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

K. Earl left Philadelphia in 2000, running from a past that would eventually catch up with him.

After two stints in prison, K. Earl found himself back in Philadelphia, where he bounced in and out of halfway houses, shelters, bus stations, and the street, all the while hiding his duress from his family. 

“None of my family knew I was in a predicament,” he said. “They’d have been stressed and worried. Today they don’t think I’ve been through some of this stuff.”

Thankfully, those days are behind K. Earl as he transitions from the street to a new life. But before that could happen, he needed help. Enter the Hub of Hope, a winter (December to March) walk-in engagement center for persons living on the street.  Wrapping up its second consecutive season in the Two Penn Center subway concourse, the Hub is a partnership between Project HOME and many of the same agencies who made the project so successful last year, including: the City of Philadelphia, the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Jefferson University Hospital, Einstein Healthcare Network, Public Health Management Corporation, and SEPTA Police. The Hub exists as a place where individuals experiencing homelessness can see a case manager, talk to a peer specialist or recovery specialist, receive medical care, or just grab a cup of coffee and a moment’s peace.

When K. Earl walked into the Hub and explained his situation to case manager Kanika Stewart, he was given a “stabilization bed” at the Arch Street United Methodist Church (ASUMC) where the Student-Run Emergency Housing Unit of Philadelphia (SREHUP) staffs an all-volunteer, student-run housing unit in partnership with Project HOME. Two-and-a-half weeks later, K. Earl moved into a safe haven, a form of supportive housing that serves individuals experiencing chronic street homelessness.

Today, he is attending his mental health sessions regularly, is working with a lawyer to access benefits, and is getting connected to an Intensive Case Manager, who will walk with him during his next steps in obtaining permanent housing. And while K. Earl feels fortunate to have been so quickly connected to services, he also recognizes that he had to reach out.

“A friend of mine told me about [the Hub],” he said. “I came down here on a Monday.  It helped me out with my housing, helped me deal with my stress and my anxiety.

“I feel better,” he adds. “When I came here, y’all moved me real quick—it was God, too — but I took the steps.”

K. Earl is one of over 130 individuals that the Hub of Hope has helped connect to shelter, housing, and treatment programs around Philadelphia over the last three months. The Hub is open Monday through Friday from noon to 8 p.m., and during that time staffers have met with over 550 unique individuals in over 1,500 visits, while also administering to over 150 patients during the course of more than 300 health clinic visits. 

The Hub aims to deepen understanding of the needs of people sleeping in the Suburban Station concourse, provide consistent access to co-located physical and behavioral healthcare, and transition people experiencing long-term homelessness into permanent housing. And for the second year, this new approach to the crisis of street homelessness is having positive results.

As for K. Earl, he is already planning the next phase of his life.

“This place helped me out—I’m not even stressed, I’m great,” he said. “When I get housing I’m going to buy a waffle iron, blender, and deep fryer.” (K. Earl is a big fan of French fries and fried chicken.) 

“Most of the time I’ll be cooking on Sunday.”

Karen Orrick is the Project Coordinator for the Hub of Hope and Strategic Initiatives.

Employment can hold different meanings to different people. For some, it is the result of years of study and sacrifice, a realization of their ambition and dreams. Others may consider their jobs just that: a means by which they fund a lifestyle outside of work, whether it is to support a family or to finance an assortment of interests. Still others may perceive their employment as transitory, a mechanism to explore themselves and their place in the world.

At Project HOME, we consider employment a key pillar – joining housing, medical care, and education – in a structure of self-actualization and dignity that allows our community members to experience a deeper sense of recovery and personal meaning. This philosophy animates the programs and initiatives offered through Project HOME’s Employment Services department.

Our Daily Threads (ODT) thrift store, one of three social enterprises operated by Employment Services – the others being the HOME Page Café and Library Attendant Service, both located in the Central Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia.  These businesses actively exemplify the mission of Project HOME. Over the years, the store at 1515 Fairmount Avenue has grown from a primarily volunteer-run enterprise to one fully staffed by five hourly employees, all of whom are formerly homeless and using their experience to re-acclimate themselves to the working world.

“I have a place,” said Ocie Laurel, a sales associate at ODT for the last three years. “I have initiative to be about other things, being homeless for ten years; my work gives me another perspective when I have things that bother me from time to time.”

Picking up on Ocie’s point, while some of the responsibilities at Our Daily Threads may seem to typify the so-called “daily grind” aspect of workaday life – counting the register, pulling out racks of clothing, and arranging scarves along a makeshift display – it cannot compare to the grinding work folks like Ocie put in as they pulled themselves out of homelessness. And the perspective of which Ocie speaks is one born out from the experience of homelessness – and the knowledge that his work has enabled him to both transcend the heavy stigma of homelessness and take comfort in the sense of purpose that arises from meaningful occupation.

