NORWICH – Although the former fifth ward school on East Main Street currently sits empty and in desperate need of rehabilitation, the vacant property is being seen in a new light by one local woman who hopes to transform the building into a refuge for the county’s homeless.

City resident Sharon Martinez, founder and sole operator of the Norwich-based not-for-profit organization Isaiah 58 Ministries, Inc., has had sights set on the building for more than two years. She’s reaching out to the community through a series of fundraising campaigns in the effort to raise the $299,000 needed for the purchase of the property. The goal, she said, is to provide a safe haven that also teaches self-sufficiency to those who need it most.

The challenge, explained Martinez, is helping those in need while still saving to buy the property. Her organization has brought in only a few thousand dollars since its incorporation in 2010, and “money has been going out as fast as it’s coming in,” she said, noting regular donations given over the years. To keep the good-will agency afloat, Martinez has been forfeiting her own monthly disability support and social security to reach out to others.

Isaiah 58 Ministries is still far from its fundraising goal but hopes are high, said Martinez, and the venture to purchase the school will keep moving forward.

“I know we’re going to get that building. God has put this in my mind and I’m not giving up. I’m just going to keep on ... I’m sacrificing a lot of my own money but it doesn’t matter because we’re here to serve people,” said Martinez. “My ministry is a ministry of transformation for those at risk. Everybody deserves a new beginning and a fresh start.”

According to Catholic Charities Roots and Wings Director Gary Quarella, who also spoke on behalf of the Chenango Housing Council, there is a need for homelessness prevention in Chenango County. Presently, the Chenango Housing Council – which is not affiliated with Martinez or the efforts of her organization – is pursuing a brick and mortar grant from the New York Office of Temporary Disabilities Assistance for a similar local shelter. If the council receives grant funding, the money could be used for the repair of an existing structure or construction of a new one, explained Quarella.