H.O.M.E. Word – A blog from Project H.O.M.E.

Many of you have already received in the mail our May Dwelling Place newsletter, which focuses on Project H.O.M.E.'s Employment Services program.  For those who haven't, here is the front page article.  if you don't received the newsletter, and want to, email nicoletell@projecthome.org. 

Yvonne Bailey has to rise pretty early in the morning on a work day.  She gets her daughter ready for school, then heads to Center City, where she is responsible for opening the H.O.M.E. Page Café at the Main Branch of the Free Library on the Parkway.  It takes about 45 minutes to do the inventory, set up and clean, brew the coffee and tea, get the espresso machine going, and make the Café ready by 8:30 for the day’s first customers.

Three proud employees of the H.O.M.E. Page Café (left to right): Walter Broadnax, Yvonne Bailey, and Peak Johnson.

Yvonne, who spent 17 years on the streets before landing at Project H.O.M.E.’s Rowan Homes, has worked at the Café since its opening in 2008. She waxes enthusiastic about her job:  “It’s a blessing.  It keeps me focused and helps me keep my priorities in order.  I have a sense of responsibility, knowing what I have to do.”

Work and employment are not only critical to a person’s economic sustenance, they are a building block of human meaning and dignity.  Since our earliest days, Project H.O.M.E. has understood that employment is critical to helping people break the cycle of homelessness and poverty.  It is part of our name:  “O” is for Opportunities for Employment.  In fact, access to sustainable employment is the single most important factor in a person’s ability to stay housed. Over the years, we have developed education and employment programs to meet the particular needs of our residents and community members. 

Project H.O.M.E.’s Employment Services program has evolved over the years, as we have learned from experience and undertaken best practices.  We recognize that the process of re-entering the work world cannot be separated from the overall journey back from homelessness.  For many residents, this entails rebuilding the foundation of their lives in order to reclaim their independence and dignity.

Our model is called “supported employment,” which provides a set of appropriate supports tailored to persons who have experienced chronic homelessness and such special needs as addiction and mental health struggles, to help them make the transition to competitive employment and permanent independence and self-sufficiency.  We work closely with each of our residents and our alumni to set goals and create a strong employment plan, based on the person’s strengths, interest, and experience.

The supported employment model is rooted in a commitment to recovery.  While the economic part of employment is clearly one of the goals, the program addresses the whole person and integrates the process of employment within that person’s journey of recovery (from either addiction or mental illness). This creates more complexities in the employment process, but also more possibilities.

 “There is a restorative dimension to our employment program,” says Ed Speedling, who oversees the Exelon Veterans Training and Employment Program.  “Almost universally we see the power of being employed – as a person has a role to play and a paycheck comes in, other things begin to happen:  there is an increase in social integration.  People begin to reengage with their families.  They build relationships.  They get involved in things. They face up to things in their past that need to be amended.”  Many of the participants in the Vets Program, for instance, as they are learning responsibility in the workplace, also take responsibility in other aspects of their lives – facing up to long-standing obligations like child support or old debts. 

Our Employment Services Program staff work with all residents and program participants on many fundamental aspects of work readiness, including basic business literacy, workplace etiquette, computer skills, and professional attire.  At the same time, we work with private-sector employers to seek positions in clerical work, customer service, custodial maintenance, hospitality, and a variety of other fields. 

Some of the specific components of our Employment Services Program include:

·      Our Daily Threads Thrift Store, located at 1515 Fairmount Avenue, allows many of our residents to gain retail and customer relations skills.  It is often a first step back into work and a launching pad for the transition to competitive employment.

·      The H.O.M.E. Page Café is a social enterprise located at the Parkway Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia, which is designed both to make a profit and to provide a stable work environment for current and former residents.  The Café is supported by many local vendors, including Starbucks, Metropolitan Bakery, the Green Line Café, Soup’s On of Salvation Army, Del Frisco’s Steakhouse, and Pequea Valley Yogurts.

·      The Bathroom Attendant Program of the Free Library of Philadelphia, also located at the Library Parkway Branch, employs formerly homeless men and woman as attendants in the public bathrooms – for light cleaning, but more importantly for peer counseling.  When those without a place to call home spend time in the Library bathrooms, attendants are there to speak with them, refer them to services, and support their efforts to move off the streets into housing.

·      The Exelon Veterans Training and Employment Program, a partnership between Project H.O.M.E, Exelon Foundation, and PECO, aims to empower formerly homeless veterans to reach their fullest potential through employment and educational opportunities that are based on the principles of recovery.  The program has provided a job training opportunity to 20 veterans over the last two years.

As with just about every aspect of our work, the success of our Employment Program is possible because of a broad community of support.  We are grateful to many local businesses that have partnered with us, and we hope to develop more partnerships.  Special thanks to Jim O’Brien for the important networking and mentoring he has done to expand our employment opportunities for residents and alumni.

