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

The PA Cares For All Coalition is leading a protest at Governor Corbett's Philadelphia office asking him whatl is next for the 70,000 Pennsylvanians who are losing their General Assistance checks starting tomorrow.  Join them at 11:00 at 200 S. Broad Street in Center City.

“How am I going to buy soap? Or even a new toothbrush?

Worries like these often do not cross people’s minds every day, but for Sandra, such small expenses for ordinary everyday needs are about to become a burden on her life – and she is not alone. Effective August 1, thousands of residents across the state of Pennsylvania are about to lose their sole source of income: General Assistance.

As part of the new state budget, Governor Tom Corbett implemented huge cuts surrounding human services as well as the complete elimination of General Assistance. Despite vigorous advocacy efforts, the cash grant program was officially let go. As a result, just fewer than 70,000 Pennsylvanians are about to be left in the dark, half of which live in Philadelphia alone. The $205 per month helps recipients take care of their basic needs, such as laundry and transportation costs. Now most are also at risk for becoming homeless because they cannot pay their rent.

“I have very limited options,” says Sandra, resident of Project H.O.M.E.’s Connelly House. Sandra was homeless once before and now worries about living life on the street again. Over the past few years, she has lost two jobs due to the economy, and now struggles with depression on a daily basis. Sandra has depended on General Assistance only since April 2012, and has been waiting to hear about receiving Social Security Income (SSI) since September 2011. Like many others, she depends on GA for medical expenses, such as co-pays for medications that help her battle her depression. For Sandra, insomnia has always been a struggle, but has only been intensified due to these recent policy changes. “Hopefully I will hear about it soon,” she states, “because as of now, I don’t have a backup plan.”

The General Assistance program enabled people with disabilities, women fleeing domestic violence situations, and individuals going through intensive drug and alcohol treatment programs to get back on their feet. People receiving GA often did not qualify for any other type of welfare assistance, so it was literally a last resort. Only recipients who are blind, pregnant, or already taking care of a child will still be able to receive cash assistance.

Sandra is not the only one worried:  Thousands of others affected by these cuts are scrambling to find other resources to help boost their income. Several organizations across Pennsylvania that support these vulnerable populations are working hard by creating safety nets so that these individuals do not become homeless. In Project H.O.M.E. alone, roughly 60 of our community members are affected by the recent cuts. Staff members are helping residents understand the changes, paperwork that may be involved, and what needs to happen to change the subsidies concerning their rent. Those who are eligible for SSI or SSDI (Social Security Disability Income) are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, especially since it may take up to a year to receive such benefits.

In addition, Project H.O.M.E. offers employment services and is working with their residents who may not have worked in a long time and are interested in seeking employment or obtaining an internship. Various workshops are available to residents and the community to boost marketable skills, such as being Microsoft word or Excel proficient. Residents and other individuals affected by the General Assistance cuts are encouraged to apply for positions within Project H.O.M.E. We are committed to making sure that none of our residents affected by the GA cuts will lose their housing and return to homelessness.

Sandra is not only worried about herself, but the community and the individuals that are struggling to make ends meet. To her, living in poverty may as well be a curse, and wonders what the future looks like for thousands of residents. “Just because of a few bad apples that give the poor a bad name, the whole program gets cut,” Sandra cries. “The stigma of the poor sticks around for a long time…that those on welfare are lazy and don’t want to work. General Assistance was there to help people get back on their feet. I know I wouldn’t be here without it.”

Throughout the spring, over 100 organizations statewide (including Project H.O.M.E.) vigorously protested the elimination of General Assistance.  Now advocates are working hard to shed light on the negative effects that cutting the cash program will have on the surrounding community. Taking charge, Community Legal Services of Philadelphia was one of the first on the scene in guiding people to understand who is affected and to what extent. CLS is also helping those facing hardship from the cash program go through an appeal process. Everyone who is getting cut from GA has the right to a face-to-face hearing concerning their eligibility and to ability to state their concerns. Currently, both CLS and Project H.O.M.E. are working hard collecting stories so that people have a voice, and do not fall back into poverty unheard.

Governor Corbett himself promised, after announcing the $160 million cut to General Assistance, to “try to find alternative sources of help, including accessing federal or others state programs,” but has yet to announce a definite plan of action.

