Philadelphia 2025
Homeless & Transitional Housing projects
Broad Street Love
Addressing Deep Poverty Through Radical Hospitality: Mail, Clothing, & Front Desk
Student Interns:
Yaya Chen, Drexel University College of Medicine
Julie Gauthier, Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health
Christopher Haddad, Drexel University College of Medicine
Academic Preceptor:
Steven J. Peitzman, MD, FACP, Drexel University College of Medicine
Community Preceptor:
Dianne Johnson, MPA, Broad Street Love
Community Site:
Broad Street Love, formerly known as Broad Street Ministry, is a community-based, nonprofit organization that addresses deep poverty and homelessness through radical hospitality. It aims to uphold the dignity of individuals through a diverse range of trauma-informed, person-centered services, including meal programs, social services, medical services, legal services, the distribution of personal care products, a clothing boutique, and a mailroom for guests to receive their mail. Broad Street Love is committed to fostering community and serving its guests with radical hospitality. https://broadstreetlove.org/
Team’s Experience:
At Broad Street Love, the Bridging the Gaps student interns helped run the front desk, which was needed due to staff changes, and prepared an orientation binder with resources and guidelines to assist with future changes in front desk management. The interns also helped Broad Street Love organize and coordinate its clothing closet and hygiene services, which included creating hygiene kits for guests and helping guests create a personalized outfit from donated pieces. Additionally, the interns spent time in the on-site mailroom which consisted of sorting and distributing mail to the more than 4,000 guests who keep mailboxes at Broad Street Love.
Reflections:
Yaya Chen: “Working at Broad Street Love this summer was an eye-opening and empowering experience that allowed me to learn more about what community health means in Philadelphia. I appreciated getting to provide direct, hand-to-hand care to guests through giving out mail in the mailroom and interacting with guests at the clothing boutique. Witnessing firsthand how people in Philadelphia are confronting homelessness and poverty, I learned how to provide care and communication with greater courage and understanding of not only what the guests are dealing with in that moment but also everything they carry with them. My experience here strengthened my own dedication to community-based medicine and reinforced the value of compassion and integrity as a way to confront social determinants of health. I will always carry with me Broad Street Love’s mission of treating all of its guests with radical hospitality.”
Julie Gauthier: “Working at Broad Street Love taught me how to serve people experiencing deep poverty through radical hospitality and trauma-informed interactions. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment when you’re interacting with dozens of guests every day and forget to remember that everyone has their own story that shapes their interactions. My supervisors and the other volunteers modeled radical hospitality in a memorable way, and I will definitely take that with me after I graduate.”
Christopher Haddad: “My time at Broad Street Love has been unique. My years of experience working as a registered nurse in Philadelphia, especially in the emergency department, prepared me well for running the front desk at Broad Street Love and working with their de-escalation team. This summer, I learned to field questions from guests and provide resources and information I never knew existed. I spent time getting to know these guests, their circumstances, and their life stories. I am grateful for these relationships that have been cultivated and hope to volunteer at Broad Street Love in the future to see these familiar faces. The experiences of my summer provide me with a unique perspective and will inform my future practice as a physician.”
Covenant House Pennsylvania
Empowering Youth Through Resilience-Based Care and Community Connection
Student Interns:
Puneeth Guruprasad, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine
Natasa Rohacs, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine
Academic Preceptors:
Hillary R. Bogner, MD, MSCE, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine
Donald L. Boyer, MD, MSEd, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Community Preceptors:
Kenneth R. Ginsburg, MD, MSEd, FAAP, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
David Reis, Covenant House Pennsylvania
Community Site:
Covenant House Pennsylvania (CHPA) provides safe shelter, housing programs, and supportive services for young people aged 18 to 24 who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and human trafficking. CHPA welcomes all youth with unconditional love, absolute respect, and relentless support, offering a safe place 24/7 at no cost.
https://www.covenanthouse.org/homeless-shelters/philadelphia-pennsylvania
Team’s Experience:
The Bridging the Gaps student interns provided supervised healthcare, including intakes and sick visits, in the shelter clinic with a deep focus on strengths-based communication. During days without provider coverage, the interns provided medical case management, emotional support, and career-building workshops for youth in the shelter. Outside of these roles, the interns formed longitudinal relationships with the youth that promoted growth into resilient, secure, and healthy adulthood.
Reflections:
Puneeth Guruprasad and Natasa Rohacs: “Our experience at Covenant House was transformative. We saw firsthand how systemic injustice intersects with health, and how trauma-sensitive, strengths-based care can begin to repair that harm. Each interaction challenged us to slow down, to listen more deeply, and to see our patients as whole people with complex lives and powerful resilience. We were reminded that presence itself is healing. Working alongside an extraordinary team of clinicians, case managers, and volunteers, we learned how to hold space for our patients’ stories while also building sustainable systems that extend care beyond the clinic. This summer reinforced our commitment to community-driven medicine and showed us that clinical care, at its best, can be a form of advocacy, accompaniment, and love.”
