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For the fifth consecutive year, Catholic Social Services (CSS) has been named Pennsylvania’s Service Provider of the Year by Real Alternatives. Real Alternatives is a non-profit, charitable organization in Pennsylvania that administers pregnancy and parenting support services. This annual award is presented to the provider agency that has served the most pregnant women in the state of Pennsylvania. Additionally, CSS’ Northeast Family Service Center in Northeast Philadelphia received its seventh Site of the Year Award. Ms. Amy Stoner, Director of CSS Community Based and Homeless Services Divisions, and members of her staff were presented with the award at an annual conference held on Thursday, March 23, 2017 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. In 2016, CSS provided comprehensive support services to nearly 5,700 pregnant women. Services included counseling, mentoring, education assistance, adoption, and enrollment in benefit programs, as well as providing prenatal and parenting support groups. Throughout the greater Philadelphia region, young women and

Casa del Carmen Academy hosted a special visitor Monday, March 27, 2017. Mayor Jim Kenney visited the Philadelphia pre-K program (PHLpreK), located in North Philadelphia. PHLpreK is a city-sponsored early childhood program. Casa del Carmen Academy, a Keystone Star 3 program, provides full-service subsidized early childhood education that equips children between the ages of three and five with the knowledge, skills, and abilities they will need to be successful in school. Casa’s early childhood education professionals utilize research-based structured play activities to help young children be well prepared for entering Kindergarten.  Further, once they have graduated from the program, after-school and full-day summer camp programs offer a safe place to continue their growing and learning.  

Nurses Kelly Magyar and Julia Caldwell from Catholic Social Services’ Saint Gabriel’s Hall (SGH), and Lower Providence Township Police Sergeant Matthew Kuhnert received Citizen Commendations for providing lifesaving medical assistance to an unresponsive SGH employee. The three were honored at the Lower Providence Township Board of Supervisors meeting on March 16, 2017. On December 21, 2016, the Lower Providence Township Police Department was dispatched, along with Lower Providence Community Ambulance, to a medical emergency at SGH. When Sergeant Matthew Kuhnert arrived, he found a 51 year old food service worker unresponsive on the floor. Nurse Caldwell was actively performing CPR while Nurse Magyar provided rescue breathing utilizing a bag valve mask. The three rescuers provided medical assistance as a team changing rescue positions as needed until medics arrived. The Citizen Commendations were presented before the Lower Providence Township Board of Supervisors in recognition and appreciation for the assistance that was

There was “lots of fun to be done” earlier this week at Casa del Carmen Academy. Students celebrated Dr. Seuss’s 113th birthday. In honor of the beloved late author, students brought in their favorite Dr. Seuss books, wore wacky socks, and enjoyed “green eggs and ham.” Teachers read the students many stories including One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. Casa del Carmen Academy provides full-service subsidized early childhood education that equips children between the ages of three and five with the knowledge, skills, and abilities they will need to be successful in school. Casa’s early childhood education professionals utilize research-based structured play activities to help young children be well prepared for entering Kindergarten.  Further, once they have graduated from the program, after-school and full-day summer camp programs offer a safe place to continue their growing and learning. For more information about Casa del Carmen, please contact Chris Gale,

In celebration of Black History Month, Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia would like to recognize two employees from the Southwest Family Service Center, Ms. Lola Decarlo-Coles and Ms. Nadiyah Vance, who work tirelessly to empower young people from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds. Last month, the women partnered with Soroptomist International SI Five Points Magenta to host the first Women and Girls’ Leadership and Empowerment Symposium. Nearly fifty young women and girls identified as at risk for domestic violence, sexual assault, and homelessness attended the event. Founded in 1929, Soroptomist International SI Five Point Magenta’s name signifies “best of women.” It is part of a global volunteer organization made up of 86,000 business and professional women from 124 countries. Members are dedicated to helping improve the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment. Ms. Vance said her and Ms. Decarlo-Coles “wanted

Catholic Social Services’ Saint Gabriel System (SGS) held two graduations last month to celebrate the accomplishments of 66 adjudicated youths. Saint Gabriel’s Hall, a residential program for court adjudicated youth with a dedicated on-campus high school, graduated 37 young men last month, while Saint Gabriel’s System day treatment program at De LaSalle Vocational graduated 29. Several students also received awards for academic achievement, leadership, character, attendance and community service. The Saint Gabriel System is committed to helping youth entrusted to its care by Philadelphia Family Court overcome adversities and achieve a positive future. Often, students come to “Saint Gabe’s” and “DelVoc” as they are affectionately called by faculty and staff, with serious gaps in their education, as well as challenges related to relational skills, and family/community support systems. One student from DelVoc said, “Before I came to DelVoc, I had attended multiple high schools. The most recent, I stayed only

Catholic Social Services (CSS) gratefully acknowledges the generous support received from the Newtown, PA chapter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH). The AOH is an Irish-Catholic fraternal organization dedicated to serving the needs of their local community and in particular supporting the charitable works of the Catholic Church.  Recent donations from this AOH chapter have covered the cost of operating our Martha’s Place Choice Market food pantry at Fatima Catholic Outreach Center in Bensalem, PA for the past four months.  The support of charitable organizations like the Newtown AOH chapter that makes it possible for CSS to continue its vision to Provide Help and Create Hope for thousands of individuals in need throughout  the Greater Philadelphia region. We are proud to count the Ancient Order of Hibernians of Newtown, Pennsylvania as one of our valued “partners in mission!”

A group of 11-year-old girls and boys in the Olney  neighborhood of North Philadelphia received a wonderful gift from the Oxford Valley Barnes and Noble store in Fairless Hills, PA – brand new copies of the bestselling book Wonder, by R.J. Palacio!  Local store management at this Barnes and Noble outlet chose to make the donation after learning about the exceptional group of children who attend summer and afterschool programming offered by Catholic Social Services at the St. Helena Incarnation Out-of-School Time (OST) Program in Olney.   Literacy support is a major component of OST program design, in addition to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) activities.  By placing this outstanding and popular book in the hands of these children, the Barnes and Noble donation encourages their habit of regular reading and, in this case, fosters reflection on invaluable life lessons about kindness and friendship.   Catholic Social Services sends

Catholic Social Services of Montgomery County recently completed a major renovation aimed at transforming its well-known and heavily trafficked food pantry into a “Choice Market” model. This new approach to assisting individuals and families experiencing food insecurity will enable clients to “shop for” (choose) food items that meet their own unique dietary needs and preferences. Liz Peteraf, Administrator of the CSS Family Services Center where the food pantry is located, explains that “the Choice model is just good common sense, giving people the opportunity to choose foods that fit their preferences and support their health, and in a way that promotes their dignity and is also more efficient than the old system.” Just as importantly, in just the few days since reopening under this new approach, she has observed how it fosters “people interacting with and engaging one another as persons, and tears down the walls between us as clients