Haven for Hope in San Antonio faces lighting infrastructure issues in its 24/7 shelter facility. JCB's electric scissor lift donation enables a successful LED retrofit, saving time and money, improving safety and efficiency and ultimately brightening the future for those in need.
BOSS JCB photo
The JCB S1932E electric scissor lift has proven invaluable to Haven for Hope.
On the west side of downtown San Antonio, there's a place where hope isn't just a mission — it's a daily operation.
Haven for Hope spans 22 acres and 13 buildings, providing shelter and critical services to more than 1,600 people every day. It's a lifeline for families, individuals and children experiencing homelessness, offering a pathway to stability.
Running a facility of this scale takes a small army of dedicated staff, including a 30-member facilities and logistics team working around the clock to keep things moving. From security to sanitation, lighting to life safety, every system must function seamlessly to support the people who rely on Haven.
And when something as basic and critical as lighting becomes a problem, the ripple effects are wide. By late 2024, Haven's aging lighting infrastructure was falling short. Fixtures were failing energy costs were climbing and the facility's ability to safely light critical areas was compromised. With 243 fixtures stretched across a vast array of indoor and outdoor spaces, the challenge wasn't just technical — it was mission-critical.
Ceilings soared as high as 25 ft. The workspaces beneath them — bullpens, cubicles and community-use areas — were tight and always active. The maintenance team's existing scissor lift couldn't reach high enough for the retrofit. Rentals were costly and difficult to schedule. Ladders weren't safe. And delays weren't an option.
What they needed was a smarter, safer, more reliable way to get the job done — and fast.
City Within a City
For San Antonio's homeless community and support organizations, Haven isn't just a shelter. It's a fully integrated care campus, where more than 75 partner organizations — including the San Antonio Food Bank, YMCA, Center for Health Care Services and Thrive Youth Services — collaborate to provide holistic services that help clients regain housing, employment and health.
The operation is constant. Lights can't flicker in a 24/7 facility, pathways must be well-lit for the safety of residents and staff, and repairs can't interfere with the deeply personal work being done every day in counseling offices, medical wings and family housing units.
"This is a hard-run, hard-lived facility," said Earvin Reinhardt, director of logistics and facilities management of Haven for Hope. "We've been in this space for 15 years, and it shows — we're constantly battling wear and tear. Our job is to make sure it continues to be a safe and functional place where people can rebuild their lives."
The LED retrofit project was the first step in a larger capital improvement plan designed to modernize infrastructure and reduce long-term costs. But making it happen — with minimal disruption and maximum efficiency — would require a boost.
Timely Lift in More Ways Than One
That boost came from JCB. Through its San Antonio-based dealer, BOSS JCB, the company donated a JCB S1932E electric scissor lift — purpose-built for indoor environments with height and maneuverability challenges.
With a platform height of 19 ft. and a working height of 25 ft. the lift hit the project's sweet spot. Its narrow 2-ft., 8-in. frame could fit through tight corridors and cubicles, while the 3-ft. deck extension made it possible to reach over obstacles without constant repositioning. And because it's fully electric, the lift operated cleanly and quietly indoors — an essential feature in a campus that never sleeps.
"We were navigating bullpens and active office spaces where people were working and receiving services," said Earvin Reinhardt, director of logistics and facilities management. "It wasn't just about replacing lights — it was about doing it safely, quickly and without disrupting the flow of care. The lift was a game changer. It allowed us to work efficiently without renting or borrowing equipment, which saved time, money and kept the project moving. And it ran flawlessly the entire time."
Industry estimates show that renting a comparable scissor lift for three weeks would have cost between $1,200 and $2,100 — money the nonprofit was able to reinvest elsewhere. More importantly, the JCB lift helped the team complete the entire retrofit on time and under budget, even after a winter cold snap temporarily delayed progress.
Right Tool for Right Team
Reinhardt's crew had experience operating scissor lifts, so getting up to speed was easy. But the upgraded controls and features on the S1932E were a welcome surprise.
"Being able to control the lift from the platform, combined with how smooth and precise it was, really showed us the difference the right equipment can make in both safety and productivity," he said.
While the facility already owned a smaller scissor lift, it simply couldn't meet the height requirements of this project. Now, with two electric scissor lifts in rotation, the maintenance team can tackle a wider range of tasks more quickly — doing everything from replacing signage and bulbs to installing pigeon netting and performing HVAC work.
"This one piece of equipment has increased our efficiency across campus operations," Reinhardt said. "It's helping us stretch every dollar and better serve the people who count on us."
Bright Start to Bigger Things
Today, Haven for Hope shines a little brighter — literally and figuratively. The LED lighting upgrade improved visibility and safety while cutting projected energy costs by more than $8,000 annually. More than that, the project reaffirmed what's possible when mission-driven organizations and socially responsible businesses work together.
For an organization that touches 80 percent of San Antonio's homeless population and serves 1,388 children across 611 family households each year, every operational improvement has real impact.
And thanks to a single lift — delivered at just the right time — the path forward is now a little clearer for everyone at Haven for Hope.
Story by Arielle Windham.
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