We Need Your Help to Fill the Emergency Pantry
On any given night, 6,000 people are experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia. Of those, nearly 1,000 are sleeping unsheltered.
We believe that housing is a basic human right. Everyone deserves a place to call home - it’s that simple. We support people with serious mental illness (SMI) who have experienced chronic homelessness by providing permanent housing, medical care, and behavioral health care, and encouraging full participation in community life. Complex issues like homelessness require creativity, innovation, and constant evolution to meet the needs of those affected. As an alternative to emergency shelter and transitional housing, Pathways’ Housing First model is simple: provide housing without preconditions, and then address underlying issues around mental health, substance use disorders, medical care, and education to welcome people back into the community.
In 2018, we were the first organization to apply the Housing First model to individuals with a primary diagnosis of Substance Use Disorder (SUD). The needs of the two populations are quite similar, and often co-occur, though we have needed to make some changes to how we support those with SUD as opposed to those with SMI. Despite some shifts needed in service delivery, our outcomes have been similar for both populations and we’ve grown from one team serving 75 individuals to three teams serving 225 individuals with SUD in the last four years.
The most noticeable difference is the increased demand for food. The vast majority of participants on our SUD teams are zero income; we currently provide weekly groceries from our Emergency Food Pantry for 186 participants. Prior to launching the SUD teams, the Emergency Food Pantry was utilized for crisis situations. It was not meant to be a regular, ongoing support for participants.
However, several things have changed. General Assistance in Pennsylvania, which was a resource many relied on to provide essentials like food, was canceled in August 2019. The pandemic shuttered many food pantries and meal providers in March 2020 across the city. Individuals with SUD struggle to find employment, and keep it, due to their illness. Many do not qualify for social security income. Food pantries and meal providers are still not operating at the capacity found pre-pandemic.
So, we shifted. We started providing regular, staple food items weekly to those who would otherwise go hungry. What was previously emergency support has become a full-time necessity.
And that means we need your help.
You can support our pantry in a number of ways:
- Donate new, nonperishable food items
- You can see the list of Pantry Items we need regularly here.
- Items can be shipped to or dropped off at our offices: 5201 Old York Road, 4th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19141. We are sorry, but we do not currently have the capacity to pick up donations.
- Host a collection drive
- You can see the list of Pantry Items we need regularly here.
- Items can be shipped to or dropped off at our offices: 5201 Old York Road, 4th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19141. We are sorry, but we do not currently have the capacity to pick up donations.
- Purchase from our Amazon Wish List
- You can now shop online safely and securely by using our Amazon Wish List and your gift will immediately be sent directly to our office. If you would like a tax receipt for your donation, please use the note section when checking out to list your name and contact information.
- View the list of needed items here.
- Share our Amazon Wish List with your networks
Thank you for your continued support!
