Report Card: The Well-Being of Children and Youth in Philadelphia

Many of the problems our children face have been generations in the making, and they will not be solved overnight. The Honickman Foundation works with Philadelphia Safe and Sound and other like minded organizations in the city to advocate for children.

In 2000, Philadelphia became one of the first major cities in the country to develop and publish a report card charting how its children are growing, thriving, and advancing to adulthood.

The annual Report Card is a comprehensive assessment of the health, safety and development of Philadelphia's children and youth. It provides a snapshot of the current condition of the city's children and it tracks the changes in their conditions over time. It has also become an essential tool for City Government for improving and expanding its efforts to serve children. Government agencies use it to plan new programs and direct resources to areas most in need; community agencies use it to better understand the conditions their children are facing; and the philanthropic world uses it to identify funding priorities for children's issues.

Philadelphia has made some progress in the area of early childhood care and education. There has been long-term improvement in the infant mortality rate, the number of children with elevated blood lead levels and the percentage of first graders being promoted. But the percentage of children receiving formal early child care and education in the pre-school years has decreased after two years of improvement.

While some of the results are encouraging, the city continues to face enormous challenges in the areas of violent juvenile crime, and the widespread availability and use of guns continues to plague our communities and undermine efforts to protect children and youth. This desired result continues to receive the lowest report card rating—problematic, with a long way to go.

The Report Card attempts to emphasize where the city—families, business, schools, government and community—must focus their collective attention to fulfill the promise to our children of a safe, successful and healthy life. The future of our children is everyone's responsibility and they're depending on us.

2007 Future Leaders' Mayoral Forum

The 2007 Future Leaders' Mayoral Forum was a pro-active effort by Philadelphia's teens and young adults to ensure that their voices are heard in the upcoming mayoral election. Unique in this campaign season, the Forum was designed, staffed and moderated by youth, ages 14-21.

Jon Bon Jovi and President Clinton Join Project H.O.M.E. Press Conference

President Bill Clinton joins Jon Bon Jovi, and Project H.O.M.E. co-founders Sister Mary Scullion and Joan Dawson McConnon on stage.

On October 5, 2006, Co-Executive Directors of Project H.O.M.E., Sister Mary Scullion and Joan Dawson McConnon, welcomed rock icon, JON BON JOVI and PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON to North Central Philadelphia where Bon Jovi held a press conference to announce an exciting new partnership with Project H.O.M.E. Along with Habitat for Humanity and other sponsors that include automaker Saturn, PNC Bank, Bon Jovi, the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation, and Clinton, 15 affordable, eco-friendly homes will be built on the 1900 block of North 23d Street. Jon Bon Jovi has committed $450,000 toward this latest enterprise of Project H.O.M.E., the Phase V Homeownership Initiative.

Fran Egan Civic Award

Fran Egan

The Fran Egan Civic Award commemorates the life of Fran Egan, a beloved member of the Project H.O.M.E. community, who died on Christmas Eve, 2005.

Fran was a woman of compassion, and her compassion led her to take action. She always had a special place in her heart for people with special needs and challenges. She began volunteering at Project H.O.M.E. in the early 1990s and became a member of our Board of Trustees. She organized the Ronnie Selzer, Jr. Golf Tournaments which raised critically needed funds for Rowan Homes and adult learning programs. Even during a period of serious illness, she assisted with the development of the Honickman Learning Center and Comcast Technology Labs.

Fran was one of those rare people who were able to pack more productive living into her too-short life than a dozen mere mortals, and leave the world better off for her being.

From a row house in Wissinoming, amongst a joyful gaggle of nine siblings, Fran was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives at the tender age of 25. Politics was in her DNA, but with the arrival of her daughters, Bridget and Kaitlyn, she happily traded constant trips up the Turnpike for the joys of maternity, her life with her beloved husband, John, and a glowing zeal for grass roots community service.

Fran had a penchant for shouldering highly charged political appointments that many lesser people would shrink from: Philadelphia Commissioner for Licenses and Inspections, Assistant General Manager for SEPTA and Deputy Managing Director for Mayor Rendell. In each case she triumphed.

