Mission Moments Spring 2021
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Amy's Story: Surviving Domestic Abuse
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Amy’s name and some details have been changed for privacy and safety.
Amy has two children. Her family came to PEC just before the pandemic. Although she was employed as a CPR instructor at a local non-profit, she relied on cash assistance, food stamps, and other public benefits to supplement her income. She wanted to find a job that paid more, but Amy was denied support for childcare costs for her younger child, due to an error in the state’s database. Amy needed to leave her abuser, and limited childcare options made it very difficult to find gainful employment.
Feeling out of options, Amy decided to go to a family shelter again until she found steady work. The city referred her to PEC’s program for families fleeing domestic or intimate partner violence. Her PEC case manager helped Amy develop her own goals and a plan to become independent. She also helped Amy craft a safety plan in case her abuser located them.
Read more of Amy's story here.
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New "Everyday Places" Program Connects Artists to their Community
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The Barnes Foundation and PEC, through their collaborative initiative called Barnes WEST, will select five West Philadelphia-based social impact artists to participate in Everyday Places Artist Partnerships in 2021. Barnes WEST is supported by funding from William Penn Foundation. The program responds to requests from neighborhood residents for promoting local artists and community healing in our community development work.
Barnes WEST builds on the Barnes’s historical ties to West Philadelphia, the neighborhood where Dr. Albert C. Barnes first introduced his method of art appreciation as a vehicle for critical thinking and civic engagement to his integrated factory workforce. He invested in the education of his employees by dedicating compensated time during their workday to introduce masterworks from his collection, and he firmly believed that access to art was critical to personal development and the enrichment of community.
Social impact artists are drivers of change within communities who develop artwork that engages with audiences. Their work invites people to be involved in the process with various, relevant themes as active participants in their work. The goal of Everyday Places Artist Partnerships is to provide West Philadelphia residents with opportunities to engage in artistic projects that promote hope and healing in spaces that are a part of their daily lives.
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Text PECCARES to 844-961-3547 for PEC news!
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Growth and Change: Navigating the New Normal
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By Kathy Desmond, PEC President
I always enjoy the arrival of spring at PEC’s offices. The flowering trees in PEC’s memorial garden remind us of our agency value, Growth & Change. PEC honors the self-empowerment and determination that comes with growing and changing, and fosters these qualities in our residents, community members, staff, and programs. Last year we launched a new program for families experiencing homelessness in shelters across Philadelphia, bringing the Parents as Teachers (PAT) curriculum to shelters for the first time, anywhere.
PAT is an evidenced based, nationally recognized home visiting curriculum. With generous funding support of $1.4 million over three years from William Penn Foundation, PEC now offers PAT to parents in Philadelphia shelters who have children younger than age five. Families are paired with their very own parent educator and are provided activities to strengthen parent-child interaction, development-centered parenting, and family well-being. Visits also include health and developmental screenings, parent group connections, and parent and child resources. As a family makes the transition from shelter to permanent housing, their parent educator will continue the program to ensure the family has resources to support their new life. Our team is eager to begin in person activities as COVID-19 levels decrease, but for now we do offer the program online (for more information on PAT and other early childhood education programs, visit pec-cares.org/early-childhood-education).
Last year was a time of unprecedented growth and change for our organization and our families. As we move toward a new normal, I am moved by the support of so many and give thanks…
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To all of PEC’s families and neighbors, who embraced new methods of service delivery and kept the faith that we would continue to serve them well;
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To all of PEC’s staff, who overcame obstacles in moving from in-person service to modified, socially distant service, and digital engagement.
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And to you – our incredible family of partners, for your generous contributions. We look forward to working with you in 2021 in support of our mission to Nurture families, strengthen neighborhoods, and drive change.
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What People are Saying
“They helped me, but I had to do my part to grow. The most important thing that I gained at PEC was a bridge to my dreams. PEC helped me find the right path – continuing my education – and I was able to walk across to them.”
-- Nalda
“PEC staff treat you like a person, not your situation,”
-- Fatima
"I am crying. It's a new day. No more worry about where I'm going to live. Everything has come together. I thank you and your organization and I thank God."
--Fred
Names changed for privacy
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Embiid, 76ers, Take 3-point Shot for Youth at YSI
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In March, four-time NBA All-Star standout Joel Embiid and the Seventy Sixers ownership group announced their commitment to combating homelessness. Embiid has committed $100,000 across Philadelphia homeless shelters, including PEC affiliate Youth Service, Inc. (YSI).
