LEWES, Del. - Tharros Village reopens with a brand new land-use permit, as well as a chance for the public to donate water bottles on Saturday, July 12 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Saint Jude the Apostle.
Tharros Village is a homeless village that was set up at the former Troop 7 property in Lewes. The encampment had closed in December of 2024 once Code Purple shelters opened for the winter, but looked to reopen during the warmer months.
Arena said there are concerns for the residents of the village, as they are currently without access to clean water on-site. Out of all of the current struggles, Arena said water is among the most important.
"While we continue to negotiate with Tide Water Utilities on opening a water spigot using the city water so that we don't have to collect all those plastic bottles," said Arena. "Everybody deserves clean drinking water. Help us turn on the water for the residents here at Tharros. We're really excited and proud about what we've been able to create here."
Now that it has been reopened, Director of Governance Frank Arena told CoastTV News about the goals for the village, and how this work is only the start.
"There are far more people that could benefit from this solution, right? What we need is land from the state and resources from the county to continue to expand," said Arena. "Right now we are in need of silt or dirt so that we can level the current campground and fill in some of the low spots that collect water."
People wanting to donate to the cause can do so at the Tharros Village website, along with details of how to give donations.
