Philly Restart

01/28/2026

Wintery Monday on the Parkway, our Junior Leaders were out to serve. Hunger doesn’t get a snow day, a big crew came to eat. We are grateful for all of the support over the years, we pass forward many words of thanks that were given to us

04/21/2021

Our long-time friends will remember Jason Cookie-Man Mercado. Jason gained national recognition for his amazing cookies that he perfected out of Philly homeless shelters. He lost a steady chef job during the pandemic, had a brief stint unhoused, but is back on his feet, and now giving back again. A California paper picked up his story:

https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/homelessness/2021/04/14/man-becomes--housing-champion--to-help-people-break-cycle-of-homelessness?fbclid=IwAR0HzhxA1fL2_AdsBe5lGG1749Q-GpzGycnQ1ntn3LHrmXnXyeG7mnwegnE

OC has a need for more homeless housing.

04/13/2021

It's been a tough year for many in Philadelphia and beyond. One of our simple messages is that, 'you are not alone' - and our community meals are a time to share more than food.
Thank you for standing with us.

www.PhillyRestart.com

04/06/2021

After 18 years and 81,538 ID checks and years of petitions, Pennsylvania has passed a new law giving free ID's to the homeless. This is a great thing. For the homeless who have never had an ID, or when they expire, there is no cost. In Philly, our guests need ID's for jobs, to enter rehab, to get obtain housing, etc. We still support the many who have their ID's stolen (replacement ID's are not free), but are grateful for the waiver that will help many of our friends.

https://www.goerie.com/story/news/local/2021/02/11/new-law-provides-free-ids-pennsylvanians-experiencing-homelessness/6730074002/

04/01/2021

It has been a tough year in Philly, but we have many things to smile about.
Thank you for your continued support, we are still out here serving meals and turning obstacles into opportunities.
(Photo credit to Minister Milton Fox)

01/28/2021

Penn Dot ID's are now free in Pennsylvania for the homeless who are renewing and getting one for the first time.
We have been working towards this waiver for years, and there are many to thank who did the heavy legal lifting, thank you. There are still those who lose their ID's and will need help (and we will continue to pay for those), but this is a very great thing for many. With loving support, we've written over 80,000 ID checks over 18 years, but the load just lightened, and we are deeply grateful for those that have carried us.

https://www.radio.com/kywnewsradio/news/local/homeless-pennsylvanians-can-now-get-free-photo-ids?fbclid=IwAR1cEvkeZrfKXYxDl7Lcky07gXiYMab8BsecWvuil_CYcOcqNRhN8mWnYUk

Starting Monday, homeless people in Pennsylvania can get a free photo ID, and homeless advocates are praising the new law that made it happen. Read more here.

01/05/2021

If you've visited Restart in the past 18 years, you've met Fila, our organizer and ambassador to the homeless community. Yesterday at our Monday meal, Fila got a great visit from Pete, one of our originals. When we first came to the Parkway in 2002, Fila and Pete were unhoused, sleeping on the sidewalk. Good men in a tough city. Some saw them as homeless, but that is far too simple. They were Sixers (Pete) and Lakers (Fila) fans. And political and funny and hopeful. They were Philly guys. Yes, they were homeless, but they were so much more. And now they are living in their own apartments, paying taxes, still talking trash about the NBA. For all of us that have only seen our street folks as homeless, we haven't seen enough. And for all of you who have helped out along the way, we can't thank you enough.
www.PhillyRestart.com

05/05/2020

A new crisis does not replace an old one, and more than ever, our unhoused Philadelphia community is in need. We are so grateful for the support that allows us to serve good meals and to provide hope and opportunity.
www.phillyhomeless.com

04/17/2020

Restart is still out serving meals on the Parkway. Mondays, 4pm. We are giving masks to our guests, getting food to the desperately hungry, and trying to help wherever we can.
A new crisis does not replace an old one.
Thank you for your continued support.
www.phillyhomeless.com

04/09/2020

http://www.phillyrestart.com/blog/2020/4/8/what-the-stay-at-home-order-means-for-the-homeless-and-us

$1 = 1 mask Governor Wolf issued a "STAY AT HOME" order for much of Pennsylvania recently, but that isn't possible for many that live on the streets of Philadelphia.   The Helping Hand Rescue Mission (the parent organization of Philly Restart) has been working with the area's h

03/23/2020

Lots of hungry friends came out on this rainy new Monday. We moved quickly, did our best to keep spacing (most did), had han'itizer for everyone, and were able to serve a great meal. We are grateful for your support. We are guessing that these lines are going to get even bigger soon. www.phillyrestart.com