Category: Philly First

“My path from being a 9-year-old boy, a refugee from Vietnam in a family resettled in South Philadelphia, to becoming CEO of SEAMAAC [Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Association Coalition], just seems perfectly fitting for a story of America,” Thoai Nguyen said. “But when I think more deeply upon my life and other people who faced very similar challenges, it could have gone in many different ways.” Nguyen’s sensitivity to the potential outcomes of immigrants is informed both by his personal experiences as well as his leadership of SEAMAAC. The organization’s services, which include education, health care, and community development, are crucial in this moment: In 2023, immigrants comprised 14.3% of U.S. residents, up from 11.19% in 2000. In 2024, Philadelphia’s immigrant population reached an 80-year high. And while poverty in the city is at a 25-year low, housing remains unaffordable and more people are experiencing homelessness than ever before.

The nonprofit is also invested in changing the cultural discourse around immigration. On Jan. 22, 2026, the organization will launch “Indivisible,” a video storytelling project in collaboration with the American Swedish Historical Museum and funded by the William Penn Foundation. “Indivisible” invites Philadelphians to share their family’s immigration experience, connecting their roots to today’s political discourse. “I want people to discover themselves as they’re telling their story,” Nguyen said. “And then in doing so, inspire others to look at their own roots.”

Here, Nguyen shares his roots as a Vietnamese refugee in Philadelphia in the 1970s, and his unique perspective on community outreach, organizing, and where SEAMAAC is headed.

Tell me about your family’s experience coming to the United States. How does that shape the work you do now?

My family was resettled to South Philadelphia in 1975 after uprooting everything we’d known for generations. It really shaped my very early understanding of the world around me.

Because my father worked for the U.S. government for many years while he was in Vietnam, we were prioritized to be airlifted out. We were the first family to land in South Philly in the Seventh Street business corridor, which, at that time, was still a thriving, vibrant business district, primarily for Jewish businesses owned by Jewish families who had survived the Holocaust and I believe that experience made them more compassionate to my family’s plight. At first we were the only Asian family in the midst of working-class Irish, Polish, and Italian immigrants. So for the first four to five years, that was what I knew.

From the late ’70s up until 1985, more Vietnamese refugees began to be resettled there, and then Cambodian, Laotian, ethnic Hmong, ethnic Chinese followed. That caused a lot of racial tension. Being one family, we may not have been a threat, but when you have hundreds of different families speaking six or seven different languages, wearing different clothing, eating different food, practicing different customs, you’re going to push up against the nativist sense of entitlement and turf.

It impacted my understanding of who I am in the context of everything. For the first five years as a refugee, I had a very diverse friend group. I remember playing hockey, soccer, and American football, and our team was really representative of the neighborhood. My older brother and I were the only Asian guys on the team, but we were kind of embraced by the neighborhood. I should say that (and this is not a pat on the back or anything) my dad’s family was fairly wealthy and he was very well-educated and very sophisticated. He spoke four languages — Vietnamese, English, Japanese, and French — fluently. As a result, our upbringing in Vietnam was very urbane.

But the new refugees coming in were not coming from that same sort of social environment. A lot of them came from more agrarian areas, and they had a more difficult time adjusting to the urban neighborhood in South Philly. And while I was accepted into a group of Italian- and Irish-American kids, the reality of identity really hit me. They may not have seen me as different, but I was very much an immigrant. I felt this deep sense of connection with the new refugees, and about the same time, my dad started working for one of the refugee resettlement agencies to help the new refugees entering the neighborhood. When I was 15 or 16 years old, I would start advocating for some of the new refugees when my father was busy at work. They would knock on the door, and I would go out and help them facilitate a discussion with the landlord or the neighbor to get around some sort of cultural misunderstanding.

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How would you describe what SEAMAAC does and why it matters?

We describe the people that we serve as economically, socially, and politically vulnerable communities. The name singles out the Southeast Asian immigrants and refugees because they were part of our original mission. And while we still serve Asian communities, today, our mission statement is really an economic, social, and political-class statement. Depending on the year, 50% of the communities we serve are Black families or families with African ancestry. There have also been a lot of Ukrainians entering Philadelphia in the past five years. So we serve economically- and historically-disenfranchised or vulnerable families of all races and ethnicities. It doesn’t matter who they are, if we have programs or services they need, then they are welcomed.

We also do advocacy, education and organizing work, which is something that was not there before I came to SEAMAAC. I would argue that the quality of our services today is a hundred times better than 20 years ago because our work today is deeply informed by a radical analysis of poverty.

Can you tell me more about that? How do you define radical?

When we say “radical,” we don’t mean people running around arguing to defund the police. We mean “radical” in the sense of its Latin origin, which means “root.” To me, if you boil down the problems faced by the family or community today, the cause of the problems is usually poverty. Debilitating generational poverty. Some of our services are just a band-aid on certain issues. We’re plugging leaks here and there. But to get to the root cause of these issues, we need to get people to think and act strategically, to really think more about who they’re voting for.

How does SEAMAAC engage in community empowerment?

I would say that we don’t do any “empowerment” work because that creates a presumption that we have power to give to people. We really try, instead, to build an environment in which people can find their own voice and agency, then have self-determination in their future. To me that is less about traditional social services than it is about movement building and community organizing. And we’re trying to build really slowly, but steadily.

I’ll give you an example: I sometimes guest lecture at Penn, Jefferson, or Temple. And students are generally really interested in my organizing background and what I did prior to SEAMAAC. And on the surface, that’s the sexy stuff. I was organizing against the police brutality, getting arrested for civil disobedience, and taking over buildings, taking over bridges and tunnels in New York City. But a lot of students will say, “Oh, Mr. Thoai, tell us the most radical thing that you’ve ever done.” And they think that I’m going to talk about the time that I scaled this building to drop a protest banner.

But in reality, the most radical thing that I’ve ever done is finding livable wage jobs for 20 families at one time, where mom and dad got jobs at a hospital system in Philadelphia. And they are now getting paid better than minimum wage and receiving health care coverage for their family from a 40-hour work week. What more radical way can you change a person’s life than doing that? Mom and dad now don’t have to work two jobs, 12 hours a day. They have Saturdays and Sundays free to spend with their family. What is fundamentally better than that?

What gives you hope about the work? What keeps you up at night?

What keeps me up at night is the crisis that’s been building in our democracy over the last 10 months and the fact that working-class Americans are being disenfranchised through the defunding of our public benefits. I’m concerned specifically with how defunding impacts the families SEAMAAC serves. We’ve already taken an $800,000 loss over the previous nine to 12 months. And that affects the lives of the people whom we serve but also the livelihood of our team. In that period, we also lost 15 staff members. So we went from a team of 50 to now 35. Clearly we need more people because requests for service have increased, not decreased.

Our ability to meet the demand is stable for now, but that requires the remaining 35 staffers to work extra hard. And as the CEO, I have to be really careful about them burning out, or worse, for them to say, “I’m done. I can’t do this anymore.” So it’s a real fine line for the nonprofit sector. That’s what keeps me up at night, thinking about the 12 people that I had to lay off over the last six months, I feel terrible. But you can’t sustain this work without hope. I’m sure you’re familiar with Mariame Kaba’s concept that hope is a discipline?

Actually, I’m not.

Her concept is that hope has to be an active verb. When you only hope for something, it does not mean that it will automatically happen, you have to take action day by day to make that hope into a reality.

After more than 20 years leading this organization, what are you most proud of?

I’ve been here long enough, 21 years now, that people are asking me about my legacy. Is my legacy going to be the Wyss Wellness Center that we opened up in collaboration with Jefferson Health? Or is it going to be the South Philly East Community Center that’s scheduled to open in December of 2026? I would say that it’s nothing structural like that, even though I love talking about tangibility.

I think the legacy that I leave for SEAMAAC is the dozens of young activists and organizers that I have the honor of mentoring right now and the dozens that I’ve mentored in the past. If I can instill a sense of compassion and integrity in a quarter of the people who we’ve developed at SEAMAAC, the things that I’ve done in life will have been worth it. Over the past 40 years, I’ve mentored a lot of great people and some have started their own organizations. Some are still doing anti-prison work, anti-death penalty work. I was mentored by some great community organizers, so I am just passing on their knowledge to the next generation of organizers.

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PHILLY QUICK ROUND

What’s your favorite Philly food splurge? The pizza steak at Lazaro’s Pizza.

Favorite Philly small business? I always have to say Stina Pizzeria. It is not just the pizza — it’s the owner and their mission. And he named the restaurant after his wife, Christina. I mean, that’s just lovely.