The elimination of General Assistance is going to hurt thousands of individuals, and will cost the state much more than $205 a month per person, through the use of emergency services and other resources that will used as a safety net for those cut from the program. Because of this shift, there is going to be an increasing demand in shelters and emergency rooms. Sandra expressed concern by saying “We can’t just lay down or give up. Someone must be held accountable.”  For now, Sandra plays a waiting game. But she knows by telling her story, others will gain the courage to do the same. Together, we must demand answers and advocate for those who see uncertainty in the future.

JOIN PA CARES FOR ALL

TODAY AT THE GOVERNOR’S PHILADELPHIA OFFICE

TO ASK:  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!

Today, July 31

11:00 a.m.

200 S. Broad Street

For a full policy analysis surrounding the new Pennsylvania state budget, please visit http://pennbpc.org.

For more information about the appeal process, please visit http://www.clsphila.org/NewsItem.aspx?id=273.

For more information surrounding the rally, please visit http://pacaresforall.org/?p=468

If you would like to tell your story about losing General Assistance, please contact Jennie Young, intern at Project H.O.M.E.’s Education and Advocacy office, by calling 215-232-7272 ext. 3106, or email jennieyoung@projecthome.org

Written by Jennie Young, an intern with Project H.O.M.E.'s Education and Advocacy Department.

“Why is this presidential campaign so centered on the middle class? What about the poor people? Their numbers are growing, but their fate hasn’t made it into the debate between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.”

These are the opening words of a sobering new article that analyzes the increase in poverty in the United States, particularly in the suburbs, which were once largely considered enclaves of the American dream.  This focused analysis dovetails with the many news reports in recent days that the soon-to-be released 2011 census data will show that poverty in the United States is at its highest level in fifty years.

As our Executive Director Sister Mary Scullion said recently at the 25^th Anniversary Celebration of the McKinney-Vento Homelessness Assistance Act, “Obviously, we are in an election year, which is a chance for the American people not simply to decide among candidates, but more fundamentally to debate the very nature and purpose of government.”  We believe it is critical that the candidates – at all levels of government and in all races – address the issues of poverty and homelessness.  Those Americans who struggle with poverty and homelessness can hardly be dismissed as a small special-interest group – it is almost 16 percent of the entire U.S. population, and over 1 in 5 American children.  In our City of Philadelphia, the poverty rate is above 25 percent.

Why do the candidates ignore poverty?  Is it because most elected officials at the national level are themselves wealthy, thereby insulated from the lives of their fellow citizens and constituents who are economically struggling?  Or is it because they assume that poor and homeless people have no real political power or clout, so the candidates can afford to ignore them and their issues?

During this election season, Project H.O.M.E. will be working with the nonpartisan Vote For Homes! Coalition to raise the issues of poverty – including affordable housing, living-wage jobs, and human services.  We will also be working to register and empower thousands of poor and homeless Philadelphians to raise their voices at the polls in November.  You can help in this effort – contact our coordinator of advocacy efforts, Jennine Miller at 215-232-7272, ext. 3042, or jenninemiller@projecthome.org. 

Many of you may have received the July edition of our Dwelling Place newsletter in the mail.  For those who haven't, here is the front-page story. about a former resident.

Richard Brown doing a television interview on Project H.O.M.E. in 1999.

"Whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved the entire world."  (The Talmud)

Richard Brown was a jovial spirit with a ready smile, a hearty laugh, and a heart as big as his large frame.  To be in his presence and soak in his friendly and gentle spirit, you couldn’t imagine that this same person had once been an angry and despairing addict living on the streets.

Richard went through the rigorous program at our St. Elizabeth’s Recovery Residence, then moved on to his own housing.  But he was a fixture of the Project H.O.M.E. community for several years.  He worked as a cook at our Back H.O.M.E. Café (formerly at 1515 Fairmount Avenue, since closed).  He volunteered his graphic arts skills for a variety of projects, including designing a Project H.O.M.E. T-shirt.  He greeted every visitor warmly and was always game to sit down and chat with anyone on topics trivial or philosophical.  And he was active in the local recovery community, helping to organize social events and generally promote wellness among hundreds of recovering addicts.

Being the talkative sort, Richard was a natural to speak to various groups about the mission of Project H.O.M.E.  Once he was speaking to a group of college students who had come to 1515 Fairmount to learn about homelessness.  In response to a student who asked about what difference one person could make, Richard recounted an amazing story from his experience on the street.

