PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Every Friday and Saturday night in Kensington or Center City, Jai Crabbe-Gorrell feeds hundreds of people who have fallen on hard times.
"We have live bands out there some times, DJs. We make it a party," she said.
Crabbe-Gorrell runs D.O.P.E. Inc., or Doing Our Part Eclectically. The nonprofit provides food, clothing and toiletries, as well as connections to mental health and housing resources.
There's one other key resource it provides: love. People line up each weekend, eager to see D.O.P.E. volunteers.
"We are friends to the people we serve," said Crabbe-Gorrell, "and once we serve you, that's it — you're eventually family."
Left: D.O.P.E. volunteers help serve food to people in need in Center City. Right: A man dances at a D.O.P.E. food event, which featured a live band.D.O.P.E. Inc.
The Germantown mother of four works at the Outley House Men's Shelter in Southwest Philadelphia during the day, so she's used to helping individuals who are experiencing homelessness. Her compassion for them grew after she had to battle it herself.
"We lost our home," she recalled, "and we had to live in shelters. It was definitely humiliating. It took a long time for me to say it."
During that time, Crabbe-Gorrell kept up with D.O.P.E.'s free food events. She never missed a day, thanks in part to donations. Her homeless friends and volunteers kept her going during one of the roughest moments of her life.
"People kept asking, 'If you're homeless, why would you serve?' " she said. "Anybody at any time in any circumstance could become homeless, and sometimes you just don't know."
Experiencing those struggles firsthand helped Crabbe-Gorrell better understand the people she serves and the discrimination some of them face. As a result, she expanded D.O.P.E.'s services, adding clothing and toiletries to the mix.
"I realized when I was in that position that people don't talk to you as nice when you are on the other side," she said. "Now when I tell (my homeless friends) what happened, they have a greater respect for me, but I have greater compassion for them, and it just works."
D.O.P.E. volunteers distribute free food to people in need in Center City.D.O.P.E. Inc.
D.O.P.E.'s impact has reached tens of thousands since its founding more than a decade ago.
As a minister, Crabbe-Gorrell has big dreams for her future. She and her husband have started a home health care company and hope to train and hire individuals who were once homeless. They also want to provide transportation for those in need and eventually open a shelter.
"It'll be ours and we'll do it our way," she said. "I dream about it. I see it."
In the meantime, she'll keep working and changing the game "by creating little, dope people," she smiled, "who create little, dope people who do dope things."
KYW Newsradio's GameChangers honors 10 individuals or organizations that have made a significant, positive impact in communities of color in the greater Philadelphia region. KYW community affairs reporter Cherri Gregg will host a virtual evening honoring this year's awardees on Feb. 24.
For a full list of 2021 honorees, click here.
