The Drop-In Model: Exploring Temporary Solutions To Youth Homelessness
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Each year, more than 2 million kids in the U.S. will experience homelessness, and the problem is exacerbated in major urban centers like Philadelphia. Drop-in centers provide a variety of day-to-day services to many of these homeless youth, including meals, a place to shower, access to health clinics, social services, etc. What they do not provide, however, is a place to sleep at night. The key idea behind drop-in centers is they equip the clients they serve with the tools necessary to build self-sufficient lives and improve their current living situations. Increasingly, drop-in centers have become a popular way to cater to the needs of homeless youth across the country, and this trip will seek to examine the efficacy of that model to solving the problem of youth homelessness both temporarily and as a long-term goal.
Each year, more than 2 million kids in the U.S. will experience homelessness, and the problem is exacerbated in major urban centers like Philadelphia. Drop-in centers provide a variety of day-to-day services to many of these homeless youth, including meals, a place to shower, access to health clinics, social services, etc. What they do not provide, however, is a place to sleep at night. The key idea behind drop-in centers is they equip the clients they serve with the tools necessary to build self-sufficient lives and improve their current living situations. Increasingly, drop-in centers have become a popular way to cater to the needs of homeless youth across the country, and this trip will seek to examine the efficacy of that model to solving the problem of youth homelessness both temporarily and as a long-term goal.
Day 7: The last supper and final reflections
By: Albert Jiang '21 and Sophie Li '21
November 3rd, 2017
We concluded our final full day in Philadelphia with an insightful visit to our last community partner, the Mazzoni Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing quality comprehensive health and wellness services to the LGBTQ community. After a filling meal of dumplings that we cooked ourselves—if unfreezing frozen pot-stickers counts as cooking—we made our way to Bainbridge Street, where the colorful walls of the Mazzoni Center awaited.
We had the opportunity to learn more about the services this center provides by having an in-depth conversation with one of its Care Coordinators, Bridget McBride. She highlighted the services offered by their organization which includes, but is not limited to, walk-in HIV/STI testing, primary care for those without insurance, trans-specific clinical care services, health education, as well as counseling and behavioral health support groups. Founded in 1979 by a physician, this community organization has been on the front lines of health education and care in the Philadelphia area.
November 3rd, 2017
We concluded our final full day in Philadelphia with an insightful visit to our last community partner, the Mazzoni Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing quality comprehensive health and wellness services to the LGBTQ community. After a filling meal of dumplings that we cooked ourselves—if unfreezing frozen pot-stickers counts as cooking—we made our way to Bainbridge Street, where the colorful walls of the Mazzoni Center awaited.
We had the opportunity to learn more about the services this center provides by having an in-depth conversation with one of its Care Coordinators, Bridget McBride. She highlighted the services offered by their organization which includes, but is not limited to, walk-in HIV/STI testing, primary care for those without insurance, trans-specific clinical care services, health education, as well as counseling and behavioral health support groups. Founded in 1979 by a physician, this community organization has been on the front lines of health education and care in the Philadelphia area.
Upon leaving the Mazzoni Center, we spent a few hours doing our best to catch up on schoolwork before sharing our last dinner together (on this trip at least!). As we started to come to terms with the fact of Breakout ending, we then spent a long time reflecting on our experiences on the trip and our aspirations for the future. Throwing around ideas for the post-trip project made us both more aware and appreciative of our privileges and more motivated to make a difference. As a whole, our trip inspired us to promote social change (whether through relatively short-term solutions like the ones promoted by our various community partners or through long-term policy implementations). Even so, this eye-opening experience allowed us to come face-to-face with the sobering reality of this immense social, political, and economic predicament and realize that the only way we can ever resolve something of this scale is through passion, empathy, collaboration and taking initiative.
To our leaders: THANK YOU for everything you’ve done on this trip, from making this all possible, to having hidden depths, to putting up with us the entire time, to making the trip full of nothing but surprises (no, really). We appreciate you so much and hope you know how grateful we all are for this once-in-a-lifetime experience <3
To our leaders: THANK YOU for everything you’ve done on this trip, from making this all possible, to having hidden depths, to putting up with us the entire time, to making the trip full of nothing but surprises (no, really). We appreciate you so much and hope you know how grateful we all are for this once-in-a-lifetime experience <3
Day 6: Education, the law, and street outreach
By: Somya Arora '21 and Carolyn Guan '20
November 2nd, 2017
Our first community partner today was very different from the community partners we visited the past few days. The Education Law Center is a law firm that provides legal aid to homeless youth, as opposed to basic amenities or shelter space. We talked to Paige Joki, an attorney who worked at the center, and Rabiyah Mujahid, a fellow. Visiting the ELC was a very interesting experience because we got to understand the issue of youth homelessness from a legal perspective. Paige and Rabiyah talked about the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which provides educational support to homeless youth and ensures their stability in school. We also learned the legal definition of homeless youth, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Act: "individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” This includes a variety of different situations of homelessness - from children who are sharing housing with other people to migratory children to children living in homes with non-functioning utilities, etc. Paige talked about how her job included informing clients of their rights and taking care of them from the first call to their enrollment in the school they wanted with the resources that they needed.
November 2nd, 2017
Our first community partner today was very different from the community partners we visited the past few days. The Education Law Center is a law firm that provides legal aid to homeless youth, as opposed to basic amenities or shelter space. We talked to Paige Joki, an attorney who worked at the center, and Rabiyah Mujahid, a fellow. Visiting the ELC was a very interesting experience because we got to understand the issue of youth homelessness from a legal perspective. Paige and Rabiyah talked about the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which provides educational support to homeless youth and ensures their stability in school. We also learned the legal definition of homeless youth, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Act: "individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” This includes a variety of different situations of homelessness - from children who are sharing housing with other people to migratory children to children living in homes with non-functioning utilities, etc. Paige talked about how her job included informing clients of their rights and taking care of them from the first call to their enrollment in the school they wanted with the resources that they needed.
Before heading to our next community partner, we took a quick lunch break at Dinic’s Roast Pork & Beef, which is located in the Reading Terminal Market. Our next place was the Youth Valley House. This non-profit is focused on a ‘harm-reduction’ approach and provides homeless youth with basic amenities and resources. Their main outreach is ‘The Synergy Project,’ in which coordinators go out into the streets and seek out homeless youth, assisting them in finding permanent housing and establishing a trustworthy relationship. They also offer drop-in centers for youth to shower, get a hot meal, and find relief from the outdoors. After asking all of our questions, we made basic hygiene kits for the outreach to give to the youth. It was really fascinating learning more firsthand experience of what it’s like helping the youth directly on the streets. To wrap up our day, we grabbed a quick dinner and debriefed, before heading back to the church for a quiet night in.
Day 5: Nice conversations, an art museum, and Eddie's House
By: Grace Lee '21 and Chitra Parikh '21
November 1st, 2017
As we were going down to breakfast this morning, we met two people who frequent the church. Joseph (name changed for privacy), who immigrated from Guyana 40 years ago, has resided in the church for a couple of months. Although his foot is hurt and he is homeless, he shared with us an optimistic reflection on his life and other interesting stories. Albert (name changed for privacy) is a member of the church and was visiting today for help on welfare forms. He gladly offered to play the piano for us, and his extraordinary talent thoroughly impressed us.
November 1st, 2017
As we were going down to breakfast this morning, we met two people who frequent the church. Joseph (name changed for privacy), who immigrated from Guyana 40 years ago, has resided in the church for a couple of months. Although his foot is hurt and he is homeless, he shared with us an optimistic reflection on his life and other interesting stories. Albert (name changed for privacy) is a member of the church and was visiting today for help on welfare forms. He gladly offered to play the piano for us, and his extraordinary talent thoroughly impressed us.
Then, we started off our day with a visit to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. We walked up the famous steps from the movie Rocky, and saw a myriad of art works, from European art to Asian art. We even saw original paintings of Monet and Van Gogh!
After our cultural excursion in the museum, we visited Eddie’s House, a non-profit that focuses on empowerment of young adults who have aged out of the foster care system. It was incredible to hear Ms. Marion, Executive Director of the organization, speak about the work they do and her passion for creating a lasting support system for these homeless youths. We also met four women who stay at the house, and had a chance to hear their inspiring experiences. One unique aspect we saw was their emphasis on fostering a family dynamic within its community. We were especially impressed with their unique aftercare system, where all members, old and current, are welcome at any time.
Once we filled ourselves up with an embarrassing amount of food, we had an extreme bonding time with team workouts. As the first half of our trip winds down, we are looking forward to continuing our immersion into the lives of youth experiencing homelessness!
Day 4: Visiting the Attic
By: Daniel Liu '21 and Wendy Ho '21
October 31st, 2017
Today we went to the attic. Not an actual attic, but the Attic, a drop-in shelter in Philadelphia that services homeless LGBT youth. In fact, the Attic is one of only four centers in the US that is privately funded and explicitly serves LGBT youth. After moving across the City of Philadelphia for the past twenty five years, the Attic has settled into a colorful, and inviting facility in Center City.
