The grant will benefit Saint John’s Hospice, which has provided care for homeless men in Philadelphia for nearly 60 years.
Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (CSS) has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the Connelly Foundation benefiting Saint John’s Hospice (SJH). The grant will enhance the overall SJH experience and quality of services provided to men experiencing homelessness.
The funding will be used to fortify existing programs including a complete renovation of SJH’s Coffee House, an emergency drop-in center which provides temporary shelter, food, restrooms, showers, and staff support for 27 chronically homeless men from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. every night of the year. Upgrades to the space will include new lighting, flooring, portable sleeping cots, and a new HVAC system which will keep the sleeping area at a comfortable and safe temperature.
Funds will also be used to upgrade SJH’s Good Shepherd Program kitchen to a residential teaching facility that will allow the men in residence to share meals and fellowship, learn about healthy living and cooking, and learn critical skills that are vital to transitioning into independent living.
Each weekday, SJH provides more than 300 hot, nutritious meals to its residential and day services guests. A portion of grant dollars will assist with the completion the SJH kitchen and dining room remodel and provide a new oven, deep fryer, refrigerator, and commercial dishwashing station among other much needed items.
In addition to the initial grant, SJH also received a matching award of $101,000 from the William Penn Foundation’s Family Recovery Fund in partnership with the Connelly Foundation. Awarded funds from this grant will be used for equipment and improvements related to food distribution at SJH.
For nearly six decades, SJH has provided a continuum of care and crucial, life-sustaining services with dignity, respect and compassion to homeless men in Philadelphia. Services include residential programs and emergency shelter, food, case management, on-site medical and mental health care, daily showers, clothing, a mail room for over 1,500 men, as well as additional services specific to individual needs.
About the Connelly Foundation
The Connelly Foundation was founded in 1955 by John and Josephine Connelly. John Connelly achieved remarkable business success as president of Connelly Containers and later Crown Cork and Seal, both manufacturing companies based in Philadelphia. He and his wife Josephine, strongly motivated by their Catholic faith and their love for the Philadelphia region, dedicated their good fortune to helping others. Over the past 66 years the Connelly Foundation has donated over $450 million to nonprofit organizations in the Philadelphia area focusing on education, human services, and the arts. The Connelly Foundation has always placed a particular emphasis on Catholic education, with thousands of Philadelphia-area students having attended Catholic high schools through the foundation’s Neumann Scholars and Josephine C. Connelly Achievement Award programs. For more information, please visit www.connellyfdn.org.
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