Baring House Provides Relief During Tough Times

In many families, the journey through challenging times can place a significant strain on parents, especially when young children need extra care. Hospital visits often require parents to dedicate an entire day—sometimes eight hours or more— in order to provide the best care for their ill child. With this in mind, Baring House has joined forces with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to offer support to Derek and Mariah (names changed for privacy), parents who are navigating this difficult path.

Each day, Derek commutes to New Jersey for work while the Mariah dedicates her time to being with their child at the hospital and learning about how to support her after she leaves the hospital. Recognizing the overwhelming demands they face, she was referred to Baring House by hospital support staff. Mariah now is able to drop off her youngest at Baring House each day. This allows her to focus entirely on her child that is hospitalized free from distractions. After a long day apart, Derek picks up their youngest child and they are able to reunite as a family at the hospital, providing crucial emotional and practical support during this difficult time.

At Baring House, Mariah has also been provided with other resources to navigate this difficult time. She finds comfort in local parent groups offered virtually. This wonderful opportunity enables her to connect with other mothers who are facing similar challenges, allowing them to share experiences and supportive advice.

Baring House remains a stable symbol of hope , ready to provide strength and assistance to this family until they are able to return back to their normal lives.

Learn more about Baring House here.

Community Connection Leads to Homeownership Security

John McCoy, who is well-known in the community for his plant business, Manyard Plants, regularly showcases his plants at various local events and actively participates in community meetings. His involvement in the community recently led him to uncover resources for an issue he had not previously considered.

During one such community meeting, John noticed a flyer about Tangled Title assistance. This caught his attention, as all the paperwork for his home was under his name, excluding his wife, Cynthia, of 37 years. As he explored the process, it became clear that he wanted to add her name to the deed. Given the unpredictability of life, he didn't want her to face issues if anything were to happen to him.

A tangled title occurs when property ownership is unclear because the deed does not accurately reflect who currently resides in the home and has a claim to it. This situation often arises when a homeowner passes away without a will or estate plan, leaving family members living in the house without legally transferring the title into their names. Untangled titles can hinder property owners from obtaining loans, acquiring homeowners insurance, or selling the property, and they may leave them vulnerable to foreclosure.

John connected with Chris Folk from Community Legal Services to initiate the process. "It was a very clear and seamless process that took around 90 days from start to finish," John shared. "It has given me peace of mind knowing that my wife is set with no complications regarding the ownership of our property moving forward."

HopePHL community events consistently provide resources and representatives from organizations like Community Legal Services, along with John and his beautiful plants!

Learn more about our Neighborhood Services here.

Penn Medicine Teams Rally to Support Students!

Members of the Penn Presbyterian Community Outreach Council at their backpack drop-off.

Members of the Penn Radiation and Oncology Department with Jacqui Flynn, HopePHL Vice President of Resource & Business Development at HopePHL Back-to-School event.

Our partners’ generosity and determination to support our community make a significant impact year-round, especially during times that involve financial strain. We extend our gratitude to the Penn Radiation and Oncology Department and the Penn Presbyterian Community Outreach Council for leading back-to-school drives.

Helena Pittman of the Community Outreach Council shared she feels that it is extremely important to give back to the West Philadelphia community. "I was raised here and understand the struggles kids and parents may face throughout the year, especially around back to school time. I didn't get much of a choice in backpacks growing up, I used what was given to me. I love the idea of kids being able to pick from a cool variety of backpacks that we gather through our employee drives," she said.

Gary Kao, Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology, and other members of the Radiation Oncology Department were also able to visit for our Back-to-School event for our residents and see firsthand the impact of their donations!

Their efforts resulted in a donation of 200 backpacks and nearly $1,000 worth of school supplies. This contribution allows us to help ease the financial burden on our parents as we distribute these resources to our residents.

Looking to donate or run a holiday drive? Find information here!

HopePHL Looks to Strike it BIG at South Bowl's 10th Anniversary!

Our staff is set to roll into action as we compete against other Philadelphia non-profits in a bowling tournament celebrating South Bowl's 10th Anniversary! We're hoping to bring home the $10,000 grand prize and you can help without even lacing up bowling shoes.

The group that raises the most funds through October 16th will earn the chance to bowl their final frame with bumpers - a game changing advantage! We're ready to roll a perfect game for our mission and every donation helps us stay out of the gutter!

Share our posts and our Strikes for HopePHL donate page below with your friends and networks to rack up more support for HopePHL!

Your contribution - and any prize we win - will support our mission to inspire Philadelphia's children, youth, families, and communities to thrive. Lets strike up some generosity for a great cause!

The McManus Memo:

The McManus Memo is a special section of our newsletter that highlights health and wellness related stories pertinent to HopePHL’s community, in recognition of the outstanding lifetime contributions in community medicine of long-time YES volunteer and supporter, R. Patrick McManus, Jr. MD.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time dedicated to increasing awareness about breast cancer and promoting education. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers a wealth of resources designed to inform and support individuals in understanding breast cancer.

Take some time this month to familiarize yourself with breast cancer symptoms, learn about risk factors, how to reduce your risk, and the importance of breast cancer screenings.

You can visit the CDC website here to access information about these topics and much more.

Join Us on Target Circle™ and Help Make an Impact

We are thrilled to share that we are featured in Target Circle™! This is an incredible opportunity for us, and we need your help to make the most of it.

By voting for us in the Target app, you can direct funds to support our important work. Your vote can make a meaningful difference and help us continue our mission. Thank you for your support!

Here’s how:

Step 1: Choose ‘My Target’ in the Target app or ‘Account’ on Target.com

Step 2: Tap ‘Cast votes’

Step 3: Find us & vote

Questions? Email hello@hopephl.org.

Creating Community Space for Park(ing) Day

HopePHL brought creativity, community, and innovation to life during the 11th Annual Park(ing) Day event, where we transformed parking spots in front of our Community Development office into a dynamic Community Think-Space.

Hosted by HopePHL's Neighborhood Advisory Committee, the event was held on Friday, September 19, the event brought together residents, local leaders, and entrepreneurs from across West Philadelphia to participate in a Tai Chi showcase by local school Zhang Sah and a live pitch competition. This was part of the global Park(ing) Day campaign, which reimagines urban streets as safer, greener, and more equitable public spaces.

The competition featured six local contestants who presented their community-centered ideas from the organization’s iconic porch. A diverse panel of judges representing local stakeholders selected Serita Lewis of URBN Seek as the winner. She will now receive capacity-building support from HopePHL’s communications and community development teams.

Judges included:

- Chris Cannito, City of Philadelphia, Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity

- Elaudia Seawright, 16th Police District, Community Relations Officer

- Steve Cobb, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center

The event also showcased the vibrancy of Lancaster Avenue, engaging those passing by in the reimagined public space. It reflected HopePHL’s mission to support individuals and families while investing in a community that fosters equity and resilience.

Click here to check out the full gallery from the event!

Thank you so much for being a part of our community!

You are receiving this email because you signed up for our newsletter. We do not share information.