Assisted by Mayor William Reynolds, Chairperson Janine Santoro provided updates on continuing city efforts to address pandemic recovery, affordable housing, and other issues at the Mayor’s South Side Task Force Aug. 30 meeting held in the NCC Fowler Center. While the meeting was conducted in person, others attended virtually.

Santoro announced “Live on the Greenway” is scheduled for Sept. 17. The free community event features live music, food trucks, and beer and wine stands along South Bethlehem’s Greenway.

She said the deadline for community engagement on the “We Build Bethlehem” online platform has been extended into the last week of October.

Reynolds and Santoro mentioned there would be a “We Build Bethlehem” public event to be hosted at NCC at that time.

Reynolds emphasized that it isn’t just about deciding where to spend money or to devote staff time, it is also about working with community partners, including the school district and nonprofits.

The consultant engaged by the city continues gathering input on homelessness from people affected by it. He is seeking out where there are gaps in services, Santoro said.

According to the mayor, finding a permanent shelter is a major goal. He added that this is not just a city issue; there needs to be county and regional involvement too.

“How do we mobilize the Housing Authority?” asked Reynolds about involving that agency in providing solutions.

Jeff Zettlemoyer from Housing Opportunities Group suggested checking out buildings, such as empty churches or storefronts, that could potentially be converted into a homeless shelter.

Reynolds and Santoro discussed initiatives to make broadband more affordable to low income families.

The Reverend Suzanne Trump mentioned that while three churches are merging under the new name of “Blessed Trinity Lutheran Church,” in the meantime, St. John’s Windish Lutheran Church continues to assist with homeless intakes for the Bethlehem Emergency Shelter. She confirmed that the church property is to be dispersed or sold at some point.

Audree Chase, Associate Dean, Community Education at NCC, offered fabric from the Fab Lab for the library’s sewing classes. She also suggested the NCC as a possible future place to host “Steeples and Steel” tours for the Steelworkers’ Archives if St. John’s Windish becomes unavailable.

Christine Wieder from the Bethlehem Area Public Library South Side Branch reported that September is “Library Card Sign-up Month” and announced several upcoming programs scheduled for September. Among these are “Trivia for Adults!” on Sept. 17 and “Playtime at the Library!” for families with young children Oct. 11. The library also scored a grant for sewing machines and will be offering classes to elementary through high school students starting Sept. 29.

Those attending virtually added their updates.

Bethlehem Area School District Supervisor of Equity Initiatives Eric Fontanez described “National Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrations” at the middle schools, and a community event happening at the Barrio Stage at Touchstone Theatre. This free event is scheduled for Sept. 15.

Adrienne McNeil from Lehigh University spoke of the college’s recent Freshman Expo and upcoming “Parents’ Day” Sept. 17.

Katy Wirth from SouthSide Arts District discussed themes for upcoming “First Friday” events, the LUAG “What Matters Most” art installation in Greenway, as well as the “Annual Chili Fest Challenge” scheduled for Oct. 22.

Susan Vitez from Steelworkers’ Archives mentioned the Walking Tours continue through Oct. 30. A food tasting event will be held in midNovember.

The Mayor’s South Side Task Force regularly meets on the last Tuesday of the month.