Project HOME

10/14/2026

When you're navigating issues like mental health challenges, substance use disorder, housing instability, food access, or other barriers, it helps to have someone who understands what you're going through. Project HOME's Certified Peer Specialist program makes those vital connections, pairing participants with trained staff who have had similar experiences. The result is a mutually-beneficial relationship where Certified Peer Specialists can turn the lessons they've learned into support for others.

Discover the stories of some of our Certified Peer Specialists on the Project HOME blog: https://www.projecthome.org/news/walking-alongside-journey-project-homes-certified-peer-special-program

10/12/2026

Each year, Project HOME observes Recovery Month—a time to raise awareness about and celebrate the journeys of people in recovery from substance abuse and mental health issues—with a variety of events. But the annual Recovery Cookout is a favorite of our beloved community for the joy and connection it fosters.

Hear directly from Project HOME residents who attended this year's cookout on the Project HOME blog:

On a September afternoon in the lush, expansive courtyard at Joyce’s Place, groups of people gathered at picnic tables, laughing over plates full o

10/09/2026

HOMESpun Boutique will be closed for renovations from Monday, October 12, through Friday, November 6th. We will reopen following our normal hours on Saturday, November 7. We ask that you hold any donations until our reopening.

We appreciate your patience and continued support during our closure. We look forward to seeing you at HOMEspun when we reopen on November 7.

For more information, visit the Project HOME blog: https://www.projecthome.org/news/homespun-will-be-closed-renovations

10/07/2026

Gloria Casarez made a profound impact on the Philadelphia community. While Project HOME always honors her memory, it's at the forefront of our minds this month, as we observe Hispanic Heritage Month, LGBTQ History Month, and Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

A Philly native, Gloria built her life around advocating for the most marginalized in our community, from her early activism, to her time as executive director of the Gay and Le***an Latino AIDS Education Initiative.

In 2014, she became the city's first director of LGBT affairs, and her efforts made the city a national leader in LGBTQ inclusion.

She had deep roots in the Latino community, as well, leading efforts to preserve Philly's first Spanish-speaking church, which her great-grandparents helped establish in the early 1900s.

She gained national recognition for her work, including honors from OUT magazine and the NAACP.

While fighting for her community, Gloria was fighting a personal battle. She'd been living with breast cancer since 2009, but she didn't let that keep her from her work—and she turned even that into an opportunity for advocacy, sharing her experience as a woman living and working with cancer on a blog published by Philadelphia Gay News.

Gloria passed away in October 2014, but her legacy lives on. In 2018, Project HOME opened a new residence named after her to act as a hub for LGBTQ identified folks in our beloved community.

We continue to be guided by Gloria's steadfast commitment to service, equality and community.

10/06/2026

It's Banned Books Week, a national observance created by the American Library Association to fight censorship and promote accessible information.⁠
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Project HOME supports the mission of promoting the Freedom to Read. We're proud to offer books on a variety of topics, and across genres through our Project HOMEbooks social enterprise program. Because we believe that all stories matter, and when we uplift marginalized voices, we can not only learn more about each other, but learn how to create a more fair and supportive world for everyone.⁠
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For more information about Project HOMEbooks, and to browse our inventory, click here: https://www.projecthome.org/books

10/05/2026

This is the last week of HOMEspun Boutique's $5 sale—and your last chance to shop for a few weeks.

HOMEspun's $5 sale will run through this Friday, October 9. The store will close for renovations on October 12, so stop in soon!

10/02/2026

Eastern State Penitentiary gets extra attention this month, thanks to their popular Halloween Nights. But as the country's first penitentiary, it's a popular historical landmark that attracts visitors year-round—and its influence on the justice system continues to this day.

The penitentiary opened in 1829 and helped shape the separate incarceration system that heavily utilized solitary confinement, and emphasized reform over punishment. It was so influential, the separate system became known as the "Pennsylvania System" and more than 300 prisons across the world modeled themselves after it.

The system aimed to promote dignity and justice, and help criminals reflect on their actions and change their behaviors. But in practice, guards subjected prisoners to cruel punishments and torture, and the prison struggled with overcrowding. Eastern State would abandon the system in 1913. It ceased operations in the early 1970s and remained abandoned throughout the 80s. Finally, in 1994, the prison opened its doors to the public for historic tours.

Today, Eastern State continues to operate as a historic site, offering tours and special events that promote justice education, with a renewed focus on the issues still present in the U.S. prison system.

The story of our country's criminal justice system is deeply intertwined with the fight to end homelessness—people who have been incarcerated are ten times more likely to experience homelessness than the general public, and the criminalization of homelessness perpetuates the cycle of homelessness.

Project HOME believes Philadelphia can be the first major city in the United States to end chronic street homelessness—but it's going to take a revolutionary reimagining of the systems that keep so many of our neighbors in a cycle of struggle.

Learn more about the state of homelessness in Philadelphia, and Project HOME's vision for the future: https://www.projecthome.org/news/chronic-homelessness-facts-homelessness

09/30/2026

Today is the LAST DAY to get Early Bird Pricing on registration for this year's Race HOME.

Project HOME’s 5K and One-Mile Fun Walk returns to Philadelphia’s historic Boathouse Row on Saturday, November 7, 2026.

Don't miss your chance to register for the event at the Early Bird Rate. Register now: https://give.projecthome.org/event/the-6th-annual-race-home/e798346

We can’t wait to see you at the starting line!

09/28/2026

There's still time to shop the HOMEspun Boutique end-of-season sale! All clothes and shoes are $5 through October 9.

Stop in now and refresh your wardrobe while supporting our mission.

For store location and hours: https://www.projecthome.org/project-home-spun-boutique

09/25/2026

Ever since cell phones made it so most of us carry a camera around daily, taking photos of ourselves has almost become mundane. But in 1839, when camera technology was still developing, it was revolutionary. Robert Cornelius was an inventor and entrepreneur, who was born and raised in Philadelphia, and is credited with producing the first photographic self-portrait. More than simply the first “selfie”, Cornelius’ photo is one of the earliest portraits featuring a human subject.

He took the now-famous snapshot in front of his family’s lamp-making business on Chestnut street. The camera technology at the time required Cornelius to sit still for up to 15 minutes. It was merely an experiment for the amateur photographer, but it would become a landmark event in the history of photography in America—and it was only the first of Cornelius’ contributions to the field.

Cornelius went on to open his own photographic studio—Philadelphia’s first and the second in the United States. One of his pupils published his selfie in a book, which caught the attention of famous Philadelphia photographer Julius Sachse. Sachse interviewed Cornelius for his publication “American Journal of Photography”, solidifying Cornelius’—and Philadelphia’s—place in the history of photography. Cornelius also made significant advancements in the photographic process, working with chemist Paul Beck Coddard to develop new methods to reduce exposure times to under a minute.

Today, anyone with a smartphone can take multiple selfies instantaneously. But it took centuries of research, experimentation and innovation to create the technology as we know it today.

At Project HOME, we understand that small changes can add up over time to create something truly transformative. We envision a world where housing is accessible to all. Each day, we take small steps towards realizing that vision. We believe that we can make Philadelphia the first major city to end chronic street homelessness—but it takes all of us. With your help, we can transform housing as we know it, transform our city, and make Philadelphia a place where everyone has a home.

Support our mission with a donation: https://projectho.me/4esNB4k