05/04/2026
Noah, a Philadelphia-based youth poet, shared his brilliant piece, “Rice on a Rollercoaster,” with Pongo through our Well-Versed program. The feelings of confusion, concern, and angst that Noah expresses in his piece are shared by countless youth in this country. And for the justice-involved youth Pongo serves, the situation is even more dire, with 70% having experienced serious childhood trauma prior to their incarceration.
Through Pongo, young people are able to process the pain they’ve experienced and derive pride through their writing. Pongo programming is proven to inspire confidence and therapeutic relief; equipping young people with a healthy coping mechanism for the turmoil they’ve experienced, and the challenges they have yet to face. The way Noah used poetry to make sense of his own turmoil and that of the world around him, coupled with the catharsis he experienced through both writing and sharing his poetry are exactly why we do this work.
And our GiveBIG campaign is the perfect opportunity to join us in this vital and urgent work; sustaining it for the youth we serve and fueling our ability to reach more young people in crisis. Donate today to join us in supporting young people’s healing and flourishing!
GiveBIG to Pongo here 👉️ https://buff.ly/obVGaEB