Her success was the result of her fierce work ethic and a genuine love and respect for the people she worked for and with. Governor Rendell paid Fran the ultimate tribute, saying, "Most people as capable and efficient as Fran aren't that nice. She handled difficult public jobs in a way that everybody like and respected her."

But what we remember most about Fran is the beautiful person she was. Fran was a trusted friend and a wise advisor. She was smart, tenacious, and gracious—a person of integrity and dependability. Fran was willing to fight for something she believed in, and her courage in the face of adversity is legendary. This courage born of faith was present throughout her long battle with cancer.

The Fran Egan Award, presented by Project H.O.M.E. in conjunction with Fran's family, is one way to continue her legacy of working to make our city and our world more just and hospitable for all persons.

Guidelines

  • A person can nominate him/herself, or be nominated by someone else.

  • Nominations can be made by anyone in the Project H.O.M.E. community, meaning staff, residents, Board members, volunteers, program participants, residents and neighbors in our community development areas, or members of the Award Committee.

  • Nominations must be submitted by November 1. They can be sent to Will O'Brien, Special Projects Coordinator, Project H.O.M.E., 1515 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia PA, 19130.

  • The award will be formally presented at Project H.O.M.E.'s annual Holiday Party in December.

  • Awardees will use the award money specifically for education purposes or for civic projects.

Criteria for Applicants

  • Eligible applicants include but are not limited to members of Project H.O.M.E. staff, Project H.O.M.E. residents, or students and participants in programs at Project H.O.M.E.'s Honickman Learning Center Comcast Technology Labs.

  • Nominees must be actively pursuing formal education (college, graduate school, adult education, special degree programs, specialized courses) or who are currently involved in civic projects for the betterment of the community.

  • Nominees must reflect the mission and values of Project H.O.M.E.

  • Nominees must demonstrate a commitment to improving the civic life of the Philadelphia community. They should have a track record of community involvement.

  • Nominees should have clear goals that reflect a commitment to use their education to improve civic life in Philadelphia.

  • Nominees should have developed skills in leadership and shown their capacity to inspire others.

For more information or to receive a nomination form, contact:

Will O'Brien, Special Projects Coordinator
Project H.O.M.E.
1515 Fairmount Avenue
Philadelphia PA, 19130
215-232-7272 ext. 3047
willobrien@projecthome.org

Philadelphia Mural Arts Program

The Mural Arts Program was conceived by the former mayor of Philadelphia, Wilson Goode. Under the direction of Jane Golden, since 1984, the program has completed more than 2,300 indoor and outdoor murals, more than any other public art program in the nation. This effort has brought art to the cityscape, turning graffiti-scarred walls into scenic views, portraits of community heroes, and abstract creations. With the support of The Honickman Foundation, a full-color coffee table book, entitled Philadelphia Murals and the Stories They Tell, was produced to convey the historical and social significance of murals as vehicles for social change. The book features the photographs of David Graham. Through photography and narrative, this publication exposes not only the energy and beauty of the murals themselves, but also the inspiring story of how the collective effort taken to create a mural can inspire and transform a community.

As a result of the amazing success of the first book, Philadelphia's Murals and the Stories They Tell, the Mural Arts Program has been asked to do a sequel. With the support of The Honickman Foundation, the second book, Healing Walls, is scheduled to be published in the fall 2006. It will document and focus on the more recent work the Mural Arts Program has been doing with Philadelphia youth, inmates, victims of crime and young people who are incarcerated. It will also focus on newer projects and block transformations. The second book will bring together stories of art, education and social service. Ultimately, it will illustrate how the arts and education can effect social change for Philadelphia's underserved youth and forgotten communities.

The North Philly Footstompers

The Honickman Foundation also lends its support to The North Philly Footstompers, a 25-member youth drill team built on good grades, intense after-school practices and commitment. Started in 1994 by Helen Brown, Project H.O.M.E. Community Organizer and a resident in the St. Elizabeth's/Diamond Street neighborhood for over forty years, Footstompers teaches team members discipline and how to work together in a group. Some of the members are also part of the Project H.O.M.E. scholar program which offers financial assistance to young people so they may attend private schools. In July 2000, The North Philly Footstompers earned the right to compete against dozens of the country's best teams at the National Drill Team Competition in Atlanta, Georgia. They won first place in drumming and took fourth in the stepping competition.