What do you wish people knew about the people who call Philly home? We are rough around the edges, but we’re for real.

Who’s the greatest Philadelphian of all time? John Coltrane, a genius musician, an amazing civil rights leader. A jazz icon.

Robin Brandies, 56, left a career in international law more than 20 years ago to find purpose and meaning in work that would impact individuals’ lives. Now, as the CEO and president of Jewish Family and Children’s Service (JFCS), she is dedicated to ensuring that vulnerable Philadelphians facing challenges get the help they need with dignity and care. “JFCS is rooted in Jewish values, especially tikkun olam, which is the idea of repairing the world,” Brandies said. “Being a Jewish organization means leading with compassion, inclusion, and service for all.”

With decades of leadership experience in mission-driven organizations, including serving at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and guiding services at Abramson Senior Care, Brandies brings authenticity and pragmatism to her work. Under her stewardship, JFCS serves as a lifeline for individuals and families facing challenges. The organization offers counseling, care management, financial assistance, as well as food, clothing, housing, and social connectivity. JFCS is founded on Jewish values of giving and caring for others and is open to individuals of all faiths.

Here, Brandies shares the experiences that drew her to this work, the people who inspire her daily, and the stories that reveal how JFCS transforms everyday lives.

What experiences led you to dedicate your career to social services?

My background is actually in international law. I spent several years in Washington working at the intersection of law, human rights, and foreign policy. I was drawn to that world because I wanted to make an impact on a large scale. I believed the political realm was where real change could happen.

Over time, I realized that doing good in that context was often buried under layers of politics. I remember sitting in a law firm conference room surrounded by stacks of documents, representing the United Nations in a contract dispute, and thinking: This isn’t it. I wasn’t using the best parts of myself, which are my ability to connect with people, my propensity to build relationships, and to care deeply and personally.

That realization sparked a lot of soul searching. I came to understand that meaningful change doesn’t always have to happen on a global scale. Sometimes it’s just as powerful, maybe even more so, to make a difference close to home. That’s what ultimately led me to this work.

How did you find your way to the organization?

Before joining JFCS, I was the President and Executive Director of Abramson Senior Care, another mission-driven nonprofit that had served low-income seniors for more than 160 years. The former CEO of JFCS and I began discussing the idea of a merger between our two organizations, something that could truly strengthen services for older adults in our community.

I knew pursuing that merger might ultimately mean talking myself out of a job, but I believed it was the right thing to do for the people we serve. A few months into those discussions, [then JFCS’s CEO] Paula Goldstein, announced her retirement from JFCS. The organization launched a national search, and I decided to throw my hat in the ring.

How has your own family, faith, or upbringing influenced the way you lead and serve?

I’ve had close family members face a range of challenges, from LGBTQ+ discrimination to mental health struggles, addiction, and developmental disabilities. Watching people I love navigate such complex systems gave me a very personal understanding of what it means to feel unseen or unsupported.

That perspective has deeply shaped how I lead. It reinforced my belief in the importance of dignity, empathy, and access — the idea that everyone deserves to be met with compassion and respect. Even back in law school, before I knew where my career would lead, I wrote my law review paper on gay adoption. Looking back, the thread of advocacy and inclusion has always been there.

When the work feels heavy, what keeps you grounded and motivated?

It might sound simple, but my family, meditation, and time in nature keep me centered. Being in nature helps me recharge and reminds me of the bigger picture.

What personal values guide your decision-making as a leader?

Authenticity is a big one for me. I’d much rather work with someone who’s direct and real than someone who’s polished but insincere. I also deeply value courage. In past leadership roles, I’ve had to make tough, often unpopular decisions that required doing what was right rather than what was easy. I admire and try to be the kind of leader who leads with both honesty and bravery.

Who are the people who inspire you most?

I’ve been fortunate to have mentors who encouraged me to find my own path. Early in my career, I wasn’t loving my work in international securities law, and my boss — former SEC Chairman Harvey Pitt — gave me incredible support. He allowed me to spend a couple of afternoons a week exploring other interests while keeping up with my responsibilities. That generosity and trust taught me the value of caring mentorship and the courage to explore new directions.

