This week’s Top 5 highlights five examples of local nonprofit organizations that have adapted their service delivery to respond to community needs during the pandemic. We hope they are a source of insight and inspiration in these challenging times!
- The University City District is offering a variety of services for small businesses and job seekers. To support the small business community, the University City District launched digital dining days and a small business emergency fund which has supported over 100 local businesses to date. Leadership of UCD’s job-training program, the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative, pivoted their service delivery model to offer virtual training for the current cohort and provide additional support for the program alumni’s emerging needs. Learn more on the Economy League’s digital series, The Pivot.
- Career Wardrobe is providing virtual consultations and sending Wardrobe Boxes by mail. In this time of social distancing, the Career Wardrobe Consultation and Wardrobe Box program brings services directly to clients. Think of an at-home personalized image consultation merged with an online personal styling service. Career Wardrobe is making its services available to anyone who needs help transitioning to work during this crisis. Learn more on Career Wardrobe’s website, linked here.
- Broad Street Ministry, Project HOME, and Prevention Point are joining forces with local caterers to provide meals for people experiencing homelessness. Step Up to the Plate is a collaborative effort between Broad Street Ministry, Project HOME, Prevention Point, and local caterers to ensure Philadelphians experiencing homelessness during Covid-19 have access to food and medical care. More than 10,000 meals are being served weekly. Learn more on Step Up to the Plate’s website linked here.
- Hopeworks is transitioning youth to a virtual work environment. For many Hopeworks’ youth, the money they earn at Hopeworks is the only money coming into their household. To ensure youth can continue to support themselves and their families during the pandemic, Hopeworks has provided laptops and internet access, as well as virtual coaching and support. Learn more from Notley’s blog series, The Art of the Pivot.
- Mural Arts is helping keep our communities healthy and our artists working. Mural Arts’ innovative Space Pads Project pairs local artists with practical public health messaging to help people keep their distance. Working with a Buy One, Give One model, the Porch Light team is working to produce 3,000 face masks for the community. And Mural Arts is also supporting a local street art project “Fill the Walls With Hope”, which is covering walls around the city with uplifting messages. Learn more about Mural Arts’ Art in Action linked here.
How is your organization adapting your service delivery to respond to shifting community needs and the changing external environment? Please share any examples or tag them on our social media pages; we’d love to hear from you! And for more examples, check out The Economy League’s digital series The Pivot and Notley’s blog series, the Art of the Pivot.