And the work is meaningful. For someone like C.B. Williams, an ODT sales associate for nearly five years, his position has supported his sustainable recovery by providing daily structure, direction, and transferable skills. Most importantly, C.B. now has a better sense of himself and his capabilities.

“I didn’t know I had the strength to go on here for five years,” he said.

…

Your donations to and patronage of Project HOME’s social businesses provide very important avenues of support to both Project HOME’s community members and the neighborhoods in which they are located.  You help to ensure our employees stay employed while also strengthening local businesses. So stop by the Café for a cup of coffee, or drop off a bag or two of gently-used clothing at ODT. Visit us online for more info on our social enterprises or our Employment Services department.

Jenna Bryant is the manager of the Our Daily Threads Thrift Store.

Project H.O.M.E. recently struck gold – in the form of a major recognition for environmental sustainability.

Project H.O.M.E. co-founder and chief financial officer Joan McConnon accepted the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold award on October 11 at our Connelly House residence, the first LEED-certified affordable housing development in Center City.

The award was presented by the Delaware Valley Green Building Council, the local chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.

“We are very proud to be recognized for our work in environmental sustainability.  We stand by our belief that everyone deserves a safe, healthy place to live,” said McConnon.  “We hope that this achievement inspires others that green affordable housing is not only a possibility, but it is necessary for moving our city forward.”

Opened in 2010, Connelly House received the American Institute of Architects Philadelphia Community Design Award and was certified by the U.S. Green Building Council for being an environmentally-friendly, sustainable building that includes a green roof, a rainwater collection system for irrigation and non-potable use, and highly insulated walls to improve thermal performance.

Connelly House—in partnership with Bethesda Project—provides critically needed, affordable housing to formerly homeless men and women. It is named in honor of John F. and Josephine C. Connelly, the founders of the Connelly Foundation, who created the charity to promote public welfare. The eight-story building
provides 79 units of permanent supportive housing.

This development contributes to Project H.O.M.E.’s mission of ending homeless in Philadelphia and the organization sees a commitment to environmental sustainability as an important piece of this mission.

“Green practices are especially important in those buildings that house vulnerable populations, such affordable and homeless housing,” said Joseph Healy, Chairman of the DVGBC. “We are thrilled to recognize Project H.O.M.E for their notable achievement in sustainability.” 

Come join Project H.O.M.E. for our first-ever Fall Harvest Festival!

Over the past year, we—residents, staff, volunteers, neighbors—have been hard at work gardening behind the St. Elizabeth’s Recovery Residence.  Our efforts have been rewarded with a bountiful harvest—bushels of tomatoes, eggplants, greens, and sweet and hot peppers. Now that the long, hot summer has suddenly given way to autumn, we can look forward to beautiful autumn crops like squash and prepare our gardens for the spring season.

“It has been wonderful to see our garden come to life and be able to share our harvest,” said Environmental Sustainability Coordinator Erika Slaymaker. "Not only does the garden provide the Project H.O.M.E. community and our neighbors with local, organic, tasty vegetables, it also brings people together. We are all learning together, I look forward to continuing to grow community in the garden!”

After all of our work in the garden, we want to celebrate!

The festival will be held on Saturday, November 3 from 12:00 to 4:00 P.M. along Berks Street between Croskey and Judson Streets. There will be great activities in the garden and all along Berks Street, including live music and an information-and-crafts fair. We hope to see Project H.O.M.E. community members as well as our neighbors and friends at the festival!

Would you like to get involved? Come join us—the more the merrier! We welcome contributions of fruit or baked goods to share. Are you excited about participating in sustainable vegetable growing to support our kitchens and our community? Join us in the garden this autumn or next spring—no experience needed.

Contact Julia Cooper (juliacooper@projecthome.org) or Erika Slaymaker (erikaslaymaker@projecthome.org) with any questions.

Julia Cooper is Project H.O.M.E.'s Philly Fellow for Environmental Sustainability.

Curtis Stubbs' situation had become dire in the weeks before Project H.O.M.E. outreach worker Sam Santiago entered his life.

Suffering from untreated schizophrenia and drug addiction, Curtis’ sense of hopelessness had already driven him to attempt suicide once. He was living on a razor’s edge and he knew it; so when Sam offered him a way out, Curtis grabbed it with both hands.

"I'm still working on myself," he admits. "But if I didn't have Project H.O.M.E. I'd be in one of two places: jail or six feet under. Project H.O.M.E. is a blessing."

Curtis' story – a powerful example to the men and women who are still struggling with homelessness – is a testament both to his own perseverance and to the targeted outreach efforts of Project H.O.M.E. and our partners through the Hub of Hope, our most recent initiative that was centered in the Suburban Station concourse.

