History

In 1989, Sister Mary Scullion and Joan Dawson McConnon co-founded Project H.O.M.E., a nationally recognized organization that provides supportive housing, employment, education and health care to enable chronically homeless and low-income persons to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty.

Sister Mary Scullion has been involved in service work and advocacy for homeless and mentally ill persons since 1978. She was a co-founder in 1985 of Woman of Hope, which provides permanent residences and support services for homeless mentally ill women. In 1988 she helped to found the Outreach Coordination Center, an innovative program coordinating private and public agencies doing outreach to chronically homeless persons in Center City Philadelphia.

Vision Statement

None of us are home until all of us are home.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Project H.O.M.E. community is to empower adults, children, and families to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty, to alleviate the underlying causes of poverty, and to enable all of us to attain our fullest potential as individuals and as members of the broader society. We strive to create a safe and respectful environment where we support each other in our struggles for self-esteem, recovery, and the confidence to move toward self-actualization.

Project H.O.M.E. achieves its mission through a continuum of care comprised of street outreach, a range of supportive housing, and comprehensive services. We address the root causes of homelessness through neighborhood-based affordable housing, economic development, and environmental enhancement programs, as well as through providing access to employment opportunities; adult and youth education; and health care.

Project H.O.M.E. is committed to social and political advocacy. An integral part of our work is education about the realities of homelessness and poverty and vigorous advocacy on behalf of and with homeless and low-income persons for more just and humane public policies.

Project H.O.M.E. is committed to nurturing a spirit of community among persons from all walks of life, all of whom have a role to play in making this a more just and compassionate society.

Project H.O.M.E. Today

The work of Project H.O.M.E. is rooted in our strong spiritual conviction of the dignity of each person. We believe that all persons are entitled to decent, affordable housing and access to quality education, employment, and health care.

We at Project H.O.M.E. believe that the ultimate answer to the degradation of homelessness and poverty is in the building of community. Therefore, we undertake all our work in a spirit of building relationships and community. We are also committed to nurturing a spirit of community among persons from all walks of life, all of whom have a role to play in making this a more just and compassionate society. We believe that the work to end homelessness and poverty enhances the quality of life for everyone in our community.¹

¹ Vision of H.O.M.E. Strategic Plan 2005-2010