PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — As visitors descend on Center City for holiday events, Philadelphia officials and advocates offer advice on addressing the needs of homeless people they’ll meet there.
Pennsylvania Convention Center President John McNichol interacts with unsheltered people regularly, but he sees visitors to the city respond to them with apprehension. “They step back, they don’t want to be asked for money,” he said.
However, he said not only is there nothing to fear, there are real solutions — supportive housing with wrap-around services — and those with the urge to help can do so.
“There’s a place to give where you know money is going to go to true wellness programs,” said McNichol at a Tuesday mini-conference on shared public spaces, where he emceed a panel of such program providers — including Project HOME, One Day at a Time, Valley Youth House and Women Against Abuse — to discuss how best to help as visitors pour in for the holidays.
At the conference, McNichol announced a new tool for people who want to help unsheltered Philadelphians — postcards stacked around Center City with a QR code that allows immediate donations, which will then be matched by PHL Cares, to provide housing and services.
“It is the holiday season,” he said, “so we’re hoping that we can raise a significant amount of money and fuel that provider network and help people get off the streets.”
The panel agreed that the best action to take, for anyone who sees someone in need of shelter, is to call the outreach line at 215-232-1984, or the city’s crisis line at 988, which connects to outreach.
“It takes all of us to end homelessness, so nobody should walk past anybody,” said Mel Wells, president of One Day at a Time, which provides addiction recovery support and housing. “Even if you’re afraid to approach them, now you have a phone number, so we all are doing outreach together.”