Later, Carol Irvine, the former CEO at Abramson Senior Care, inspired me in a different way. After stepping away from work for several years to focus on my family, I returned to a vice president role. Carol saw my potential and supported me without judgment, valuing commitment and authenticity over my time away. Both of them modeled courage, integrity, and belief in people, values I carry into my own leadership.

How do you define success in your role, for the organization and for yourself?

For me, success has a few dimensions. Professionally, I hope to grow more leaders. True leaders don’t create followers; they create more leaders. I also measure success by how well the organization embraces collaboration and partnership within the community, making the most of limited resources. And finally, I define success by ensuring long-term sustainability, setting JFCS up to serve generations to come.

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What does JFCS provide for families in need that they can’t easily find elsewhere?

JFCS serves as a gateway to a wide range of integrated services, many under one roof. We address mental health, food insecurity, housing, parenting support, school-based programs, and robust older adult services. Often, a client’s challenge isn’t just one thing — it’s interconnected. Our ability to see the full picture and coordinate care in a holistic way is what truly sets us apart. Human beings are complex, and we acknowledge that and take care of their needs in an integrated way.

Can you share a story that captures the spirit or impact of JFCS’s work?

A few weeks ago, I visited JFCS’ mobile basic needs program, Our Closet In Your Neighborhood. What began as a clothing distribution service has grown to offer food and social work support. At each pop-up shop, clients can select clothing in a respectful, dignified way, while a social worker is on hand to address other needs: housing, health care, or guidance. That seamless integration of care really captures what makes JFCS unique.

How does JFCS balance honoring Jewish values with serving a diverse community?

JFCS is rooted in Jewish values, especially tikkun olam, which is the idea of repairing the world. It serves as a call to action, encouraging individuals to address social and economic inequality, and other injustices through acts of kindness and service. But we see that as a universal human value. While we provide a safety net for vulnerable members of the Jewish community, we serve everyone, regardless of belief or background. Being a Jewish organization means leading with compassion, inclusion, and service for all.

What are you most proud of when you look at JFCS today?

I’m proud that JFCS is a trusted gateway organization, a safety net for people in need with a long history of service. I also admire how nimble we’ve been, adapting to changing community needs. Whether facing food insecurity, benefit disruptions, or other challenges, I’m confident this organization will continue to find solutions and support those who rely on us.

What is the biggest challenge on your desk? What is the biggest opportunity?

The biggest challenge is navigating strategic and financial planning in an uncertain funding environment. The biggest opportunity is the JFCS-Abramson merger. By combining our expertise, we can offer a full spectrum of health care, social services, and community support, creating something truly transformative for seniors in need.

What do you wish people understood better about the families and children you serve?

These families aren’t so different from anyone else. They’re just facing different challenges. No one is free of challenges at one time or another. Anyone can find themselves in a tough situation. What matters is how we respond, and the resilience and courage I see every day in the people we serve is remarkable.

When you think about the future, what do you hope your legacy — and JFCS’s legacy — will be?

I hope my legacy is setting JFCS up for longevity and sustainability so the organization can keep helping people for decades to come. I also want to build lasting partnerships and foster a sense that social services transcend political divides. No matter our opinions on politics or policy, almost everyone agrees we should help people in need. That belief that helping others can unite us is really important to me, and I hope it becomes a defining part of JFCS’s identity.

What have you read recently that has been impactful in your thinking?

I recently read David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants, by Malcolm Gladwell, and it really stuck with me. I loved how it highlights the strength and grit people develop when they face challenges. It reminded me that overcoming obstacles can be a source of resilience, and that underdogs often have hidden advantages. It’s a powerful reminder not to underestimate anyone based on appearances or circumstances.

Do you have a mantra you live by?

I’m inspired by Billy Joel’s song, “Vienna.” The idea is simple: Go for what you want, give it your all, and make the most of life’s experiences. But I also love the idea that it’s good to just be here today.

Of course it’s good to strive, to grow, and to have goals. But also balance that with a real appreciation and enjoyment of where you are right now.

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PHILLY QUICK ROUND

What’s your favorite Philly food splurge? Philly pizza! And Philly water ice, especially root beer and vanilla.

Biggest misconception non-locals have about Philly? That it’s all toughness and no softness.

What sports team shirt do you wear most often? The Phillies.

Favorite Philly restaurant? I love the Israeli restaurant Zahav. Especially their hummus!

Favorite Philadelphia-born artist? I am a huge Walt Whitman fan.