Hub of Hope housing staff helped Curtis acquire supportive housing at our James Widener Ray Homes residence, while medical staffers helped Curtis receive both drug treatment and medication for his schizophrenia. Curtis has also begun adult education classes at our Honickman Learning Center and Comcast Technology Labs. But more than anything, his experience with the Hub of Hope renewed his sense of hope and trust.

Curtis was not alone. In just four months – between January and April of 2012 –  360 men and women experiencing chronic street homelessness were connected to vital – and sometimes life-saving – social service and medical resources through the Hub of Hope.

The primary goal of the Hub of Hope was to bring essential services directly to those who needed them most, creating a safe space that emphasized a community approach to meeting the needs of the most chronically at-risk men and women living in and around the Concourse.

The pilot program proved a resounding success as the centralized, welcoming environment promoted trust among the participants and Hub staffers, resulting in a strong follow-up rate.

The collaboration of so many stakeholders – among them business owners on the Concourse, SEPTA employees, the Philadelphia Police Department, and partner agencies from around Philadelphia – led to:

•  1317 social service visits from 360 unique individuals
•  292 medical visits from 134 unique individuals
•  103 essential medical assessments and forms completed for housing, services, and benefits
•  95 placements into shelter, treatment, and other housing options around the City
•  30 individuals connected to primary care providers

Curtis Stubbs can be counted among the believers.

“If it weren’t for Project H.O.M.E. and the Hub of Hope, I wouldn’t be here today,” he said. “They put a lot of people back on their feet. I can say that because they helped me.”

Deward Johns knew this day was coming.

Speaking on behalf of his 11 fellow departing seniors from the College Access Program (CAP) at the recent graduation ceremony held at Project H.O.M.E.'s Honickman Learning Center and Comcast Technology Labs, Johns betrayed a common mix of anxiety and confidence when contemplating the important high school-to-college transition.

"As I moved through the Teen Program and entered each new school year, it always felt bittersweet because I knew that each new grade meant I was getting closer…to college," he said.

But Johns credited CAP for preparing him for the academic and personal challenges ahead, lauding the program for having contributed to his growth as a student and a person. "Every moment here has been truly genuine and special for me from the time I started four years ago until now."

The College Access Program is intended to prepare area high school students for college by providing SAT prep, tutoring, college and university visits, financial counseling, and scholarships. The support structure even extends into their college years as staff maintain contact with graduates, rendering support and guidance to ensure they stay focused and on track to graduate.

The year was a good one for the program; we supported 15 high school juniors and 19 CAP alumni (students currently enrolled in an institution of higher education) in addition to our 12 graduating seniors. Those graduating seniors maintained almost uniformly excellent GPAs, were accepted to over 50 colleges and universities throughout the United States, and were offered over $140,000 in scholarships, adding to the over $40,000 in scholarships generously provided by our donors.

Perhaps the year's best news came with CAP's first college graduate, Tanisha Clanton, who earned her Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from Albright College. The 2008 CAP graduate is currently working as an Art Specialist at a summer camp/afterschool program administered by Caring People Alliance. Clanton credited CAP with helping her "understand the challenges that would be thrown my way and how to conquer them with motivation."

Clanton also singled out Tomika Brown, the College Access Program Coordinator, for special praise, citing Brown's tough-love approach for keeping her on track. "I must say that, without Tomika, a lot of things would not have gone smoothly," she said.

As for Brown, she couldn't be happier with CAP's newest graduating class. Aside from their academic excellence, Brown was heartened to watch them become a "family, sharing college and scholarship information and offering support and encouragement to one another as they balanced the challenges of senior year and college planning."

Brown cited the overwhelming trust CAP has inculcated over the years for the program's consistent success. "Our students [have] to make tough decisions, answering questions like 'Should I choose college over employment?' and 'Which college is best for me considering my family can't afford to pay tuition?'" she said. "Our students trust us to help them make the best decisions for their futures and that we have their best interests at heart."

That trust has been well placed, according to LaTanya Williams, whose eldest son, Khavaughn, is currently a sophomore at Penn State. 

"I am grateful for [the help Khavaughn received] with his decisions about his choice of schools and for keeping in touch with him during the school year to make sure he was doing okay,” she said. “This assistance [helped] him continue reaching for his educational goals."

You can also read the transcript of Deward's speech here. For photos from the ceremony, visit our Facebook album. Finally, our summer youth interns just finished up their placements – students who will soon be in Deward's position! – so click over to our YouTube channel to hear them discuss their work!

United States military veteran and current Kate's Place resident Stanley Shelton's struggles with homelessness, addiction, and depression and his subsequent recovery provide a perfect case study for the efficacy of vet-centered service organizations.

