Homelessness

Homelessness outreach organizations reaches out to over 5,000 individuals each year living on the street. These homeless individuals live anywhere from cars to abandon buildings to bus/train stations, etc. There are over 12,000 individuals, including families that utilize different shelters each year. At the same time many individuals are turned away from these shelters due to unfortunate circumstances. Philadelphia has a poverty rate of 26.3%, which is one of the highest in the nation. Project Home, one of the many organizations concerning homelessness in Philadelphia, believes that in Philadelphia there are over 600 people living on the streets. Half of that alone are living in Center City on streets, in cars, in abandoned buildings and other places throughout the city. The number of homeless people fluctuates seasonally but usually tends to rise during the summer months.

There are multiple reasons why people become homeless. Project Home states that poverty is one of the biggest reasons. Other reasons include the lack of affordable housing, transportation, and health care. Domestic violence, lack of support for mental illness and substance abuse also adds to why people are on the streets. Project Home was founded in 1989 when different staff and volunteers of the Bethesda Project and Women of Hope decided to respond to the crisis of homelessness and set up a temporary shelter called the “Mother Katherine Drexel Residence for chronically homeless men”. Since then, Project Home has helped more than 8,000 people with homelessness and poverty. They have pledged with their partners to end street homelessness in Philadelphia. They provide great dedication to help individuals who are homeless and to those that have addiction but are ready for recovery and work.

Project Home has multiple goals in which they work towards. One goal is to focus on providing housing. They provide programs that offer permanent and subsidized housing for families and individuals who are or have been homeless. Since coordinating with Middelton Partnership, there are more homes available for many people who are dealing with homelessness. Two housing options have been completed and two more are coming soon. The organization looks to use these homes to help people who are experiencing poverty and have them realize their full potential as fellow citizens and members of their community. Their goal is to create 1,000 units of affordable housing. They are currently three quarters of the way to their end goal.

Project Home also has an outreach program with the city of Philadelphia. It’s main purpose is to reach out to those that are currently living on the street. Last year, according to their website, they have made 6,890 unique contacts and there are 2,869 individuals that give around the clock service, seven days a week. The workers try to build relationships to help the people who are homeless to accept placement in appropriate settings which will help provide opportunities to find stability in their lives.

Moving on, Project home also has an adult learning and workforce development program. This provides diversified classes, career training, life skills workshops, GED classes, art programs and other resources to help individuals improve their lives and obtain a job and receive a higher education that they might have not received otherwise. They also have small businesses to help employ residents. This helps them receive an income as well as empowerment and self-esteem.

Furthermore, Project home provides health care and recovery services. They have a wellness center, dental care, behavioral health services, and personal recovery services, which is their version of psychiatric rehabilitation services that can be on site or in their offices. They also have opportunities such as summer camps, K-8 after school programs, college programs, as well as a partnership with the Community College of Philadelphia for kids, teens, and young adults.

Project Home also has a Advocacy & Public Policy Department.The goal is to provide all homeless members of the community to have a voice. This is especially keyed towards people who live in poverty, who are in recovery, or have dealt or dealing with mental illness. They try to get their message of homelessness and the act of change across with leadership development and empowerment activities. They work with a variety organizations on city, state, and national levels. They use them to create policies, educate elected officials, maximize their resources for housing and services, and people’s human and civil rights. They also have a Speakers Bureau, that has a community of Project Home residents, alumni and staff who share Project Home stories as well as educate the public about the truth and reality of homelessness and poverty. They speak to school groups, community organizations, religious congregations and others about the issues concerning homelessness and how to make a change.

Project Home has many different services that cater specifically to veterans and veteran families who are without homes or in danger of losing their homes. They have a training program and employment program that helps restore work, education, and community to veterans who used to be homeless and trying to get their lives back together. There is also a veteran outreach program, which is a team that pairs up with a local veteran affairs office to conduct street outreach once a week targeting vets living on the street.

To learn even more about Project HOME we spoke with Saint Joseph’s alumnus Sister Mary Scullion. Sister Mary Scullion has been at the forefront in the fight against homelessness since 1988 when she founded the Outreach Coordination Center. The purpose of the center was to help provide shelter to people with special needs in the city of Philadelphia. Later in 1989, Sister Mary Scullion founded Project HOME, which provides housing, employment and education to homeless individuals in the city of Philadelphia. The motto of Project HOME states, “None of us are home until all of us are home” and it committed to ending and preventing chronic street homelessness.

In our interview with Sister Mary Scullion we discussed her experiences in the fight against homelessness. Furthermore, we talked about how Project HOME has made a positive impact on preventing homelessness in Philadelphia. Finally, we discussed how social media has made an impact on Project HOME’s goal to end homelessness.

Take a look at our interview here: