Philadelphia

Philadelphia is a sprawling, gritty city of brick row homes and quiet neighborhoods, with a character forged in working-class resilience and a deep sense of community despite its hard edges. The median household income here is around $52,000, well below the national average, and poverty touches nearly one in four residents. In 2023, the city’s point-in-time count recorded 4,293 people experiencing homelessness — a number that has climbed since the pandemic and reflects the daily struggle many face. Locally, Project HOME, Philabundance, and St. John’s Hospice are organizations that know these streets and work every day to offer shelter, food, and a way forward. They are staffed by people who understand what it means to start from nothing. You belong in this city as much as anyone else; take it one block at a time, and know that someone is here with you.