Project H.O.M.E. seeks partner employers, like recent partner Independence Blue Cross, to increase the opportunities available to residents and alumni, especially those that have demonstrated years of solid work habits.  As an employer, Project H.O.M.E. understands what professional development skills people need to be successful in any workplace, and also what our residents and former residents have to offer in terms of their talents, abilities, and determination. You can help up create more opportunities for meaning and dignity.

Help Project H.O.M.E. make work work!  If your company is interested in partnering with our Employment Services Program, please contact Gina Plata at 215-232-7272 ext 3003

Edith Ann and her big chair. Ernestine the rude telephone receptionist. Trudy the bag lady. Ms. Frizzle from Magic School Bus series. 

These are just a few of the classic characters actor and comedian Lily Tomlin has crafted over the years. But they hardly outshine her role as advocate for and supporter of society's most vulnerable, making her a worthy recipient of this year's Golden Heart Award at a May 2 private fundraising event.

The Golden Heart Award was established in 2009 to celebrate and pay tribute to those individuals who, by the force of their character, the power of their values, and the generosity of their heart, honor the mission of Project H.O.M.E. These individuals strive to make an impact in breaking the cycle of homelessness and poverty – empowering adults, children and families to attain their fullest potential.

Past honorees are Jon Bon Jovi, 2009 and General Colin L. Powell (Ret.), 2011. Tomlin, a long-time friend of Project H.O.M.E., provided her first service to the Project H.O.M.E. community when she peformed her one-woman show, "The Search for Intelligent Life in the Universe", for residents of our women's shelter. 

This year’s event raised $200,000 to help formerly homeless men and women – including veterans – re-enter the workforce and find meaningful permanent employment opportunities.  Specifically, it will expand Project H.O.M.E.’s highly successful Exelon Veterans Training and Internship Program that places formerly homeless veterans in internships and mentors them to re-enter the workforce. We have seen how employment coupled with housing can change people’s lives and their futures. This substantial support truly makes a huge difference in our work, and most importantly changes the lives of the people and families we serve. 

Speaking at the luncheon, a recent graduate of the internship program, Stanford Broadwater, Jr (pictured above with Tomlin) – who formerly served our country as a United States Marine Corps Sergeant – credited the program with not only giving him important job skills, but also helping him reconnect with his family, friends and take on personal obligations that he had previously shirked. Broadwater and six other program participants recently gathered to celebrate their graduation – and their newly-secured employment. PECO, an Exelon subsidiary, was so impressed with the 100 percent success rate they presented a check to Project H.O.M.E. to ensure continued funding for the program. (Read more about the graduation here.)

Thanks to Lily Tomlin, the luncheon co-hosts (Christine Connelly, Jeffrey Gordon, Daniel Hilferty, Lynne Honickman, James and Sharon O’Brien, Lynn Salvo and Susan Sherman), the program sponsors (Exelon/PECO and Independence Blue Cross), and attendees of the 2012 Golden Heart Luncheon. 

Vernon Jordan III is pumped.

The high school senior, bound for Muhlenberg College in the fall, has been afforded the opportunity to end his high school experience with style as the Master of Ceremonies at our May 16 Young Leaders Event at Urban Outfitters Headquarters at the Navy Yard.

“I’m looking forward to giving excitement to the crowd, helping to promote all the wonderful youth that are part of the event, and joining a host of young professionals – my future peers – in their endeavors to leave their marks,” said Jordan.

The event will provide the enterprising students of our H.Y.P.E. (Helping Youth Pursue Excellence) Teen Program at the Honickman Learning Center and Comcast Technology Labs the opportunity to showcase their varied talents and interests, a platform on which they intend to shine.

"The event is going to be our largest audience yet," said MC Bernard Connor, a member of the student-operated Inner Power Records. "This is good because we want to share our message that hip-hop music can be about the youth making positive choices. We are challenging stereotypes every time we get on stage."

The entrepreneurial skills of the H.Y.P.E. students will also be on display during the event, and middle-school student Khalef Williams is excited about the possibilities. "It is going to be a good night to make money," he said. "We made these new products people are going to want to buy."

As any good entrepreneur knows, self-promotion is a key component to any successful commercial enterprise – a lesson the H.Y.P.E. students have learned experientially as they have been integral in helping to plan and promote the Young Leaders Event. Dobbins High School student Chante Smith designed the logo that is emblazoned on all of the event's promotional materials, and students in our Harold A. Honickman Young Entrepreneur Program (situated within the larger H.Y.P.E. program) worked closely with the Young Leaders committee to select products for sale and craft special event deals. Students in the film class even created a short piece promoting H.Y.P.E. and their experiences within it.