He had been on the streets over ten years, in the clutches of a serious addiction.  Countless times he had chased away the outreach teams, sometimes with choice curses.  A day came, he told the students, when he was sick and tired of it all, and he decided that he had had enough.  That night he was going to the Ben Franklin Bridge and jump off, ending it all.  But first he would get money for one final hit of crack.

So, as was typical, he panhandled for a couple of hours.  And he faced the typical reactions:  the occasional negative or nasty remark; one or two grudging givers; and the bulk of folks passing him by as if he were invisible.  But, he said, one young man stopped to talk.  Richard didn’t remember much of what was said, and it was only a few brief moments.  The man didn’t give him any money, but asked his name and a little about him.  He seemed concerned, caring.  They shook hands, and the man went on his way.

Richard finally got enough money to achieve his goal of one final high.  Some odd feelings lingered from the encounter with the young man.  Finally he decided, at least for the night, to forego his plans to go to the bridge.

The next day, the outreach team came to check on Richard, as they had countless times before.  Acting on an impulse he didn’t even understand, Richard decided he would take up their offer of coming inside.  They got him into St. Elizabeth’s that night, and Richard began his journey of recovery.

Richard told the students that he realized later the stranger’s few moments of kindness saved his life.  That simple human connection touched his spirit, buoyed up something in his heart, enough that he hung on for a little longer; and it evoked a spark of a sense of his worth and dignity such that the next day he made an option to reclaim life.

Richard wanted the students to know an important truth, one that is captured in the phrase that our executive director Sister Mary Scullion often uses: “The solution to homelessness lies in all of us.”  We all have gifts to share – time, talents, resources, vision – but at the core, we all can choose to make those critical human connections, to affirm the goodness and dignity of each person, to reweave the frayed web of community and rekindle the human spirit we all share.

Sadly, Richard passed away suddenly in 2002.  But by then, he had reclaimed his life, and made that gifted and amazing life a gift to all of us at Project H.O.M.E. and to the broader community.

To see a 1999 interview that Richard Brown gave with Comcast Newsmakers, go to our YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/projecthome. 

Betty Mills-Robinson’s story is not one of potential denied, but of potential delayed.

(Beginning second from left) Amy and Sharlene Goldfischer, seated with several members of 1515 Fairmount's resident knitting club.

Project H.O.M.E.'s Volunteer Stories Project aims to collect the unique experiences and motivations of the people who heed the call to help others and share those stories with our larger community of friends and supporters. All pieces will be written in a Q&A style to ensure the volunteer's experiences are conveyed in their own words.

First up is the mother/daughter duo of Sharlene and Amy Goldfischer. The Goldfischers facilitate the popular knitting club at 1515 Fairmount Avenue where our residents – many of whom are already painters, sculptors, and illustrators in their own right – hone their knitting skills with an eye toward crafting items for personal use or to sell at local craft shows. 

Project H.O.M.E. (PH): Tell us a little about yourselves.

Sharlene Goldfischer (SG): I am a special education teacher and consultant by training and background and homeschooled my own children for the past twelve years, along with providing support to other homeschooling families.  Most of my teaching career was spent helping children and teens whose behavior and emotional challenges were interfering with their learning.  I bring with me many, many years of working with children and adults to help them fully realize their true potential….doing whatever it takes to get that to happen.

Amy Goldfischer (AG): I am a homeschooled student in the Philadelphia area. I am interested in the arts, including handwork.

(PH): Why do you volunteer?

(SG): My son, Eric, who is now entering his senior year in college, volunteered at Project H.O.M.E. during his high school years and became extremely passionate about working to end homelessness in this country (a passion and focus which has continued through his college years).  My daughter, Amy, became interested from hearing about Eric's work and volunteered in the art program several years ago.  One summer day, there just wasn't enough room in the art program for Amy due to summer interns, so, she was asked to help out with the knitting program.  I came along to join her for her first visit with this group.  Shortly after this visit, we received a call that the person who was currently leading the club was being relocated for her job and asking if Amy and I could take over running the knitting group.  Of course we said "YES" without any hesitation!  That was about two years ago now.  It is so inspiring to me to help others learn a new skill and watch them feel so good about it…and then use it to express their creativity.  This, as well as the deep and caring relationships that are formed from the work together are what motivate me.

