[RELEASE] Project HOME Announces New Initiative in Ongoing Partnership with Wawa to Collect Donations at Local Wawa Stores to Help Break the Cycle of Homelessness in Philadelphia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Annette jeffrey
T 215.232.7272 x3063
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Organizations expand and extend partnership to benefit shared community to increase affordable housing for formerly homeless individuals in recovery, specifically Project HOME’s Maguire Residence in Kensington

PHILADELPHIA, PA (Feb. 4, 2019) – Project HOME announced today an expanded partnership with Wawa and The Wawa Foundation, Inc., the 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation founded to support Wawa's charitable giving, to raise money focused on combatting homelessness and poverty in the city of Philadelphia. Beginning on February 4, Wawa will promote and accept donations for Project HOME from customers in store at 14 Wawa locations in the Center City area. The Wawa Foundation has pledged to match the first $25,000 donated by Wawa customers.

"Wawa has been an incredible partner in our journey to end chronic street homelessness in Philadelphia,” said Sister Mary Scullion, Project HOME co-founder and Executive Director. “We're so grateful that they've picked us as an organization to support in their stores, it is much needed at this time of year as temperatures drop and needs rise across the city.”

Wawa currently partners with Project HOME to provide all coffee served at the Hub of Hope, the walk-in engagement center located in the concourses under Two Penn Center in Suburban Station. Under this new initiative, Wawa will accept donations of $1, $3 or $5 increments in 14 stores throughout their Center City Philadelphia operating area. Money raised will help fund Project HOME’s work to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty in Philadelphia through affordable housing, employment, healthcare and education. Specifically, the funds raised will go toward Project HOME’s Maguire Residence in Kensington as part of their recovery initiative. While Project HOME has delivered this kind of specialized support to countless Philadelphians for decades, they will now be able to focus recovery services in the area of our city most impacted by this crisis – Kensington.

“The entire Wawa family is so inspired by the powerful work Project HOME does in our home town, and we’re committed to doing our part to provide long-term solutions to one of the greatest issues facing our city and our nation,” said Dave Simonetti, Sr. Director of Store Operations for Wawa. “We’re proud to help support Project HOME and its Maguire Residence through Wawa and The Wawa Foundation by connecting our generous and committed customers to its critical mission and by matching funds raised.”

Once completed, the Maguire Residence will have 42 apartments for formerly homeless individuals who have built up recovery time and who will benefit most from permanent supportive housing in a community focused on recovery. Residents will have access to on-site employment services and paid apprenticeships to assist individuals with limited work experience, on-the-job coaching, skill development, and the support needed for ongoing housing stability. This redoubled focus is all made possible by MPOWER, which leverages Project HOME’s powerful network of people and ideas to multiply their impact.

About MPOWER
MPOWER is a Project HOME Community Investment Partnership drawing on a powerful network of people and ideas that multiplies Project HOME’s impact in five key areas: investments, relationships, resources, advocacy, and evidence. In just five years, the partnership’s impact multiplier model has leveraged $25 million into $250 million which has helped to provide services to more than 15,000 people, including ending chronic street homelessness for more than 1,000 people.

About Project HOME
Since 1989, Project HOME has helped thousands of people break the cycle of homelessness and poverty by providing a continuum of care that includes street outreach, supportive housing, and comprehensive services that focus on health care, education and employment through both adult and youth education and enrichment programs at the Honickman Learning Center and Comcast Technology Labs and community-based health care services at the Stephen Klein Wellness Center. Of the ten largest cities, Philadelphia has the highest poverty rate, but the fewest number of people living on the streets. Project HOME seeks to make Philadelphia the first major city to end and prevent chronic street homelessness. To learn more, visit www.projecthome.org.

About Wawa, Inc.
Wawa, Inc., a privately held company, began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th Century, owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, PA in 1902. The milk business was a huge success, due to its quality, cleanliness and “certified” process. As home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, George’s grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 as an outlet for dairy products. Today, Wawa is your all day, every day stop for freshly prepared foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services and surcharge-free ATMs. A chain of more than 830 convenience retail stores (over 600 offering fuel), Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington D.C. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as custom prepared hoagies, freshly-brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, specialty beverages and an assortment of soups, sides and snacks. In 2018, Wawa was recognized in Forbes as one of The Best Employers for New Grads and one of the The Best Employers for Women, and the Top Rated Workplace for Veterans by Indeed. Wawa was also designated as a 2018 Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. In 2017 Wawa was the recipient of a Silver Plate Award in the category of Retail & Specialty Foodservice by the International Foodservice Manufacturers’ Association during their 63rd Annual Award Event.

About The Wawa Foundation
The Wawa Foundation is an extension of Wawa’s commitment to making the world a better place by fulfilling customers’ lives every day. The Wawa Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation founded by Wawa, Inc. to support the company’s charitable giving and philanthropic activities – and ultimately to help build happier, stronger communities.  The Wawa Foundation focuses its support on organizations committed to health, hunger and everyday heroes through local, regional and national grants and in-kind donations. Since 2014, Wawa and The Wawa Foundation have donated more than $60 million to causes supporting health, hunger and the heroes who serve our communities every day.