When the students visited the Urban Outfitters Headquarters to prepare their product displays, they were pretty wide-eyed. "The space is huge," said Khalef Williams. "People working there can get really good-looking snacks, lift some weights, read books, or just look at – but not feed – the fish."

So, if you plan to attend the event, please heed Khalef's warning and do not feed the fish.

It's not too late to register for the event – visit us here to get your tickets for the May 16 event at Urban Outfitters Headquarters at the Navy Yard. Click here for a full list of items available for bid at the event auction.

Sean Quebedo threw down the Queen of Hearts, punctuating his win over Joy Johnson in a friendly game of cards. 

"I'm out!" he declared, reveling in his victory. Johnson, one of the Hub of Hope's housing specialists, smiled broadly as the witty, fast-talking Quebedo played up his good fortune. "A woman's a man's best friend!" he said, presumably referring to his winning Queen. But he could have just as easily been referring to Johnson, whose company he obviously enjoyed. The game itself hardly mattered, really; they had played before, and they would surely play again. Who was keeping track?

The game was merely a pretense for what was really occuring between these two people as they sat at a plastic folding table in an old hair salon situated in an empty corner of the Suburban Station concourse: Understanding.

As Project H.O.M.E. and its partners shutter the Hub of Hope – a winter initiative that provided essential outreach services to the men and women who called the station's concourses home during the winter months – for the season, we can look back over a successful term that saw 355 unique individuals access Hub services. Hub staff handled 246 medical visits, allowing 125 unique people access to essential medical care; staff also placed over 100 folks in residential programs around the city. All of this was accomplished during the work week, with the bulk of the interactions occuring between 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

But perhaps most importantly, folks like Sean Quebedo had a place to call their own, a place where they were welcome. They had a place where they were no 

Joy Johnson and Sean Quebedo.

longer an anonymous face, but a human being with a medical history, paperwork that needed to be completed, and hopes for the future. 

On a typical evening, the doors would open at 7 p.m. and shortly thereafter men and women would start to drift in – some hoping for help applying for identification or to have their blood sugar checked, others hoping for a hot cup of coffee and a comfortable place to sit as they wrung the cold from their bones.

As for Quebedo, a retired Navy veteran who had spent the better part of the last 15 years on the street, the Hub provided a new beginning: in early March, he was excited about his impending housing placement and job prospects. He attributed his improved station to the "professional and positive" Hub staff who showed a remarkable ability to help "different people with different mentalities" get what they needed most – a renewed chance.

A special thanks to our partners:

Bethesda Project
Catholic Social Services
City of Philadelphia
Horizon House
Jefferson University Physicians
JeffHOPE
Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania
Pathways to Housing PA
Public Health Management Corporation
SEPTA Police
Student-Run Emergency Housing Unit of Philadelphia

Kim Covello is a volunteer for Project H.O.M.E. and an occasional contributor to the HOME Word blog.  Her last post was about the 100,000 Homes Campaign.

Instead of dealing drugs in the streets of Boston, Esterlina Fernandez now rises at 4 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday every week in her apartment at Project H.O.M.E.’s new James Widener Ray Homes, so she can catch the bus to meet her friends from Back On My Feet for their 5:30 a.m. run. Not many people with normal lives adhere to such an exercise routine, let alone a formerly displaced, homeless woman who only moved to Philadelphia a little over a year ago.

At that time, Esterlina was living in Boston, alone, her relationship with her children severed due to her drug dealing and eventual eleven years spent in jail. Esterlina was dejected, depressed, full of rage, and suicidal.  One day, she was at the end of her rope, when she saw Will Smith on TV performing one of his first hits, “Summertime.” Through her tears, she watched Will rapping those lyrics about summertime in Philly: “Back in Philly we'd be out in the park, a place called Plateau, is where everybody'd go…”  Esterlina said to no one there, “That's it! That's what I'll do; I'll go to Philly and start over. I'm comingggg, Will!!”

So she sold her belongings and took a Greyhound bus to Philadelphia.  It was April 3, 2011. She arrived and went straight to the hospital for her diabetic condition. Esterlina spent those first nights in the overnight cafés for persons who are homeless on the streets – places that have some tables and chairs (no beds) and stay open all night. Esterlina was horrified by the things that went on in the cafés. She would just go there to rest at night, but she always had a pen in one hand and a pencil in the other, ready in her own way, to defend herself. At first, people told her to go back to Boston; that Philly had too many people in shelters already.

But there was no going back for Esterlina. She was determined that Philadelphia was going to be her salvation. An angel arrived soon by the name of Edna. Edna sent her to Eliza at the Sheila Dennis House, a women's shelter on North Broad Street. Every day, Esterlina would walk from Broad and Lehigh to Center City to look for people to talk to, who could help her, anything. Many days, Esterlina would visit Love Park, a place that still holds warm memories in her heart.