When you think of the great Philadelphians in history, who is your GOAT? The signers of the Declaration of Independence.

I feel most like a Philadelphian when… I’m at the Phillies game.

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Lucy Danziger is a journalist, an author, and the former editor-in-chief of Self Magazine, Women’s Sports & Fitness, and The Beet.

The youngest of seven children, Jannette Diaz, 59, grew up a few blocks from Congreso de Latinos Unidos, whose mission is “to enable individuals and families in predominantly Latino neighborhoods to achieve economic self-sufficiency and well-being.” Her professional journey within Congreso spans more than a decade. Before her promotion to chief executive in March 2023, she served for two years as chief experience officer, a role created “to boost the organization’s culture.” Diaz also led the organization’s Health Promotion & Wellness division from 2015 to 2021, overseeing the Congreso Health Center, Esfuerzo HIV/AIDS Program, Latina Domestic Violence Program, East Division Crime Victims Services, and Breastfeeding Program.

Diaz leans into the words “Mi casa es su casa” that appear on a mural near the front door of the nonprofit’s office. “We want folks who come in to feel like they’re coming home,” she said. Her forward-thinking leadership of Congreso’s 200-plus staffers is evident in the organization’s achievements. In the past year, the nonprofit has served nearly 14,000 individuals across education, health, workplace, housing, and parenting and family services. Congreso has been recognized with a Top Workplace Award for seven years running.

Diaz recently served on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Advisory Commission on Women, where she helped identify and advance solutions for aging with dignity across the Commonwealth. Here, Diaz discusses her upbringing and her advice for young leaders.

What experiences led you to dedicate your career to social services?

Growing up, I was always surrounded by family … the essence of learning what community is, the values of giving back, being compassionate — that all shaped me. I got a degree in sociology with a concentration in juvenile and criminal justice.

I have a soft spot for youth, especially those who are challenged or are either in a dependent or delinquent stream in the court system. That sparked my work. It ties back to leading with heart and knowing I’m helping someone else along the way.

How has your upbringing influenced the way you lead Congreso?

I’m the youngest of seven. There was a lot of love in our home, a lot of resilience. Sometimes it was challenging for my parents, but my father was really good at budgeting and ensuring that he tapped into any available services that were in the community if we needed support.

Education was first and foremost, for all of us. This was a requirement. We didn’t know if we could afford college. We had this saying in Spanish, “Todo se resuelve.” We resolve everything. I was able to learn about opportunities to go to school, and I ended up going to college.

I’m still working in the very community we grew up in. Congreso has been around for 48 years. My father knew that he could tap into whatever Congreso was offering for services, but he was also really good at being a connector. In the community, [if] someone came into the grocery store [where he worked] and needed something, he would say, “Hey, there’s that program where they offer this. Hey, go down here — they’ll offer you assistance with your LIHEAP [Low Income Home Energy Assistance].” Those are some of the things I learned from him just by listening to the conversations.

What qualities do you admire in your staffers?

They’re caring individuals. It doesn’t matter where they sit in the organization. They want to help, whether it’s direct services [to clients] or their colleagues. I work really hard with our executive team to create spaces where they feel they have a voice of influence, that we are all leaders in our own right.

We host resource seminars, and sometimes those are just [about] understanding ourselves and [learning about] self-care, [and] psychological safety. The work they do is really heavy. Sometimes it could be triggering. We do hire people from our community. There are folks in the community who know [the] people who are coming in to get service. So we try to be mindful and make sure that we invest in them.

I say to new hires, “Thank you for saying yes to Congreso.”

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Are there particular areas you’re hoping to address in the coming years?

Economic self-sufficiency [and] mobility [are] key for all of us. When we designed our services we wanted to make sure that we took a holistic approach. We have five core pillars [for] programming: education, workforce development, family parenting services, health, and housing.

In the housing space, the team supports individuals with preventing [the] loss of homes, like foreclosures, and also supports them in [what] we call “vital living.” [For instance,] we have a tax support site, and we help bring in over a million dollars back [in refunds] into the community almost every year. [The service] is free for folks on the tax site. We also support folks who want to become first-time homebuyers. We take them through counseling and credit building, and we partner with mortgage lenders and banks. Last year, we had 100 individuals purchase a home for the first time here in Philadelphia — and it’s amazing.

