,” says Kathy Regan, Scranton Program Manager.

The Pathfinders Program was launched in November 2022, and in the first three months, there has been a positive response among guests with significant growth in accountability, restructuring of routines, and strength in fellowship. Guests are given job-like responsibilities around the Mission and also gain skills such as how to interview, build a résumé, and interact in a professional sense.

“This program allows our guests to make mistakes, to have do-overs that they wouldn’t typically have during the hiring and employment process of traditional employment,” says Lasha Wyman-Klein, Vocational Specialist. “[Pathfinders] focuses on helping guests learn new skills, sharpen existing skills, and give back… it’s something that they can feel proud of and something that feels like it is theirs.”

The Pathfinders Program is one more way Keystone Mission can provide life-transforming opportunities to the homeless, hungry, and hurting in Northeast PA.