One day, as she journeyed to Center City, she watched the Broad Street Run, one of the largest ten-mile races in the country, with over 30,000 people running down Broad Street. She thought it was the most amazing thing she had ever seen.  “Beautiful!” she thought.

Soon after, Esterlina met Kate, who was giving sneakers and socks to Esterlina's friend, Wilma, fellow resident at the Sheila Dennis house.  Kate worked with Back On My Feet, an organization dedicated to creating independence and self-sufficiency by first engaging homeless people in the world of running, to build confidence, strength, and self-esteem. Members can advance to the “next steps” program by adhering to a strict running schedule and other requirements. The organization has impressive results, with 75 percent of members, like Esterlina, maintaining attendance at 90 percent of their morning training runs.

So Esterlina started running in the early mornings with Back On My Feet. Soon after, she enrolled in Self, Inc. to address leftover alcohol and drug abuse issues still clinging to her. Esterlina completed the program and has been clean for over a year.

Esterlina started looking for more… more people to meet, more work to do, more ways to get involved and give back. She got involved in advocating for the rights and dignity of persons who were homeless:  During the “Sidewalks Not Solutions” campaign, which Project H.O.M.E. spearheaded, she marched on City Hall in a self-made costume:  She was a queen in a box, with the message “I want to think outside the box, instead of living in it.”

In fact, costume design is one of her amazing talents.  Volunteering to hand out water at one of the Back On My Feet races, Esterlina dressed in a “foot costume” that she made out of cardboard and paper. For the Back On My Feet Christmas party, she dressed as a Christmas tree and had more sparkle than the real one. Esterlina has a gift with cardboard and paper, and people started noticing. A community partner of the Leeway Foundation helped Esterlina, who has less than an eighth-grade education, write a grant request. The Leeway Foundation awarded Esterlina $2,400 to organize costume workshops for homeless women at the Sheila Dennis House. The grant specified that Esterlina “teach people to make costumes for public demonstrations … to challenge the stigma surrounding homelessness.”

Esterlina didn't rest on her laurels. She treaded new paths. She took a construction course at opportUNITY, learning from her instructors, Steve Pettiway and William Webb, how to lay floors, put up drywall, install windows and doors, and build a roof. Graduation is on April 20. Esterlina, also working to rebuild a relationship with her children and grandchildren, enrolled in a 12-week parenting class.

Esterlina Fernandez speaking at the March 5 Grand Opening of the James Widener Ray Homes, where she lives.

Recently, one of Esterlina's dreams came true:  She moved into her own apartment at James Widner Ray Homes. At the March 5 formal opening of the apartment project, Esterlina stood at the podium, in front of over 150 people, and eloquently told her Philadelphia Story. Edna, Eliza, Kate, and all who knew her, felt a sense of pride and inspiration as she candidly recounted her move from Boston, and then cut the ribbon with Mayor Nutter.

Permanent housing wasn't Esterlina's only dream. She has lots of dreams, and her determination is palpable, which is no surprise. While in prison, she saw her “auntie on TV with Oprah” holding a photo of Esterlina's mother as a baby. Oprah had invited her auntie on the show because Esterlina's family are believed to be sixth-generation descendents of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings, one of Jefferson’s slaves at Monticello.

Esterlina is determined to have gastric bypass surgery. She believes it will end her diabetes and save her life. She wants it so she can move better, do MORE, and end her last-place finishes of all the races she's done in Philadelphia with Back On My Feet. “I'm so tired of being last,” she cries into her tissue. But her tears are always mixed with hope “I know I'm going to get it [the surgery], I just know it.”

Esterlina dreams of having a home for seniors, where she can help the elderly with the obstacles of their everyday lives. Esterlina continues to go to Love Park, visiting with her old friends, the homeless men and women there, bringing them sandwiches and candy. “There are a million pieces of me,” she says, “to give and to share with every person [out there] who's not having a good day…”

Esterlina and her friends at the Sheila Dennis House have been working long hours with pieces of fabric, cardboard, paper and other materials to make life-size costumes for the Walk Against Hunger, a walkathon that raises money to support more than 100 food pantries, soup kitchens, and hunger relief agencies in southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. This Saturday, April 14, you can catch Esterlina and her friends dressed as a life-size chicken leg, broccoli bunch, oatmeal bowl, banana, can of soup and a cookie. If you want to find Esterlina, just look for the sweet face in the middle of the chicken leg, leading her bunch of foodie friends down the center of Martin Luther King Jr., Drive.

Nhakia Outland is a graduate student in social work at Temple University.  She is interning with Project H.O.M.E.’s Education and Advocacy Department.  She was one of the main organizers of the 2011 Homeless Memorial Day service.

On December 21, 2011, I took part in Homeless Memorial Day with my oldest son Nhaki. He is a 7th grader at Grover Washington, Jr.  Middle School in Philadelphia.  When I first approached my son about accompanying me to Homeless Memorial Day, he said without hesitation, “What do homeless people have to do with me?”