After arriving, we had the opportunity to speak to Loran, the Program Specialist who provided us a tour of the facility and answered our questions regarding housing LGBT youth and to extra burdens homeless LGBT youth face. Almost fifty percent of homeless youth in Philadelphia identify as LGBT, however, the city of Philadelphia only reserves five beds in shelters for LGBT youth in crisis which is why the services the Attic provides are vital for the youth of Philadelphia.
October 31st, 2017
Today we went to the attic. Not an actual attic, but the Attic, a drop-in shelter in Philadelphia that services homeless LGBT youth. In fact, the Attic is one of only four centers in the US that is privately funded and explicitly serves LGBT youth. After moving across the City of Philadelphia for the past twenty five years, the Attic has settled into a colorful, and inviting facility in Center City.
After arriving, we had the opportunity to speak to Loran, the Program Specialist who provided us a tour of the facility and answered our questions regarding housing LGBT youth and to extra burdens homeless LGBT youth face. Almost fifty percent of homeless youth in Philadelphia identify as LGBT, however, the city of Philadelphia only reserves five beds in shelters for LGBT youth in crisis which is why the services the Attic provides are vital for the youth of Philadelphia.
After leaving the Attic, we had a delicious and healthy lunch down the street at Real Food Eatery which had plenty of kale and quinoa. Then, we had the opportunity to explore Philadelphia.
Later, we had a group call with PathwaysPA, an organization that provides support resources for homeless youth and temporary housing for five teenage girls. The shift manager we spoke to explained that the license PathwaysPA received from DHS only allowed them to house five homeless teenagers. Following the conference call, the Breakout group dove into conversation surrounding how politicians interact with their community and decide which issues are important to pursue. We ended the day with a delicious authentic Sichuan Chinese restaurant.
Later, we had a group call with PathwaysPA, an organization that provides support resources for homeless youth and temporary housing for five teenage girls. The shift manager we spoke to explained that the license PathwaysPA received from DHS only allowed them to house five homeless teenagers. Following the conference call, the Breakout group dove into conversation surrounding how politicians interact with their community and decide which issues are important to pursue. We ended the day with a delicious authentic Sichuan Chinese restaurant.
Day 3: Some cleaning & candy
By: Daniel Afrifa '20 and Lydia Zhong '20
October 30th, 2017
For our first day of visiting community partners, we started super close to home – in fact, we started at the church we are staying at: the Arch Street United Methodist Church’s Grace Café. This Café serves about 200-250 people a week on Sunday night. We met and talked with Carmen, one of Grace Café’s two full-time employees.
She had so much information and knowledge to share with us, not only about Grace Café and its patrons, but also about the Philadelphia community in general and other resources available to those experiencing homelessness. For example, we learned that Grace Café was founded before Town Hall because of the lack of a program such as Outreach, which is now in place and serves as a powerful resource. Outreach responds to calls from those in need of respite, sends someone to pick up this individual, and then connects them to a safe place to stay.
While we were not able to help out with the Sunday night dinner, we spent the morning helping them clean out the storage closet, scrub down tables, and disinfect chairs. Below are some pictures of our efforts.
October 30th, 2017
For our first day of visiting community partners, we started super close to home – in fact, we started at the church we are staying at: the Arch Street United Methodist Church’s Grace Café. This Café serves about 200-250 people a week on Sunday night. We met and talked with Carmen, one of Grace Café’s two full-time employees.
She had so much information and knowledge to share with us, not only about Grace Café and its patrons, but also about the Philadelphia community in general and other resources available to those experiencing homelessness. For example, we learned that Grace Café was founded before Town Hall because of the lack of a program such as Outreach, which is now in place and serves as a powerful resource. Outreach responds to calls from those in need of respite, sends someone to pick up this individual, and then connects them to a safe place to stay.
While we were not able to help out with the Sunday night dinner, we spent the morning helping them clean out the storage closet, scrub down tables, and disinfect chairs. Below are some pictures of our efforts.
In the afternoon, we visited Youth Emergency Services (YES), which provides temporary respite and protective service for children and adolescents aged 12-17. As a Safe Place site, YES offers many different services, including hotline and medical services. We met with some of the staff, including the director, Tim, and Keevan, who talked with us about the three main programs available. The first is for youth who are already in the system, but were recently removed from a home. The second is for runaway youth who are not yet in the system, and the third program is to look after underage kids from the police station who were not able to reach a legal guardian. Kids at YES are able to stay for 30 days, after which they are encouraged to set a program of goals for themselves.
Afterwards, we were able to sit down with some of the youth staying there and worked with them to put together bags of candy for younger infants also being supported by YES. We also shared pizza, and the room was filled with laughter and engaged conversations!
