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Recognizing and Honoring Project HOME on the Occasion of its 30th Anniversary.
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WHEREAS, The Project HOME community’s mission is “to empower adults, children, and families to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty, to alleviate the underlying causes of poverty, and to enable all of us to attain our fullest potential as individuals and as members of the broader society”; and
WHEREAS, Project HOME was co-founded by Sister Mary Scullion and Joan Dawson McConnon in 1989. Staff and volunteers from Bethesda Project and Women of Hope combined their resources to respond to the unmet needs of chronically homeless individuals living on Philadelphia’s streets. A temporary shelter, the Mother Katherine Drexel Residence, was set up to serve chronically homeless men; and
WHEREAS, Project HOME and its partners have pledged to end chronic street homelessness in Philadelphia, housing 2,200 people. So far, Project HOME has developed 894 units of affordable and supportive housing for persons who have experienced homelessness and low-income persons at-risk of homelessness in Philadelphia. Many more units are on the way, with a goal of completing 1,000 total units of affordable housing in the near future; and
WHEREAS, To encourage and develop opportunities for employment, Project HOME’s Adult Learning and Workforce Development Program provides a variety of resources. Offerings like computer classes, career trainings, job readiness workshops, life skills workshops, GED classes, and adult basic literacy classes create chances for upward economic mobility. Project HOME’s social enterprises, such as the HOME Spun Resale Boutique and the HOME Shop employ residents and help them develop employable skills; and
WHEREAS, Project HOME offers top-notch health and wellness services to currently and formerly homeless men, women, and children and low-income residents of North Philadelphia through the Stephen Klein Wellness Center. Patients can receive services such as primary medical care, dental services, psychiatric services, nurse care management, counseling, peer-led outreach and care coordination, and healing touch regardless of their ability to pay for them. On-site legal counseling and assistance with applying for health insurance benefits is also available; and
WHEREAS, Project HOME is committed to providing an education that is not inhibited by poverty and that is itself a pathway out of poverty. Lynne and Harold Honickman, whose generosity led to the development of the Honickman Learning Center and Comcast Technology Labs (HLCCTL), will be honored at Project HOME’s 30th Anniversary celebration. The HLCCTL’s programs integrate technology with art, education, and enterprise. The K-8 After-School Program and College Access Program support students who aspire to achieve educational success and reach their fullest potential; and
WHEREAS, Project HOME educates elected officials and the public about the realities of poverty and homelessness, advocating for policies that will help the poor, homeless, and/or disabled by empowering these people to have a stronger voice. Working with various coalitions at the local, state, and national levels, Project HOME has been an effective change agent in the community and the halls of government; and
WHEREAS, For three decades, Project HOME has transformed Philadelphia by working in accordance with the mantra, “None of us are home until all of us are home.” Thanks to Project HOME, countless lives have been given hope and the promise of a better future. The City is deeply grateful for Project HOME’s work as a committed partner in the fight to eradicate poverty; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby recognizes and honors Project HOME on the occasion of its 30th Anniversary.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of the resolution be presented to Project HOME as evidence of the gratitude of this legislative body.
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