DELAWARE WATER GAP, Pa. — Inside the Hikers Hostel at Presbyterian Church of the Mountain in Delaware Water Gap, you'll hear the stories of folks hiking along the Appalachian Trail.
"I've walked here about 1,300 miles right now so far since March, and we've got about another 900 miles to go before we reach Maine. So this is one step along the way," said Red Beard, a hiker on the Appalachian Trail.
Since 1976, the church along Route 611 has welcomed hikers from around the world, making it the longest-running hiker center on the trail.
"It's very rewarding to see folks come in and spend time here and that we can help them," said David Childs, the coordinator of the hiker's center.
The idea for the center started when attendance at the church began to drop. So the ministry looked to reach out and help those in the community.
"We saw these smelly hikers walking up and down the street of the Appalachian Trail, and we said, 'OK, well, how about this?' And we welcomed them in. In the first year, we had a couple hundred that came in. Now we get about 1,400 or something a year," said Larry Beck, a member of the church.
Congregation members say over the years, the community has welcomed hikers passing through with open arms.
"The community has embraced the whole hiker thing because they come through and they see 'em, and so they open their doors, and they open their restaurants," Beck says.
Sherry Blackman is the pastor of the church, which offers hikers a place to sleep and shower. Hearing so many stories from hikers inspired her to write a book about them.
'I'm just intrigued by the human struggle, and that's really why I wanted to write it to let people know that we are all in this together and that the trail, according to most of the hikers, as you heard them say it, restored their faith in humanity," said Pastor Blackman.
Members of the congregation in Delaware Water Gap say they will continue serving hikers as long as they can.
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