Latrobe Mission outlines shelter, life-skills plans and asks Vienna for $5,000

Michelle, the recently appointed executive director of Latrobe Mission, told Vienna council members the mission serves a diverse shelter population — veterans, seniors, situationally homeless people and people with mental or developmental disabilities — and detailed a case-management approach that begins with securing identification and benefits before moving clients into housing.

She said Latrobe Mission serves meals to the community ("We feed over 50,000 meals a year") and is planning life-skills classes (banking, budgeting, cooking, communication and emotional-regulation skills) to improve long-term housing stability. Michelle said the mission lost $75,000 in grant funding this year and requested $5,000 from the city to support operations and planned projects; she noted a packet displayed $2,500 but clarified her written request was $5,000.

Latrobe also described facility improvements planned for 2026 — a new roof over the kitchen/day room and an ADA ramp proposal — and the organization said it is seeking additional grant funding to convert old dorms into transitional living units in future years. Council members asked about Wood County contributions and suggested coordination with regional partners; no formal action was taken at the meeting.