(AG): I like connecting with the people at Project H.O.M.E., sharing a common interest and sharing my own skills with new knitters. I also enjoy learning from the experienced handworkers at Project H.O.M.E. They inspire me.

(PH): Why are the issues of homelessness and poverty relevant/important to you?

(SG): All of the issues related to poverty and homelessness are important to me.  I believe that each and every one of us brings special gifts to the world and if an individual is living in poverty and/or is homeless, it is very difficult for those gifts to be realized.  I also feel that it is the responsibility of every citizen to be involved at some level in helping to end poverty and homelessness.  Sister Mary and Joan have done such an amazing job of getting that message out there and of doing something about it. Bravo!

(AG): I believe that even the small things that someone does can make a difference. I want to continue to be involved, even in small ways, with organizations that are working to end homelessness because I think that ending homelessness is a goal that should be reached as soon as possible. These issues are important to me because it disturbs me that homelessness and poverty are still so common in Philadelphia and that most people do not realize that it is within their abilities to change this situation.

(PH): Anything else you'd like to add? Any fun stories or experiences?

(SG): My favorite stories and memories relate to watching new knitters "get it" and get over their fear of failure and of making mistakes, which absolutely everyone makes when learning to knit.  It's been exciting to see the items crafted by the knitting club members be so well received at area craft shows and to experience the generosity of local crafts people who have donated yarn and supplies.  I am also really enjoying watching my forty-two year old portable sewing machine get a workout!

(AG): People in the knitting club inspire me with their dedication, creativity and skills. It can be funny being the only person under age 40 in the group. I loved going to the First Friday event in Narberth with the group and selling our handwork and art.

(PH): Thanks so much for your time – and volunteer service!

For more information on how to volunteer with Project H.O.M.E., please contact Volunteer & In-Kind Donation Coordinator Carly Ianuzzi at carlyianuzzi@projecthome.org or 215-232-7272, ext. 3015. You can also visit us here for more information, including our volunteer orientation schedule.

Brendan Bell is a student at the University of Notre Dame, who interned with Project H.O.M.E. this summer.  He shares his reflections on his time with us.

Summer intern Brendan Bell working at Project H.O.M.E.'s Computer Lab.

Growing up near Philadelphia in Havertown, Pennsylvania, I was extremely excited to have the opportunity to spend my summer working at Project H.O.M.E. and learning about social issues in Philadelphia. As my internship here is winding down, I have been able to reflect on a few of the many memorable moments that taught me lessons about poverty and helped me discover ways to address homelessness.    

During my first week at Project H.O.M.E., I participated in a city-wide homelessness count in Philadelphia. With a team of four other people, we were responsible for counting persons who were living in the Suburban Station concourse.  It was a shock for me to see the faces of so many people who found themselves sleeping underground at the station. Preparing for my time at Project H.O.M.E., I had read articles about poverty, but that night, the statistics and numbers on paper became people’s faces and voices.

During the same week, I attended the PECO Veteran Internship Program graduation ceremony.  The internship participants were veterans who had been homeless at one point in their life.  Listening to the accomplishments and work that the graduating class had done was inspiring. 

Both the homeless count and the graduation ceremony, while on opposite sides of the spectrum, gave me a perspective on the work that Project H.O.M.E. does and the importance of putting people in positions to succeed in order to end homelessness. Over my eight weeks here I learned ways to bridge the gap between poverty and sustainable jobs and employment. 

In my assignment in both the Employment Services team and the Alumni Program, I got to know two staff members, Zoe Artz and peer case aide Zarah Teachey. Around my fourth week, Zarah and I had a discussion that helped change my approach to my internship. She told me her story, as a former Project H.O.M.E. resident, who has gone through challenges of addiction to drugs and alcohol. She said that one critical moment that helped her overcome her struggles was when Sister Mary personally brought her in to Project H.O.M.E. Zarah said that Sister Mary talked to her in a way that made her feel that she had the potential to change her own life and start over.  Beginning my internship, I was concerned about being able to see progress and results in every day events, but listening to Zarah’s story and others similar to hers, I realized the most important act I can do is encourage and help people recognize what they are capable of accomplishing. 

From that discussion with Zarah, I gained a new outlook on my experience. Working in the computer lab, residents come in most days and work on resumes or applications for jobs, while others work on their own individual projects. Part of my job is to help those who have questions using the computer. Through conversations with these residents and alumni, I have learned about the perseverance and courage many of them have, despite encountering challenges I cannot fathom. 