Project H.O.M.E. advocacy intern Nhakia Outland

I was so in shock that this had come from my son’s mouth that I had to take immediate action. As a parent and social worker, I have always tried to incorporate my children into my passion for advocacy and instill in them the importance of diversity and community.  So when Nhaki said this, I immediately knew I had to bring him to Homeless Memorial Day to enhance his awareness and education about what homelessness looks like.

I set out just to educate him about these issues, but so much more came from this experience. It opened up an opportunity to have a conversation about homelessness and how it impacts everyone.

At the event, which was held outside Broad Street Ministry on a rainy Tuesday afternoon, my son took the occasion to talk to many homeless and formerly homeless people. He went around introducing himself and asked questions about how they become homeless.  Like many young people, Nhaki had believed that “the homeless” are the stereotypical image of the individual on the sidewalk with filthy clothes. He soon learned that many homeless people are just like us. I explained to my son that we are fortunate. When I lost my job three years ago, I did not know what would happen to our lives.  I explained to him that we could have slipped into homelessness, if it were not for economic resources and good support systems.

Out of this experience my son learned to have a greater concern for others. He also capitalized on this experience and went back to school and spoke to his English class about his experience at Homeless Memorial Day. He explained to his class that he learned so much from meeting former and current homeless people. He now wants to engage in more activities such as Homeless Memorial Day. He is already thinking of ideas for his 8^th grade service learning project next year.

As a mother, I am extremely proud of my son. But more importantly, as a social worker, educating the future generation about societal problems is very important. He learned a valuable life lesson, that one can only learn from being exposed to differences. Homeless Memorial Day was a day that allowed us to meet on common ground. It was good to have that mother-son bond that is slowly slipping away due to the dreaded teenage years.

I also learned something myself that night. I learned that as a parent it is our duty to make sure that our children understand that they are fortunate to have basic needs that they sometimes take for granted. I also learned that just because I have always worked in the social service field and have incorporated my children when I can, I cannot assume that my children are always aware or care about issues that are of importance in the world, especially when it does not directly affect their everyday lives.  This opportunity made me aware of the fact that today’s children need to be educated about issues such as homelessness and actually see the effects of homelessness firsthand. Maybe this will stop some of the senseless hate crime beatings directed towards homeless individuals or the criminalization and feminization of poverty and homelessness. 

Eighteen years ago this week was an intense time for the Project H.O.M.E. community. 

It was spring in Philadelphia. The thaw in the weather was not translating into a thaw in harsh attitudes against homeless and mentally ill persons. For over four years, our efforts to develop our first permanent housing facility at 1515 Fairmount Avenue had been blocked by a combination of civic groups and political interests. We had struggled in the courtrooms, marched in the streets, and debated in the arenas of public opinion, but this particular NIMBY (“Not In My Backyard”) fight was especially fierce.

Federal courts had ordered Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell to use his authority to enforce fair housing and permit the development of 1515, but political forces were still resisting. We recognized that this struggle was about more than a single building. Evoking the religious traditions of Passover and Holy Week, we declared a “Week of Liberation.” For five days, with hundreds of supporters, we vigiled in front of Mayor Rendell’s office in City Hall, praying, singing, and expressing our concerns. Dozens of supporters undertook a hunger fast throughout the week. Our message was that the struggle to “Free 1515” was about basic human and civil rights in our society. 

On Holy Thursday of that week twenty-three persons, all of whom were wearing the names of homeless persons who have died on our streets, engaged in nonviolent civil disobedience. “We decided that the business of city government could not continue when homeless persons were living and dying on our streets while permanent housing was being blocked,” remembers Project H.O.M.E.’s Will O’Brien, who helped organize the campaign. “For all of us, it was a profound experience of nonviolence and acting on truth.”  The Week of Liberation culminated with an ecumenical prayer service and rally outside City Hall on Good Friday.

Three months later, following a second federal court ruling, Mayor Rendell finally intervened to end the dispute. 1515 was free, and would soon be both a home for 48 formerly homeless men and women and a vital community center. It would also become a beacon in the struggle for fair housing and civil rights in this country.

Below are some of the news clippings from that week.  Alos, you can see some of the television news coverage at our YouTube page.

Bernard Conner and John Spanier are both students who attend digital music classes at Project H.O.M.E.’s Teen Program at the Honickman Learning Center and Comcast Technology Labs.  As part of an ongoing project, students are involved in developing their own record label – Inner Power Records.  They have plans to release their first full-length album in just a few months.  Bernard, who is the front man for the label, spends a majority of his time writing and recording songs with other students in the class.  Bernard's persistence, creative vision, and clever wordplay make him a huge asset. John is a gifted writer who functions mainly behind the scenes helping out with songwriting and promotion.  John has earned writing credits for several songs which will be featured on the album.  Below is an interview with Bernard and John about their experience with Inner Power Records.     

