Supporting Philadelphia Families During the Government Shutdown

HopePHL is responding to the current crisis facing our families and communities with additional supports, food distributions, and resource listings.

We are grateful to our staff, Board members, local farms (like Sugartown Strawberries), community groups (like Warrington Community Gardens), local institutions (like CHOP) and individuals who have shown up to meet the increased need we are seeing, especially for food, just ahead of the holiday season.

If you are inclined to support our work in this area, please reach out to Trish Downey at tdowney@hopephl.org.

Building Confidence and Connection in the Digital Age

Robert and Maureen, two students of our Adult Computing Classes at the Maynes Family Digital Learning Lab.

As time goes on and electronics have become essential in our daily lives, it’s easy to forget that many older generations did not grow up with these devices. Fortunately, through our Maynes Family Digital Learning Lab adult classes, community members have the opportunity to learn or sharpen their skills each week.

Maureen is one of our most dedicated adult students. She often revisits lessons and quizzes on the NorthStar online learning platform outside of class to keep her skills sharp and boost her confidence with technology. As a result, she has completed more quizzes than anyone else in the class.

Not only does Maureen take her learning seriously, but these classes have also become a valuable social outlet for her, allowing her to connect with others during our sessions. For Maureen, these classes are not just about developing new technical skills; they also provide an important way to maintain her existing skills and stay engaged in her daily life. Like many of our students, Maureen’s commitment reflects the effort that many seniors in our community put into staying sharp and ensuring their skills are maintained over time.

Learn more about the Maynes Family Digital Learning Lab Here.

Collaboration Sparks Learning in Philadelphia's Family Spaces

Sierra Austin from HopePHL's Building Early Links For Learning (BELL) program and Ebun Gutowski from the Early Learning Play Spaces (ELPS) program had the opportunity to present at the Zero to Three conference in October. They shared the importance of their work and explained how their collaboration with various partners enables them to best serve the children in their programs and across the city.

BELL and ELPS work in partnership with Playful Learning Landscapes Action Network (PLLAN) and My Baby's First Teacher (MBFT) to create intentional, playful learning spaces at sites throughout Philadelphia. In their presentation, they emphasized the significance of play in family housing, highlighting its benefits for child development as well as its role in fostering community connections.

They discussed their process of partnering with PLLAN and MBFT to bring these projects to life, detailing the journey from concept to completion. This includes co-designing with staff and families living in family housing to ensure the spaces reflect their needs and voices.

The presentation showcased before-and-after examples of transformed spaces, such as turning a garden into a vibrant play area, redesigning indoor rooms, or incorporating simple, engaging games and playful learning elements on tabletops and benches.

Beyond the physical transformations, BELL also provides ongoing programming to ensure these spaces remain active and inviting for continued use.

The main goal of their presentation was to encourage conference participants to reimagine their own environments including classrooms, shelters, or community spaces - and explore how they can integrate play into everyday spaces in creative and sustainable ways.

Learn more about HopePHL's Early Childhood Children's Services here.

Celebrating NAC-O-WEEN!

This Halloween, HopePHL's Neighborhood Advisory Committee celebrated by hosting a Service Area Briefing, partially funded by the Philadelphia Division of Housing and Community Development, at the Community Education Center. Many thanks to Community Legal Services, PECO, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, and the Division of Housing and Community Development for showing up to provide vital resources to our community! Despite the chilly weather, everyone warmed up with soup while enjoying listening to classic Halloween hits.

The NAC also held its annual Halloween Decorating Contest, awarding prizes for Best Block, Best House, and Best Business. Here are the winners:

Best House: 53rd & Westminster

Best Business: Gaetano's at 38th & Lancaster

Best Block: 42nd & Ogden

Thank you to everyone who participated and embraced the spooky holiday spirit!

Check out more photos from the NAC Halloween celebration here!

PA State Representative Amen Brown Visits Baring House

We would like to express our gratitude to Pennsylvania State Representative Amen Brown for visiting HopePHL's Baring House Crisis Nursery today! He read the book "Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut" by Derrick Barnes to the children and then participated in a craft activity where they created their own paper "haircuts."

Our staff deeply appreciated the chance to share the mission of Baring House and discuss how we can continue to seek support from our State Representatives to better serve our community. Thank you once again for your time and kindness, and we look forward to welcoming you back in the future!

Check out more photos from the visit here.

Gearing Up for Giving Tuesday!

Giving Tuesday, which falls on Tuesday, December 2 this year, is a global day of generosity where everyone can give back to their communities through donations, acts of kindness, or spreading awareness. During this season of giving, we would greatly appreciate your support for our mission!

We will be hosting an engaging activity called "Field Goals For Hope."

Stay tuned to our social media channels for more details!

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Celebrating Diane Mills!

We would like to extend our warmest congratulations to Diane Mills, a dedicated community member and valued HopePHL NAC Committee member, for being honored with an award at the recent Mill Creek Advisory Council Appreciation Banquet.

This award is given to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment and service to the Mill Creek Community, highlighting those who consistently go above and beyond in their efforts.

We are incredibly grateful for Diane's hard work and the positive influence she has had on our community. Once again, congratulations, Diane, on this well-deserved recognition! Your contributions truly make a difference.

National Homeless Youth Awareness Month

November is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, a time to acknowledge children and families experiencing homelessness. Being homeless, no matter how long it lasts, is a life-altering traumatic event that creates major stress in any person’s life, regardless of age.

For information and resources you can visit: https://www.samhsa.gov/homelessness-programs-resources

The McManus Memo: Turning Parental Stress Into Family Strength

Contributed By: Ainsley Flotron at Independence Blue Cross

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.

Parenting is one of life’s most rewarding roles, but it also has its challenges. According to a 2024 U.S. Surgeon General’s report, nearly 50 percent of parents said that most days their stress is completely overwhelming, compared with 26 percent of non-parenting adults.



The stressors that parents and caregivers face vary according to each child’s age and development. Major stressors for parents and caregivers of infants and toddlers typically revolve around tasks like feeding, sleeping, and meeting developmental milestones.

As children get older, parenting gets more complicated. Managing schoolwork and after-school activities, communicating expectations and enforcing consequences, helping them navigate friendships and disappointments, setting boundaries, and negotiating things like chores, screen time, curfews, and driving privileges are often emotionally charged topics that can take a toll on adults and children.

Ongoing stress can increase the likelihood of developing mental health challenges, such as anxiety or depression. The well-being of parents influences the well-being of children, and vice versa. Additional factors like economic instability, exposure to violence, or caring for aging family members can make home a stressful place for everyone.

Click here to read about accessing support, connecting with community, talking with kids about mental health, and resources.

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.

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

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