Families Forward Philadelphia - FFP

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Families Forward Philadelphia - FFP

Mission: Families Forward Philadelphia is a not-for-profit social services agency that helps homeless

History: FFP has long served as a community leader in identifying and addressing the needs of impoverished, at-risk persons and families. The agency was founded in 1901 by the New Century Club to help immigrant families and individuals settle in the city, particularly mothers with children and young single women who were arriving from foreign countries without means. Since that time our definition of “traveler” has evolved to encompass homeless families with our services changing in response to the need.

09/08/2026

The Labor Day Luggage Drive is on! We are collecting new and gently used luggage and duffle bags to support our families as they move out of our shelter. This year's drive will run from Tuesday, September 8 to Friday, October 2!

For more information or to get involved, please reach out to Jess at [email protected]!

09/01/2026

How do families experiencing homelessness secure their belongings, especially when they move from one place to another? This is a question that's often overlooked. We at Families Forward can tell you that more often than not, families arrive at our emergency shelter carrying all of their possessions in trash bags. When they pack up and leave our shelter for more permanent housing, they turn to those same trash bags.

Let’s change that together!

Families Forward kindly invites you, our generous community, to Share Luggage with Love by donating new and gently used pieces of luggage and duffel bags so we can embrace our families with the level of hospitality and care they deserve in their time of need and beyond.

This year's drive will run from Tuesday, September 8 to Friday, October 2!

For more information or to get involved, please reach out to Jess at [email protected]!

08/24/2026

It’s the first day of school here in Philadelphia! This morning, the students at our Family Residence (emergency shelter) headed off to TWENTY different schools to begin their new school year. For the last several weeks, our Education Coordinator has been hard at work ensuring that families had everything they needed to head back to school – from confirming school enrollments to ordering uniforms and distributing school supplies. Education is an essential tool in the fight to end homelessness, but our Education Department is not funded by our contracts. It’s donations from supporters like you that make this work possible. Wish our learners good luck with a gift to the Families Forward annual fund today! https://crm.bloomerang.co/HostedDonation?ApiKey=pub_9b6dd4eb-e9fc-11e9-bd68-02c84ba2543a&WidgetId=41984

08/19/2026

Our new MSW intern, Orion, helped receive a bounty of school supplies from our friends at this week! Students head back to school on Monday, so our team is hard at work getting these supplies distributed. We are so grateful for our partnership with USLI - this donation has us well stocked for the new school year!

08/17/2026

Today is National Nonprofit Day! Founded by Sherita J. Herring to honor the “change-makers” of the world, National Nonprofit Day is celebrated annually on August 17 to commemorate the passage of the Tariff Act of 1894, which first granted federal income tax exemptions to charitable institutions.

The staff at Families Forward Philadelphia embody the term “change-maker” and so do you – our supporters! Your support of our organization is more than just a donation; it makes a tangible impact on the families that we serve.

Make a gift to Families Forward in honor of National Nonprofit Day today!
https://crm.bloomerang.co/HostedDonation?ApiKey=pub_9b6dd4eb-e9fc-11e9-bd68-02c84ba2543a&WidgetId=41984

08/14/2026

Irene from Everyones Library stopped by today to restock our shelves! With books for toddlers to adults and everyone in between, our little library is ready for our residents to get lost in the pages. Everyone's Library is a nonprofit that sets up free, easily accessible, 24/7 libraries and distributes books to those in need, aiming to open doors to the literary world, provide joy, and transform lives.

08/12/2026

Everything but the kitchen sink – that’s what comes in our brand-new Move Out Kits! Move Out Kits are now being provided to every family moving out of our Family Residence, equipping them with the things that make a house a home. Containing everything from sheets and towels to pots and pans to toilet brushes and cleaning supplies, our Move Out Kits are true home starters for families moving out of shelter. This new initiative would not have been possible without the support of The W. W. Smith Charitable Trust. We are so grateful for their partnership and look forward to the impact their gift will have on the families we serve!

08/04/2026

Back to School season is upon us - and we need your help! At Families Forward Philadelphia we serve over 300 kids per year, and we are committed to ensuring that all of the families in our care have access to new school supplies for their children. You can help us reach that goal by setting up a Back to School Drive or shopping our Amazon Wish List! https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/35Z8D7APPOC60?ref_=list_d_wl_lfu_nav_2&content_source=fb&fb_content_id=Q9-wBQF__4hbd8Gd6zir1K2MtGi1LOIPQFPY4iEWNIl5HmeVLdGh_mZJ_zDKk87FNw&channel_type=fb&fbclid=IwY2xjawTe7XxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFWMWFLZU5oSXhzUjBkVFMwc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHvWzMFeKA6xDp6qCSXjJBsryFQZ8uO3zVXNcwTZxTt4UxzH96jIwnVQsF-Bn_aem_xgpnDZcYDnEplbDPMIPIKw

07/30/2026

Make-A-Wish “Wish Kid,” Sam Okyere, could have used his one wish to go to Disney World, or meet his favorite athlete, Jalen Hurts – but instead he chose to use his wish to give back. Sam wished to help people experiencing homelessness, and together with the team at Make-A-Wish Philadelphia, Delaware and Susquehanna Valley, he set out to organize a collection of hundreds of toiletries, essential items, and children’s toys all for Families Forward Philadelphia. Yesterday we celebrated Sam and the families at FFP with “Sam’s Perfect Day,” a day long carnival complete with bounce houses, a petting zoo, Lego battles led by Lego Master Corey Samuels, a visit from the Eagle's own Swoop and Delaware Blue Coat's own Coaty, face painting, cotton candy, and more! The Families Forward family is awed by Sam’s generosity, and forever grateful for his partnership.

07/17/2026

It may be hot out, but we've got fall on our minds! Back to School time is right around the corner, and we need your help stocking our children's bookbags! There's several ways to get involved: you can shop our wish list or host a back to school drive in your community. Items on our Amazon wish list will ship directly to Families Forward, making it an easy way to support our students. To host a drive please reach out to Jessica Main at [email protected]. Thank you for helping our kids get ready for school! https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/35Z8D7APPOC60?ref_=list_d_wl_lfu_nav_2

Address

111 N 49th Street
Philadelphia, PA
19139

Telephone

(215) 240-4828

Website

http://www.familiesforwardphilly.org/

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