Sheltering Families, Preventing Homelessness, Transforming lives
Since 1822, Friends Association has provided services for homeless children in Friends Association started as an orphanage in Philadelphia and is the oldest continuously operating child welfare agency in Pennsylvania. Both of our housing programs are state-of- the-art and follow the progressive model recommended by the National Alliance to End Homelessness: Housing First. Friends Association is one of the first organizations in Chester County to use this cost-effective approach to breaking the cycle of homelessness.
Children are the unintended victims of family homelessness. H elp us help these children!
Needs in the Community
Over 98% of the families we serve are women-headed and the majority of their children are under the age of five. The majority of these young mothers are 24 years of age or younger. We see the number of families needing our assistance for shelter increasing due to the economy and the lack of affordable housing in our community. We estimate receiving over 300 requests for shelter housing a year. The three family shelters in Chester County can only house 16 families at a time
Glenda Brion, Community Development Coordinator, Friends Association and Chair of the W est Chester Charity Ball.
Emergency Family Shelter
Our Emergency Family Shelter can house six families with children at a time in furnished private apartments while our caseworkers provide comprehensive support services. Friends Association provides 35% of the total family emergency shelter spaces in Chester County.
Homelessness Prevention
Our Supportive Family Housing Program provides rental assistance coupled with comprehensive services that help families secure and maintain stable housing. The cost of preventing homelessness is 65% less than housing the families in our shelter, enabling us to serve twice as many families.
Friends Association needs your financial support www.friendsassoc.org.
Leave a Reply
Digital Editions
Follow Us!
Join our Mailing List!
Advertisements
Read Posts by Category
About The Women’s Journal
Our mission is to educate, enrich, empower the lives of our readers, as well as our contributors, the men and women in our community, with excellent, quality editorials and information. Our promise is to present each advertiser in a beautifully designed style to promote excellence and readability to our readers, both through our printed publication and through our online presence.
I would like more information on Friends of the homeless back in 1905 as my grandmother, Florence Smiley and her two sisters, Edna and Laura were there for a short time (boarders) as their mother died and their father William Smiley paid for them to be there till he remarried and brought them home. Thank you. Lorraine Schell 267-640-7126