The rate of homelessness in Pennsylvania dropped dramatically in 2023, Axios reported earlier this year. It is only one of nine states to see such a significant decrease. The comprehensive Housing, Employment, Income, Recovery, Spirituality (HEIR) model, a critical and holistic tool used by the City Mission, is helping unsheltered Pennsylvanians experience long-term recovery from homelessness.

The team at Financial Fuel Services believes that combatting homelessness is not only a moral imperative but an important economic push for the Pennsylvania economy. That’s why we are partnering with City Mission, our Premier Charity for the month of March. Here’s a breakdown of what City Mission has accomplished in the past year and why we think they are making such great strides in our community.

What City Mission Does to Serve Unsheltered People

Homelessness does not exist in a vacuum. Contributing and overlapping problems make it difficult to treat and overcome. For example, many people experiencing homelessness also face food insecurity, the genuine anxiety that occurs when someone does not have enough to eat and does not know where their next meal will come from. Other people experiencing homelessness have significant mental health, legal, and medical issues.

City Mission works to address each of the contributing causes of homelessness while also providing safe shelter.

How City Mission Helped to Fight Homelessness in 2023

Last year, City Mission operated four centers for homelessness rehabilitation: a men’s shelter, a brand-new women’s shelter, a shelter for women and their children, and a veteran’s shelter. In total, all four centers offer 173 beds.

Program participants who stay at the shelter for more than 90 days see the highest rate of success. Approximately 70 percent of them are able to obtain housing after their stay.

In 2023, City Mission helped thousands of Pennsylvania’s unsheltered, including:

  • Almost 15,000 medical clinic services
  • More than 1,400 unique individuals served
  • Almost 130 jobs were obtained through the career training and education center
  • More than 130,000 meals
  • Nearly 46,500 nights
  • More than 9,500 bags of food

How City Missions Help At-Risk Populations Learn Soft Skills and Gain Employment

As part of City Mission’s HEIRS model, the nonprofit focuses on counseling recovery from mental health and substance abuse. Program participants can take classes in anger management, addiction recovery, and relapse prevention. The Mission also offers Biblically-based counseling. For those participants who have or are expecting to have children, parenting classes are offered.  The Mission also provides instruction on budgeting and work readiness, including a wide range of job-related skills.

How You Can Donate to City Mission

City Mission receives donations in many forms. The best way to see all of the many ways you can contribute to this wonderful organization is to visit their website on www.citymission.org or contact their office directly at 724-222-8530.