What does the name Inner Power Records mean to you?

BERNARD: Inner Power Records means the talent/gift in all of us. Not just teenagers, but everybody who acknowledges their true talent.

JOHN: The name Inner Power Records means the power that comes from inside. Everyone can see what talents you have on the outside, but there's always one special talent that everyone has but needs to tap into it and express it so the world can see it.

John Spanier

What is the album all about?

BERNARD: The album is about positively impacting the community. That also falls into the theme of our label. The songs on the album are very diverse, featuring rapping, singing, and even poetry.

JOHN: This album is all about healing the community. Our songs tell stories about the problems that most teens face every day in our community. The songs tell how our community is falling apart and teens are choosing the wrong paths by doing some illegal things they see in the community. We also tell how even though we are faced with these problems, we overcome them, and because we are wise enough to see, we have a future waiting for us.

BERNARD: To give you some examples, the song “Red Rain” is a song of the pains and struggles of the community as a whole – from struggling mothers left home with kids to the fathers locked up for drug dealing. Red rain symbolizes the blood that constantly drops to no end. The death rate is ridiculous in Philadelphia. Another song would be “Have A Little Faith” which is more about being positive in a negative place – like the city and world we live in.

Who are your musical influences?

BERNARD: My music influences are Jay-Z, Tech N9ne, and Eminem. Their lyrical styles in my opinion are very diverse and unique.

Bernard Conner

JOHN: B.o.B, Andre 3000, Lupe Fiasco, Bruno Mars, One Republic, Ke$ha, Avril Lavigne, Adele, Alicia Keys, Hayley Williams. These are just a few of my musical influences.  I don't just listen to Hip Hop, I like to listen to different genres so I get a taste of what other artist are like.

What are your goals in the music industry?

BERNARD: To be heard from a more conscious perspective, while at the same time being respected by all genres of hip hop/rap music.

JOHN: My goals in the music industry are quite simple. To promote new and upcoming artists and to produce music that makes people feel positive about themselves.

How do you feel about Hip Hop?

BERNARD: I feel like Hip Hop is more than just music. It’s more than just a talent. It's an aspiring art form performed by many. Not just by black or white people. It’s an expression of yourself from whatever culture you represent.

JOHN: Honestly, Hip Hop is not something I feel, it’s something that I live for. Hip Hop is everywhere, and to me it’s a part of my culture, so I need to embrace it. Whether it's singing, rapping, or dancing, there is not a day where one of those three elements are not introduced to us.  I like to dance for fun so I try to keep up with some of the latest dance crazes.

How can Hip Hop change the community?

BERNARD: Hip Hop can change the community in many ways.  Since it’s a genre of music a lot of the teens in the community listen to, they will relate to the positive message we bring. Our music can change the community with its positive energy. Songs we wrote like “Forgive And Forget” and “Inner Power” are extremely positive tracks that the youth can relate to. I feel strongly that this community can change by them hearing us on an album that is essentially about their lives. The people within our city live what we write. Since they can relate, they may just change for the better.  “Inner Power” starts by me talking about my life: "Was just a young kid at eleven /  life wasn't too much like heaven /  until I spilled real ill type hard life emotions." Teens go through hard times just as much as anybody else in Philadelphia. So if we can get a few kids or anybody to listen we can get many to listen. As long as we relate to our audience they'll listen and acknowledge us by changing their attitude.  They'll see that the youth have a voice and it's honest, conscious, and positive.

JOHN: Hip Hop is a big influence on the world. A majority of our population live their lives based on what they see on the television.  For example, take a look at the whole dress code of famous people. We see that and we want to be in-style so we dress like them. If the “Music Industry” showed the world more positivity, there's a huge possibility we can see change in our communities.

Why would someone want to participate in Inner Power Records?

BERNARD: Because we are teens trying to make a difference in our community.

JOHN: If you enjoy singing/rapping, great music and people, and healing the community through music then Inner-Power Records is the record label you’d want to sign with.

John and Bernard will be part of the Teen Program’s Spring 2012 Showcase tonight at the Honickman Learning Center and Comcast Technology Labs.  Here’s the information:

Project H.O.M.E. HYPE Teen Program Presents

WHAT’S GOING ON?

Spring 2012 Showcase

Find out what’s going on at HYPE Teen Program! Come, share, support, & celebrate our students as we end our Winter Semester with presentations, New Orleans Style Food, and FUN!!!

Wednesday, March 28, 2012, 6-7:30pm

Honickman Learning Center & Comcast Technology Labs

Wilt Chamberlain Auditorium

1936 N Judson St. Philadelphia, Pa 19121

For more information call Ms Renata Henderson at 215-235-2900 x6306

All are welcome!