After losing his wife and son in the space of a few years, Shelton found himself without a home. After suffering a stroke two years ago, he sought services catered specifically to military veterans, eventually finding his way to the Philadelphia Alliance for Supportive Services to Veteran Families (PASSVF), a fledgling collaborative composed of several area organizations, including Project H.O.M.E.

Nearly a year later, Shelton is happilly ensconced in permanent housing and the PASSVF is celebrating the renewal of its $1 million Veteran's Affairs Department grant funding and, based on exemplary outcomes and best practices, a prestigious new role as mentor organization to new SSVF grantee programs.

(For more on Stanley, please refer to the July 2012 edition of Dwelling Place.)

The PASSVF collaborative – which consists of the Philadelphia Multi-Service & Education Center, Impact Services Corporation, The Homeless Advocacy Project, the Council for Relationships, and Project H.O.M.E. – is charged with creating a seamless, coordinated plan to address homeless prevention or rapidly re-house veteran families in transition from homelessness.

"PASSVF is an important piece of the puzzle of ending veteran homelessness in Philadelphia," said Niki Paul, PASSVF Program Coordinator. She noted that veteran homelessness is an issue that has continued to gain increasing attention nationally, citing the Department of Veterans Affairs and its recent five-year plan to end veteran homelessness as evidence of the issue's importance, and how local and regional partnerships like the PASSVF can effect positive change. The program is funded with a grant from the VA's SSVF Program.

"This program contributes a unique service by helping those veterans and their families who currently struggle to maintain their housing or, even worse, have recently lost their home," Paul continued. "With effective supportive services, the PASSVF staff work together with program participants to provide critical services than can help a veteran family stay housed and prevent the trauma of homelessness. And for those veteran families who are currently homeless, our program staff work quickly to help those veteran families move back into a stable and safe home as soon as possible."

The support services PASSVF provides run the gamut: Case management services help participants find and obtain affordable housing, assist with job training or acquiring benefits, and connect to health care; the Homeless Advocacy Project provides participants with legal assistance; credit repair and credit counseling is provided; participants have access to educational groups; and, finally, temporary financial assistance is available to those who need short-term help paying rent or covering fees associated with moving.

The PASSVF's first year was a rousing success as it either met or exceeded most of the original goal outcomes outlined in the grant, leading to the aforementioned  grant renewal and mentoring role, all of which has put a smile on Niki Paul's face. "We are just so honored and thrilled to be a part of this forward-thinking initiative with the VA and we're really looking forward to meeting the folks from other SSVF providers assisting veterans throughout the country."

Also, hear more about the importance of the PASSVF from veteran Jose Torres at our YouTube channel.

On a recent Saturday morning, our neighbors in the Rowan/Judson section of the city walked to the signtuare gazebo on the grounds of the St. Elizabeth's Recovery Residence to do something that usually requires far more effort: buy fresh fruits and vegetables.

This accessibility to fresh produce and the existence of a farmer's market in North Central Philadelphia — a community located in a federal district recently named the second hungriest in the nation — has been a success thus far. "We are meeting our goal to serve healthy, affordable fresh fruits and vegetables to those who need them," said Michelle McFarland, a resident at our Rowan Judson residence who is working the farmer's market for her second consecutive year. The market is made possible by a partnership between Project H.O.M.E., Temple University's School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, and Fresh Grocer, and is the brainchild of Steve Korman, a staunch advocate for alleviating food scarcity in Philadelphia.

The market is just one aspect of the larger sustainability initiatives that we have incorporated into our 2011-2016 Strategic Plan. Project H.O.M.E. is committed to ensuring that "all developments reflect the shared values of economic, social and, to the greatest extent possible, environmental sustainability.”

By adhering to the United Nations' strict definition of sustainability as the ability "to meet “the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs," one of our first steps has been to develop an Environmental Sustainability Plan, which has 8 main goals that fall under 3 categories: manage resources, reduce waste, and build community. 

We commit to examining the resources we use and bring into our organization, as well as the waste that we create. 

Finally, we know that the only way to be a more sustainable organization is to engage in this process as a whole community.

We have taken many first steps to do this, participating in neighborhood cleanups, changing our electricity supply to 100 percent renewable energy, expanding our gardens, building our new residences to be LEED-certified, participating in nutrition education, and more.

We know that there is much work to be done and we are excited to tackle the next steps of our work. We are creating committees that will take on different pieces of the Environmental Sustainability Plan, to help Project HOME define more specifically our goals for moving forward.

Here are a few sustainability resources with a local feel:

• Sustainable 19125: A sustainability project in Kensington.
• Mayor’s Office of Sustainability 
• The Energy Coordinating Agency of Philadelphia: Great resource for low-income homeowners.
• Grid Magazine: A free, monthly print publication focused on sustainability issues and initiatives in the Greater Philadelphia area.

Erika Slaymaker is Project H.O.M.E.'s Environmental Sustainability Coordinator.

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.