Depaul USA
To Listen and to Learn: Experiences with Individuals Facing Housing Insecurity and Substance Use Disorder
Student Intern:
Sydney Fiore, Drexel University College of Medicine
Academic Preceptor:
Steven Peitzman, MD, FACP, Drexel University College of Medicine
Community Preceptor:
Suzannah Hartzell, Depaul USA
Community Site:
Depaul USA opened its first program in Philadelphia in 2009 and now runs five programs: a recovery house, supportive housing for individuals with chronic health conditions and a history of housing instability, transitional housing for college students experiencing homelessness, rapid rehousing, and a social enterprise that offers employment opportunities for residents and graduates of the recovery program. Depaul aims to provide comprehensive services, including housing, case management, financial assistance, and employment assistance, to help individuals transition out of homelessness and into lives of greater stability and fulfillment.
Team’s Experience:
The Bridging the Gaps student intern rotated among three Depaul USA locations: St. Raymond’s House, St. Joseph’s House, and Depaul House. St. Raymond’s provides housing for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness; St. Joseph’s provides housing for college students facing housing insecurity; and Depaul House is a recovery house for men with substance use disorder. At St. Raymond’s House, the intern organized the food pantry, attended interviews for new residents, went on walks with residents, and attended a field trip with the residents. At St. Joseph’s House, the intern made a résumé template for the students to follow and assisted the residents with job and scholarship applications, credit score requests, and medical billing and insurance issues. At Depaul House, the intern wrote progress notes about the residents by speaking with them about their recovery progress and well-being.
Reflections:
Sydney Fiore: “The Bridging the Gaps internship at Depaul House was an excellent, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to become acquainted with a population that I otherwise would not get to speak with in a nonclinical setting. Prior to this internship, I had never worked with people suffering from substance use disorder and facing housing insecurity. Over the course of the summer, I created many connections with the residents I met through our time spent together, and I witnessed the barriers that they face in accessing healthcare, finding jobs, and obtaining housing. Just listening to each of their stories taught me so much about humanity, community, and love. This experience has deeply affected how I view myself as a future healthcare provider, and I am so grateful that I was able to have this opportunity.”
Red Shield Family Residence at the Salvation Army
Exploring Health and Well-Being With Youth at the Red Shield Family Residence
Student Interns:
Muhammad Hussain, Temple University, School of Podiatric Medicine
Nora-Lovette Okwara, Temple University, Lewis Katz School of Medicine
Academic Preceptor:
Jerome Wright, MSW, LSW, Temple University, Lewis Katz School of Medicine
Community Preceptor:
Jonathan Schmid, MSW, Assistant Director, Red Shield Family Residence
Community Site:
The Salvation Army Red Shield Family Residence is a safe, supportive, trauma-informed emergency housing program located in the Fairmount neighborhood of North Philadelphia. The residence serves families experiencing homelessness by offering compassionate, respectful, nonjudgmental care, with the goal of helping residents achieve emotional stability, goal achievement, and ultimately long-term self-sufficiency. All family configurations are welcomed, including single parents and guardians with children of all ages. In addition to emergency shelter, the Red Shield Family Residence offers intensive case management, parenting support, after-school programs, and summer enrichment activities. The program creates a healing environment grounded in dignity, empowerment, and hope.
Team’s Experience:
The Bridging the Gaps student interns worked on a project to improve health outcomes among youth in Philadelphia’s historically underserved unhoused population by providing education on key topics such as oral and cardiovascular health through interactive presentations and activities. In addition to promoting health, the project aimed to reduce educational disparities across Philadelphia communities by engaging children in games designed to reinforce and expand their learning beyond the classroom during the summer months. Furthermore, the project sought to cultivate a safe and inclusive environment where youth could explore artistic expression and find relief from the stressors associated with shelter life. Through these efforts, participants were able to develop healthy hygiene behaviors, strengthen their academics, and experience joy in a supportive and welcoming space.
Reflections:
Muhammad Hussain: “Spending time at the Red Shield Family Residence gave me a perspective I didn’t know I was missing. I walked in not entirely sure what to expect but quickly realized how layered and complex homelessness really is. It’s not just about lacking a place to sleep, it’s about trying to hold together a sense of stability, dignity, and, most of all, hope in the face of constant uncertainty. In my short time here, I have met families who were doing everything they could just to get by, and yet still showed warmth, humor, and true resilience. What stayed with me most were the small moments of conversations with parents who were doing their best for their kids, or watching children light up playing board games or water coloring to give them a break from the stress of their situation. I found myself thinking not just about what these families need today, but how systems can better support them long-term. This experience didn’t just teach me about homelessness, it reshaped how I think about care, advocacy, preconceived biases, and what it means to truly meet people where they are.”
Nora-Lovette Okwara: “During my time at the Red Cross Family Residence, I witnessed the overwhelming number of challenges that arise when attempting to eliminate systemic barriers to care. Issues of underfunding and understaffing are pervasive throughout public-sector spaces. At the Residence, every employee wears multiple hats. The janitor, for example, is not only responsible for cleaning but also serves as the facilities manager, repairman, confidant, and the glue holding the building together. He mends not only the cracks in the walls but also those in the very foundation of the public systems in which he works. This summer, through my work with the children in the Bright Spaces and Teen Room, I gained a deeper understanding of the structural challenges inherent in public service. This experience has given me a more realistic and informed perspective on how I can best serve this community with humility, intention, and impact.”