On March 20, Project H.O.M.E.'s Executive Director S. Mary Scullion was invited to present testimony to Philadelphia City Council's Committee on Public Health and Human Services about the possible impact on the City of Philadelphia of Governor Corbett's proposed state budget.  Here is the statement she presented.

Good Morning, Committee on Public Health and Human Services, and thank you for the opportunity to testify here today.  Thank you especially to your Chair, Councilwoman Marian B. Tasco, and Vice Chair, Councilwoman Maria Quinones Sanchez, for convening this hearing on the issue of how the state budget will impact Philadelphia and, most critically, how it undermines our ability to protect seniors, children, and people with disabilities, and to spend resources wisely for the long term.

Governor Corbett’s proposed 2012-13 state budget, with its combination of massive cuts to life-saving services and major tax breaks for corporations, will not only diminish our ability to address today’s needs, it will increase poverty and cause us to spend more in the future.  It will have a devastating impact across the state and in Philadelphia.

·        A $41 million dollar cut to health and opportunity programs will result in increased homelessness, hospitalizations, institutionalization, and incarceration.

·        These cuts compound the pain of the elimination of the General Assistance (GA) program, which will leave people in our community with no source of income at all (and possibly no source of medical coverage).  GA provides a maximum of $205 per month (25 percent of the poverty level) to more than 68,000 Pennsylvanians.  Recipients of this program are disabled adults, survivors of domestic violence, people caring for a sick or disabled person, those temporarily in drug and alcohol recovery, and children in the care of a non-relative. More than 35,000 of those recipients live in Philadelphia.

The proposed cuts not only hurt our most vulnerable citizens, they also undercut future economic growth by failing to invest in critical areas like education and health care. They will  create long-term higher costs for localities across the state.

These cuts have been proposed despite the fact that research has now amply demonstrated that strategic public-private investments in concrete, long-term solutions to homelessness and poverty generate significant long-term savings in tax dollars.   Recent studies undertaken by the econometrics firm Econsult and by the University of Pennsylvania have shown that solutions to homelessness have positive economic benefits for the City.  For instance, the 2009 study “Saving Lives, Saving Money,” (based on research by Penn’s Professor Dennis Culhane) showed that investment in effective solutions like permanent supportive housing for those who are chronically homelessness results in significant savings in public money and tax dollars. 

The proposed 20 percent reduction in the state’s Human Services Development Fund will result in a reduction of homeless street outreach, case management, and housing opportunities.  This reduction in services, benefits, and housing options only take us further from the Mayor’s goal to end chronic homelessness in our city – and they cost us more taxpayer dollars in the long run.

Of course, we know that creating affordable housing opportunities is the most effective solution to homelessness.  It not only provides permanent homes for people leaving the shelter and streets, but also has a strong local fiscal impact on our community. 

A new study by Econsult shows that Project H.O.M.E. (as just one example of the many housing providers contributing to the city’s and region’s economy) has had a significant economic impact on the region as a whole.  Since 1990, through our capital spending alone, Project H.O.M.E. has generated an overall economic impact of $155 million, which translates into 1,860 jobs and $69 million in taxable wages.  On an annual basis, our operating expenditures generate an impact of $31 million, 417 jobs, and $14 million in taxable wages.  Meanwhile, an updated assessment shows continued positive correlation of Project H.O.M.E. sites with neighboring property values – even in a down economy. 

In other words, while living out our mission of developing solutions to homelessness and poverty, we have also been making a significant positive contribution to the local economy.  Governor Corbett’s proposed budget threatens that progress.

We are encouraged that despite the severe economic downturn, we see signs that our City is continuing to make progress in the battle against homelessness.   Last year, Project H.O.M.E. and Bethesda Project opened Connelly House in Center City (with much support, it should be noted, from the nearby business community, public officials, and the community as a whole), providing 79 units of housing for men and women who were once on the streets.  Just last month, Project H.O.M.E. opened the James Widener Ray Homes.  The new residence, located in the Tioga neighborhood, is the result of a public/private partnership and will provide 53 units of permanent, supportive housing to formerly homeless men, women, and families. A coalition of groups, including City government, participated in the national 100,000 Homes Campaign, with the goal of developing appropriate housing for many of Philadelphia’s most vulnerable long-term homeless persons over the next three years. 

This work cannot continue without political will on the city, state, and federal levels.  At the recent Grand Opening for the James Widener Ray Homes, Mayor Nutter reiterated his commitment to making Philadelphia the first major city to end homelessness.  That’s the kind of positive and visionary leadership we need, and we are hopeful that City Council, including our many new members, will demonstrate similar leadership on these critical issues.  Tragically, our leadership in Harrisburg does not view ending homelessness in the same way, and the devastating cuts in the proposed budget threaten to undermine the progress we in Philadelphia are committed to making. 

