Red Shield Family Residence
Title: 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
“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.”
Muhammad Hussain
“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.”
Nora-Lovette Okwara