During our reflection, we noted how these two groups had very different approaches to this shared issue. One group (Grace Café), operated on private donations, and the other (YES) relied on government funding. However, they both recognized the importance of policy in implementing change.
Afterwards, we were able to sit down with some of the youth staying there and worked with them to put together bags of candy for younger infants also being supported by YES. We also shared pizza, and the room was filled with laughter and engaged conversations!
During our reflection, we noted how these two groups had very different approaches to this shared issue. One group (Grace Café), operated on private donations, and the other (YES) relied on government funding. However, they both recognized the importance of policy in implementing change.
Welcome to Philly: Days 1 & 2
By: Grace Lee '21 and Chitra Parikh '21
October 28th, 2017
Yesterday, on the morning of October 28th, all 12 of us gathered at the Dinky to begin our journey to Philadelphia. Two and a half hours later, we arrived at the 30th Street Philadelphia Station, starving and ready to explore Philly! First, we walked to the Arch Street Methodist Church, our home for the next 7 days, and dropped off our luggage. The Church and its wonderful people welcomed us with generosity, and we are so thankful for their hospitality and of course, warm showers.
October 28th, 2017
Yesterday, on the morning of October 28th, all 12 of us gathered at the Dinky to begin our journey to Philadelphia. Two and a half hours later, we arrived at the 30th Street Philadelphia Station, starving and ready to explore Philly! First, we walked to the Arch Street Methodist Church, our home for the next 7 days, and dropped off our luggage. The Church and its wonderful people welcomed us with generosity, and we are so thankful for their hospitality and of course, warm showers.
After being introduced to the church, we walked through the City Hall to lunch. Once our stomachs were full with Chipotle, we then headed to the grocery store to shop for this week’s meals! Our grocery list included many loaves of bread, five bags of cheese, and way more chocolate than we’d like to admit (to keep our energy up).
For dinner, our lovely leaders, Regina and Shobit, surprised us with a meal in Chinatown after a tour of Penn’s campus with a focus on their relationship with the community. All in all, it was a great day that left us ready and eager to begin meeting with community partners!
For dinner, our lovely leaders, Regina and Shobit, surprised us with a meal in Chinatown after a tour of Penn’s campus with a focus on their relationship with the community. All in all, it was a great day that left us ready and eager to begin meeting with community partners!
October 29th, 2017
Today, we woke up to cloudy skies and heavy rain. After filling ourselves with Trader Joe’s cereals and bagels, we walked to the Independence Hall. It was a pretty long walk, about a half hour or so. After we arrived at Independence Hall, we toured the building with a group and actually got to stand in the room where the Declaration of Independence was signed! Definitely worth the walk. ☺
Today, we woke up to cloudy skies and heavy rain. After filling ourselves with Trader Joe’s cereals and bagels, we walked to the Independence Hall. It was a pretty long walk, about a half hour or so. After we arrived at Independence Hall, we toured the building with a group and actually got to stand in the room where the Declaration of Independence was signed! Definitely worth the walk. ☺
After a quick stop at the Liberty Bell, we then came back to the church and had a cute family meal with sandwiches, hummus, and guac. The afternoon was a mix of relaxing and productivity. While some of us caught up on much-needed sleep, some of us went to local coffee shops and caught up on much-needed work! Later, everyone gathered at the church, and we walked over to Chili’s for dinner. After our meal (more like feast), we returned once again to the church and had a discussion about tomorrow’s community partners and their histories. While we loved exploring the beautiful city of Philly, we’re ready to dive in and immerse ourselves into the communities of youth experiencing homelessness!
Meet our trip participants |
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Lydia Zhong '20
Hi! My name is Lydia, and I am sophomore from Southern California. I am a proud Matheyite and very grateful for the countless opportunities I am afforded as a student, including this Breakout trip. I’m really looking forward to learning more about the community around youth experiencing homelessness because this is such a salient issue. Additionally, it affects people who are the same age, and often even younger than I am. Their struggles and vulnerability are so far removed from the Orange Bubble I comfortably live within, making it especially important for me to strive to better understand their perspectives and the perspectives of the people who work every day to support these young people. I hope to gain a more complete and sensitive awareness of this issue and to share that with my peers back on campus.
Daniel Liu '21
Hi y’all! My name is Daniel Liu and I am a freshman at Princeton University. Although I have made my new home in New Jersey, I originally hail from the great state of North Carolina where the barbeque and biscuits are life changing. I decided to attend the youth homelessness Breakout Trip in Philadelphia because I am interested in community health, access to community health centers, and federal and local policy regarding programs to help the most neglected in society. I am excited to explore this topic in a city rooted with our nation’s interesting, inspiring, yet severely discriminatory history. I eagerly await a mind blowing, mind altering, life changing experience!