I, along with the community of Project H.O.M.E., and many of our partners in the nonprofit sector, look forward to working closely with you in the coming months to stop these cuts and continue the real progress we have made towards ending homelessness in our city and making Philadelphia a just and compassionate city for all its citizens.

Thank you for this opportunity to speak with you today.

The following is a personal reflection from Will O’Brien, who has been part of the Project H.O.M.E. community for over twenty years.  As part of his work, he acts as a liaison to the faith community. 

The last couple of weeks have been trying ones for Project H.O.M.E.’s Education and Advocacy Department.  We’ve been working on a few fronts, including fighting efforts by legislators in Harrisburg to impose voter ID requirements (what many are calling the “Voter Suppression Bill”) and trying to forge an effective response to Governor Corbett’s proposed state budget, with its numerous cuts to human services and programs for the most vulnerable Pennsylvanians.  In fact, a team of Project H.O.M.E. advocates, both staff and residents, were in Harrisburg last week, attending hearings and meeting with legislators and staffers – only to returned feeling discouraged and frustrated. 

At one recent meeting, we were poring over numbers and assessing the budget’s impact.  We were also struggling with what kinds of organizing efforts might be effective.  As I personally took in a sense of soberness at the tasks before us, I found an old memory stirring:  Back in the 1980s, Philadelphia was the scene of an important event in the history of modern homelessness in this country:  the formation of the first shelter started and operated by homeless persons.  The group that started it called themselves the Committee for Dignity and Fairness for the Homeless (CDFH), and named the facility Dignity Shelter.  The group would later launch the Union of the Homeless, a dynamic advocacy group which would eventually form chapters in several cities around the country.

Chris Sprowal

One of the founders of CDFH/Union was Chris Sprowal, a tall and imposing former social worker and union organizer who had experienced the degradation of life on the streets and in shelters.  Sprowal turned his own suffering and rage into action, with the realization that persons who were homeless needed to be at the forefront of the struggle for housing and dignity.  As he sought to change conditions in Philadelphia, he demonstrated remarkable imagination and audacity in his political actions.  He bathed naked in a public fountain to protest the lack of showers in city shelters.  On a few occasions he organized dramatic “sleep-outs” to demand funding for shelters and service.  And he spent no small amount of time in jail for civil disobedience.  In many ways, he was a mentor to some of us who were part of the early history of Project H.O.M.E.

In particular I remember a point around 1990 when street homelessness was increasing, and the City was cutting back on services, Chris suddenly announced that he would undertake a fast.  For over a month he camped in City Hall, outside Council chambers, diligent in his nonviolent witness.  Obviously he garnered much media coverage, and daily supporters joined him for an ongoing protest and call for urgently needed resources.  After over 40 days of fasting, which eventually took Chris and other advocates to the State Building, a major commitment of new State funding was secured – and Chris took to the hospital to recover.

The memory of Chris Sprowal jolted me to a sense that perhaps today we need to again consider imaginative and audacious actions to raise the urgent issues of basic justice and compassion in our increasingly polarized society.  Just a couple of days later, I was speaking with another Project H.O.M.E. staff member, who was passionately questioning:  “Where is the prophetic anger from the religious community?  There’s all this poverty and suffering, and the United States may be entering yet another war soon!”

Yet a few days later, at one of our advocacy committee meetings, the same theme struck again, when someone said, in yet another tough conversation about the proposed state budget, that maybe we need religious leaders from around Pennsylvania to raise profound moral and spiritual issues about current directions in public policy.  Something in me stirred – yes, we need that voice, a powerful, prophetic cry for justice.

Then, just this past Tuesday, I spotted a headline in the Philadelphia Inquirer saying that "Catholic bishops were calling for a day of fasting to protest,.."  Could it be, I thought?  Our spiritual leaders calling for action from all the faithful on the urgent issues of our day?  A prophetic voice being raised about human suffering, poverty, and injustice?

No – it was about contraception.  Protesting the recent White House statement about federal mandates for insurance to cover contraception.  Protesting an assault on religious liberty.

Well, I am all for religious liberty, so I don’t begrudge the bishops’ actions.  But, as a person of faith, I do lament that much of the religious community in this country suffers from a myopic vision of social responsibility.  Both in the pulpits and the pews, too many of us have become too comfortable, too immune from the suffering of millions of our sisters and brothers.  And we seem to be largely impotent in the face of continuing systemic assaults on our most vulnerable citizens, while wealth is being amassed by the few. 

We need to reread the biblical prophets and the gospels.  We need to tap into the holy anger of the prophets and of Jesus when God’s precious children are being neglected, exploited, marginalized, or dehumanized. 

And we need elders like Chris Sprowal to remind us that sometimes we need to take imaginative and audacious risks.