An unexpected $25,000 gift from Amazon will help Philadelphia families experiencing homelessness.
Anne Marie Collins, Vice President/Executive Director of the Drueding Center, received an email late last year from an Amazon staff member who had worked in the office of U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa).
Amazon was looking to donate to Philadelphia nonprofits, the email said. The staffer had recommended Drueding Center, a comprehensive program that serves 400 to 500 families a year through residential and community services, child care, and a food pantry.
As part of their advocacy work, Collins and board members visit legislators’ offices, often meeting with staff.
“The visits are an opportunity to share what our program is, what we do and our impact, and the need for continued government support,” Collins said. “Obviously we made an impression on him.”
Colin Newman, Amazon’s public policy director for Pennsylvania, said the company prides itself “on establishing local roots in the communities in which we live and work.”
"As our footprint in Philadelphia has grown in recent years, so too has our support for local organizations, like Drueding Center,” Newman said. “The work that is done by the team at Drueding is very challenging, important, and admirable. Amazon is very pleased to lend a helping hand to such a deserving organization."
Drueding receives government funding but also must raise support through grants, foundations, and events. Because Amazon’s gift supports general operations, it will help Drueding fill in gaps and continue programs that are not funded by the government, according to Patricia M. Wynne, Redeemer Health Associate Vice President for Philanthropy.
Drueding Center’s residential services provides transitional housing, case management support, and life skills training to families who come from the city shelter system.
Community services include the After Care program, which follows families for seven years after they move out of transitional housing; New Neighbors, a permanent supporting housing program for families who have a member with a disability; and the Blueprint case management program.
The center’s state-licensed STAR 4 child care center offers early childhood education for resident children, community children, and some staff children.
Drueding also has a Green Light Food Pantry, one of two in the city, that provides only healthy, nutritious foods for people experiencing food insecurity.
"As part of Redeemer Health, Drueding shares the same Mission to Care, Comfort and Heal," Collins said.
“Our theory of change is that our families will build the skills to heal from trauma, restore their hope, and end the cycle of homelessness,” she said.
We invite you to inspire others by getting involved and making a difference individually or with your family. Please contact the Redeemer Health Office of Philanthropy at 215-914-4000 or giving@holyredeemer.com, or visit www.redeemerhealth.org/giving/ways-give.