“So many have fallen on such hard times during the pandemic,” Embiid said. “I felt it was important to provide more support for individuals and families struggling with homelessness and food insecurity. I’m continually grateful for all of the support that Philadelphia and the fans have given me not just around All-Star but all my years in the league. I will continue to help in any way I can.”
YSI staff work on the front lines of serving over 330 teens facing homelessness each year through their Youth Emergency Service (YES) program.
Mr. Embiid’s and the Sixers’ donation will go beyond providing essentials like clothing, shelter, and food in a safe and comfortable space for youth facing or in imminent risk of homelessness at YES. This support will help YSI continue to change the lives of 45 youth who reach out to YES for help with rent and utility costs, after leaving the program.
“YSI’s services help these teens achieve stability, reunite with their families, and establish a plan for the future – on their own terms,” said YSI Executive Director Gwen Bailey. “Our work is designed to keep them from facing homelessness as adults. We’re grateful to Mr. Embiid and all of our donors for supporting our mission.”
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Mission Champion: Tatum Farmer
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Role at PEC: PEC Board of Directors
Year joined the Board: December 2020
Day Job: Director of Core Infrastructure Services, Independence Blue Cross
Last Read or Favorite Book: The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein
Best Leadership Advice: Efficiency can never replace effectiveness.
What You Were Most Surprised to Learn about PEC: The dedication to a holistic approach in serving the community.
Why You Joined PEC’s Board: To apply my talents to a cause focused on empowering those in need.
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Approaching a Half-Century of Service
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PEC’s 50th anniversary will be in September of 2022. In honor of this milestone, we are undertaking a brand assessment, and we want to hear from you! Our communications team will be creating a series of brief surveys to find out how you feel about our mission, services, and impact. Please contact Trish Downey, Director of Communications, to get involved. She can be reached at tdowney@pec-cares.org and 267-777-581
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Vanguard Strong Start for Kids™ Renews Support
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Wyss Foundation Matching Your Gift
Long-time partner to PEC, The Wyss Foundation, has again issued a generous 1:1 challenge match for donations to PEC up to $50,000! Last year, we exceeded their match goal of $30,000—raising a total of $40,000. Let’s see what we can accomplish together this year—and meet their new goal of $50,000. Any donation made before May 15 will be doubled.
By working collectively, we can help keep families in their homes as they grapple with the impact of Covid-19, and provide safe spaces, basic needs and other supports to those who need them most. Make your gift today at bit.ly/GivePECNow or with the enclosed envelope to double your impact!
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Vanguard Strong Start for Kids™ has generously continued their support of PEC’s early child education program Building Early Links for Learning (BELL) in the amount of $1.5 million over the next three years. The grant will support the next stage of BELL, which since 2017 has worked to increase the enrollment of young children living in shelter into high quality early childhood education program such as Head Start and Early Head Start.
BELL supports families experiencing homelessness living in 18 shelters in Philadelphia by working with families and staff directly to navigate the childcare centers and subsidy process. BELL helps families and
housing providers focus on the needs of young children experiencing family homelessness through education, information sharing, and building relationships between early education and housing providers. Funding will support more training for shelter and early childcare staff, education for parents, education resources and advocacy efforts.
PEC is grateful to Vanguard Strong Start for Kids ™ for this grant, and for advancing the cause of early childhood education across the country.
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Supporting Early Childhood Education for Children Experiencing Homelessness
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PEC released the report from our 'Roundtable Discussion' with Congressperson Dwight Evans and 16 experts who discussed the promise of early childhood education for young children experiencing homelessness. We held this event September 18, 2020 and more than 435 people participated in the discussion.
These experts, from the homeless services, early childhood education, the private and public sectors identified more than 50 recommendations, with four actions to take emerging:
- Continue and expand partnerships with stakeholders like parents, education centers, and housing providers, through programs like BELL.
- Develop a more effective data system so that we can target specific support to each of the child in shelter.
- Locate and enroll more children experiencing homelessness into high quality programming and to maintain these enrollments as families' circumstances change, especially during the COVID19 pandemic.
- Advocate that the US Department of Housing and Urban Development expand its funding to include early childhood supports, bolstering existing and develop new resources to ensure that families experiencing homelessness are served.
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Learn and Lend Your Voice
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