Helen Brown Community Center Continues to Touch Lives After 25 Years
The Helen Brown Community Center (HBCC) has been touching the lives of Philadelphians for more than 25 years. Located in the heart of Lower North Philly, HBCC serves as a place where neighbors can meet, learn, celebrate, work together, and utilize a food pantry. Previously, it was the rectory of St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church (1872-1993). After the location was vacant for a number of years, it received a new life with the leadership of the late Miss Helen Brown, a local activist who started offering resources to some of our most vulnerable populations: those facing homelessness, substance use disorder, and poverty.
“Sister Mary wanted to do a recovery residence. She came to this neighborhood and met Miss Helen Brown. Miss Helen helped her forge relationships in the community and helped the community appreciate having a recovery center in the midst of it,” recalled Priscilla Bennett (aka Ms. Tee), who joined Project HOME in 1997. Sister Mary moved to the neighborhood and got to know and developed relationships with the neighbors. The former convent is now St. Elizabeth’s Recovery Residence, and the former rectory is now HBCC.
“I believe that the spirit and love from Miss Helen can still be felt when you walk through the doors. She was a one-woman social service agency,” Ms. Tee emphasizes.
HBCC is the birthplace of education, employment, and healthcare services programs which eventually expanded and now have individual locations, including the Honickman Learning Center Comcast Technology Labs (HLCCTL), and the Stephen Klein Wellness Center (SKWC). The food pantry is still up and running at HBCC. “Right now, our biggest operation here is the food pantry. We are a Philabundance member agency, and we get donations from them every Friday," explains Terry Guerra, community development manager at HBCC. "More recently, we have received donations of organic eggs, poultry, and fresh produce from Carversville Farm Foundation. Periodically, we also get surprise donations such as van loads of peanut butter and Girl Scout cookies, which we shared with other Project HOME residences."
The food pantry continues to be heavily relied on by our fellow neighbors in need. Terry says the need for food has increased astronomically over the last few years. “In fiscal year 2022, we had 400 pantry visits. In fiscal year 2023, we had 1,470 pantry visits. In FY2024, we had 6,000 pantry visits. That’s an almost 400% increase every year for the past three years.” This can be attributed to multiple factors. Terry notes some possibilities, “I think that higher rate of inflation contributes to it, the cuts in the food stamps, no more stimulus checks. The other aspect is we also have better foods, a greater variety, quantity and quality of food thanks to our partnership with Philabundance. A couple of years ago, neighbors requested that the pantry be open to accommodate those who cannot come during regular hours. So, we extended hours on some weekday evenings and two Saturdays each month.”
Many who frequent HBCC find comfort in the feeling of community partnered with a space to help meet their basic needs. Franklin started coming to the food pantry but quickly felt compelled to do more and offered his time to volunteer. “Whatever I can do, I'm going to do it because they deserve it. Whether it’s to sweep or something else. They do whatever they can to help feed me, so it’s only right that I help them," explains Franklin.
Franklin has been homeless for almost three years and understands the challenges of finding programs to support his healing and pathway to permanent housing. Despite this, he is always welcome at HBCC with open arms. “They still open up their doors to me,” says Franklin. “There's not many places that are going to do that. And they don't have to do it, but they do it anyway and that's a blessing.” He learned about HBCC while in a program at SKWC and has been coming here for the past few years. Regardless of what type of day Franklin is having, he appreciates the generosity of the staff and being able to visit or lend a hand. “The people around here are just really a blessing. It's a family-oriented place. There’s no pressure, no discrimination.”
That’s the essence of what Miss Helen Brown sought to create; A place where every member of the community felt wanted and at home. The staff at HBCC continues to support that mission and has new partnerships and programs that supply new varieties of food and services.
“Our job at HBCC is to help improve the quality of life for our neighbors by providing resources for those in need in the community – through the food pantry, informational workshops, street cleanups, community meetings, and community events. HBCC is just one more way by which Project HOME brings to life the power of we," says Terry.
HBCC has continued to flourish and be the beacon of hope Miss Helen Brown dreamt of for the North Philly community. To learn more about their expansive services and growing food pantry, please call (215)-235-3110 or visit Helen Brown Community Center | Project HOME.
