A Message from Chris

Christine Simiriglia

Dear Friends:

Given the current state of emergency in the city, we are not opening our offices today, June 1, 2020. The Philadelphia Furniture Bank will also remain closed as are all City offices and non-emergent services. We will, however, be working diligently because there is much to do.

In our work, we walk together with our friends who have been pushed to the margins of society. We provide services that help keep the people we work with remain stably housed, well fed, and healthy. More importantly, we offer them (and each other) community, dignity, opportunity, and choice. We work to combat loneliness. No one is judged. No one’s story is taken for granted. No one’s pain is ignored. We don’t assess people out of our community or our services.

Members of our community, especially black and brown people, have been made to sleep on the street, to beg for food, to struggle with their mental illness alone, and to suffer endlessly with substance use. They are ignored as we step over them. They are imprisoned disproportionately and forgotten. Many have been raped and abused, forced into sex work and made to use drugs. They come from neighborhoods where gun violence is rampant and thinking about the future is a luxury they were never granted. They are trapped in the purgatory of extreme poverty. They are marginalized and frightened every damn day of their lives.

All of this pain and trauma has to be processed, and often it is processed with us. It is hard work, it can be painful, and sometimes we get angry and want to find someone to blame or punish. And then we realize that collectively, we are that someone. We have created this society that values white lives and wealth. Only we, together as one race of human beings, can change it. Start by voting out those who value wealth over people. Be vocal – if you see evil, confront it. Acknowledge your privilege, and then share the power that came with it to lift the voices of those without it. Find a way to be kind every damn day of your life. Have each other's backs.

At Pathways to Housing PA we believe:

Black Lives Matter
Women’s Rights are Human Rights
No Human is Illegal
Science is Real
Love is Love
Kindness is Everything

Please be safe my friends, and take care of yourselves in these times of trouble. We need to stay strong so that we can share our strength with others. Thank you!