Throughout this summer, the residents and alumni of Project H.O.M.E. have enlightened me more than I have taught them. I have been able to see many different facets of Project H.O.M.E. and many different people, each one growing and developing to achieve hir or her goals. Whether it be creating a piece of art, solving a math problem, or working at a company and gaining employment, the people I have met at Project H.O.M.E. have shown me the potential that each of us has. 

Will O'Brien from Project H.O.ME.'s Education and Advocacy Department, was present at the two-day hearing on the City's ban on outdoor food distribution to persons who are homeless.  He offers these reflections from the hearing.

It was practically a church service inside Courtroom 14-B at the Federal Building in Center City this week.

U.S. District Judge William H. Yohn Jr., probably hadn’t anticipated two days of Scripture passages and mini-sermons, but after all, this was a case about religion.

Or more specifically, the constitutional right to free practice of religion.  Four faith-based organizations were suing the City of Philadelphia for its new policy of banning food service through all of Fairmount Park, a policy clearly directed at the presence of persons who are homeless on the streets along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.  These groups – Chosen 300 Ministries, the Welcome Church, the King's Jubilee, and Philly Restart – are arguing that the sharing of food is not just feeding the body, but feeding the soul:  They claim that essential to their presence on the streets is building community with those who are hungry, homeless, and poor – many used the phrase “our congregation” – and sharing and living out the Gospel.

All four ministers spoke with eloquence and passion about their ministry, often citing such Gospel texts as Matthew 25, Jesus saying, “I was hungry and you fed me,…”    Rev. Brian Jenkins spoke of “going out into the highways and hedges” to bring the Gospel, and recounted his experience of God calling him to that very spot along the Parkway where his ministry meets to share food and prayer with the men and women out there.  “No way will I stop – I will die for these people!”

Cranford Coulter of The King’s Jubilee spoke of how the ban was personally painful to him because “these people are my heart.”  Echoing his fellow servants, he spoke of seeing Christ in the men and women he had come to know on the Parkway.

Adam Bruckner of Restart spoke about the spiritual journey that led him to relationships with folks on the streets, and how he came to see in them the humanity we all share.  His core assertion also came from the mouth of Jesus:  “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Rev. Violet Little of The Welcome Church, which is an officially recognized “church without walls” by the Lutheran diocese, also noted that by having the meals outside in a public space, it shows the public the face of poverty and homelessness in this city.

While Project H.O.M.E. is not a plaintiff in the suit, we have been following the issue carefully.  And our Executive Director Sister Mary Scullion was asked by the plaintiffs' lawyer Paull Messing of the ACLU to be an “expert witness.”  She told the court, in two separate appearances on the stand during the two-day hearing, that at the moment, the City does not have adequate resources to meet either the hunger needs or broader needs of the men and women on the streets.  She pointed to the looming state cuts – elimination of the General Assistance program for over 30,000 Philadelphians plus a $21 million cut to the City for behavioral health programs, including outreach.  Consequently, she argued, to enforce the ban right now “would have a devastating impact on the men and women on the streets.”  She also told the judge that the ban on feeding fits into a larger pattern of cities around the country passing municipal laws and regulations targeting the homeless population.

Project H.O.M.E. is not a religious organization, though many of our community members are deeply motivated by our faith.  And we root our work in what we call “the spiritual conviction of the dignity of each person” and the centrality of relationships and community as the glue that binds all our work together.  So we appreciate and understand what these persons of faith are saying:  The meals they share with the men and women on the Parkway do meet vital nutrition needs for those who are without sustenance; but just as importantly, they are nurturing human community and affirming the dignity of all those who gather – the servers and the served.  They are proclaiming hope and bearing a light of a just community.  We honor their work, and we are nourished by their passion and commitment.

The hearing will conclude on Thursday morning when the Judge hears final arguments from both sides.  It is unclear whether he will then rule from the bench, or if he will issue a ruling later.   Based on the outcome, we will meet with our allies, including the plaintiffs in this suit and other organizations providing meals to those on the streets, to consider our strategy.

Keep posted to Project H.O.M.E.’s Facebook page or Twitter accounts for updates.

You can read the two news reports on the hearing by the Philadelphia Inquirer here and here.