Carolyn Guan '20
Hi everybody, I’m Carolyn and I’m a sophomore at Princeton University from Dallas, Texas. In this past year, I’ve been extremely grateful for everything I’ve learned from Princeton, but I’ve always wanted to learn how to apply this learning to the bigger problems that plague us. As someone who is passionate about helping those in need, I hope that this breakout trip will give me a chance to get out of the “Orange Bubble” and truly experience the truth and grittiness of the real world. If at all possible, I’d like to contribute positively to the youth or organizations we interact with. Most importantly though, I’m just eager to learn how these non-profit organizations work and experience what the community has to offer us. I'm super hyped!
Wendy Ho '21
I’m Wendy, a current freshman at Princeton from Dallas, TX. Ramen noodle enthusiast. Podcast fan. Doodler. From this trip I hope to gain a better understanding of the needs and issues that homeless youth face. I realize that I come from a position of privilege and I think it’s important to understand the perspectives of others, especially those who are different from me. I’m also excited to explore Philadelphia, both through the lens of youth homelessness and as a tacky tourist in the city.
Sophie Li '21
Hi! I'm Sophie, a freshman from Hong Kong most likely majoring in Politics. I love running, napping, film photography, and all things word related! I'm going on this trip because I come from a city where homelessness is an issue mostly swept under the rug, and because everyone deserves a place of security and shelter. I hope to finish this trip with a better understanding of the different options policymakers and NGOs have to fight the problem of youth homelessness, and with a stronger resolution to dedicate myself to community service no matter my other commitments.
Chitra Parikh '21
Hi— I’m Chitra Parikh, a member of the Class of 2021 from Hillsborough, New Jersey in Rockefeller College! I’m planning to study Neuroscience with a certificate in Global Health and Health Policy at Princeton. I'm going on this trip because I'm interested by the intersection between homelessness and education and because I believe that youth experiencing homelessness have voices to be heard regarding their aspirations, circumstances, and more. This week, I’m looking forward to learning more about the personal stories of the youth experiencing homelessness as well as exploring how we can better the options for those who are currently without a place to stay!
Daniel Afrifa '20
Hi guys! My name is Daniel Afrifa, and I am a sophomore potentially majoring in the Woodrow Wilson School of International Affairs. I am really excited to be a part of this Breakout trip because I have always wanted to add to a concerted effort to solve the issue of youth homelessness. I hope to gain an intimate knowledge of the causes of youth homelessness, as well as what I can do and get others to do in order to fix this problem.
Somya Arora '21
Hola Amigos! My name is Somya and I am a first year student living in Wilson College! I am an engineering major and am really undecided in the particular field of engineering that I want to pursue. I come from Edison, New Jersey but I've lived most of my life in India. Having been born and brought up in the capital of India, Delhi, where 3 out of every 1000 people are homeless, and several thousands live in mud houses or huts, I've been surrounded by a population that does not have the assurance of the availability of basic resources on a daily basis. Having had a perspective from a developing country, I was really interested to learn more about the issue of youth homelessness in a developed country and the various resources that are available to help support and guide the homeless youth in their endeavors. I am thrilled to start Breakout by meeting up with community partners to learn more about this issue and volunteer in a shelter. I'm very excited for the rest of the week to unfold!
Grace Lee '21
Hi, my name is Young Kyung Grace Lee (call me Grace!) and I’m a freshman at Wilson College from Seoul, South Korea. I plan to major in either Woodrow Wilson School or Sociology because I love people and learning about how we coexist. I also love photography, watching all kinds of sports, and food! I came to Philadelphia to study youth homelessness because I believe in equal opportunities to education for all students, regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic background. I look forward to interacting with teenagers here to gain a more intimate perspective on the issue, and hope to become more engaged with the society beyond Princeton.
Albert Jiang '21
My name is Albert Jiang and I was born and raised in Honolulu, HI. As a freshman in Butler College, I am a perspective CBE major pursuing a neuroscience certificate. Growing up in a state which surprisingly has one of the nation's highest rates of homelessness per capita, this immensely complex issue seemed to pervade the airwaves. Despite coming from a privileged background, I was more than familiar with the economic, social, and political intricacies of this topic, thanks to news outlets and classroom discussions in high school. However, it seemed as if I was never truly able to actively engage with the community groups and individuals most directly affected by this. As a result, I hope this Breakout trip will not only give me insight into one of the most pressing problems plaguing the nation, but will also inspire me to one day promote social change on a variety of issues locally and beyond.