We want to make sure that we are designing and integrating services for greater impact that [will then] scale. Well-being and mental health, we need to explore that. And we don’t have to recreate the wheel; it’s [about] collaboration and partnerships. We have the partnership with PHMC [Public Health Management Corporation]. So what else can we do? We want to strengthen our relationships, and then we want to scale up those programs.

How are you addressing health and education?

One of the greatest assets Congreso has instituted in the past couple of years is to bring a health center on site that we operate in partnership with PHMC that serves over 3,000 patients a year in general medical care [and] preventive care. [We] do it in a way where it’s built into the community, where we’re a trusted partner, and it’s really helpful for folks to get care. We have a small panel of pediatricians, and I would like to expand that, but we’re able to provide [care for everyone] from children to adults.

In education, we provide OST [out-of-school time] services. It’s not just, “Let’s play basketball.” There’s a bit of that, but we have STEM curriculums. We also provide their home tutoring.

The William Penn Foundation supports our work with two schools where we are [supporting] kindergartners through the third grade with Read by 4th, a program that encourages families to read together. We’re [also] going to be [supporting] the students through a homegrown model that we call Éxito, whose goal is to reduce high school dropout rates and increase graduation rates. The data says that when a child is on track by fourth grade, the chances are better for them to succeed in school [longterm].

Federal cuts have meant that many nonprofit organizations are losing funding. Has this affected Congreso?

At this juncture, we are leaning into our reserves. We are heavily government-funded. So we are feeling this every day, compounded by the other [cuts] that are happening nationally with Medicaid and SNAP benefits. This is why it’s so critical to have the ability to fundraise for flexible funding that you can put in reserves and be really fiscally prudent. We did implement a hiring freeze for some roles.

We have some funding from some of our city contracts and feel confident that as long as we are still getting paid by the city, our runway will take us through this calendar year. But we are still looking at different scenarios should this go into 2026, and I’m sure that we’re not the only nonprofit that will be making some really tough decisions at that point.

In 2018 Congreso updated its mission, with outcomes tied to its “womb-to-work” service model. Explain the evolution of its mission since its founding 48 years ago.

It is important that organizations remain agile, remain relevant to their community. We’re here for the community; the community is not here for us. In 2018, we took a look at our mission and a hard look at our data. At that time, we were serving over 17,000 individuals with over 30 programs, and yet only between 10-12% were accessing another service within Congreso. We went on what we now call our “Mission to Impact.” It’s focused on program design, integration, and data, because we need that data to let us know if this is truly working.

The motivation was [someone] needing a service but having to go to five different places. That’s exhausting. We also took a look at who we were serving and how we wanted to make an impact. That’s when we started saying we need to start from [the] “womb to work” [i.e., offer a range of support to people from pre-infancy to adulthood].

Explain Congreso’s human-centered design approach. How has it helped transform program outcomes?

We’re working on becoming a learning institution around innovation. We brought in a consultant who taught us human-centered design [HCD] work. HCD is a problem-solving approach that prioritizes people’s needs, behaviors, and contexts. Congreso applies the technique, called “mapping,” to many of its processes, including intake. We all learned how to map problems. When there’s an issue, we start mapping.

We’ve developed our own Congreso Human Service Design Toolkit to design our services. We use that to facilitate conversations [with] clients to ensure that what they need aligns with what we can provide. We are really, really intentional now about what we say yes to as an organization.

For example, we have multiple workforce development programs and what we’re seeing is folks want to get a certification but sometimes what’s happening in their lives prevents them from doing that. We can have case management services support [them] … so that [they] can then focus on working to get that certification.

What is your greatest wish for the next generation of leaders serving the Latino communities in Philly?

There’s a lot of pressure, now more than ever. Always be rooted in your purpose, even through the most challenging times. It’s okay to adapt, but you don’t have to assimilate.

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PHILLY QUICK ROUND

Favorite Philly restaurant? My Philly cheesesteak [place] is Steve’s and my food [place] is Tierra Colombiana.

You don’t know Philly until you’ve… experienced a live Mummers Parade [on New Year’s Day] and had a real Philly cheesesteak.

What do you wish people knew about the people who call Philly home? Behind our grit, we have a lot of heart and resilience, and we show up for one another.

Favorite Philly artist, performer, musician and/or band? Boyz II Men. “A Song for Mama” was the mother-son dance at my son’s wedding.

What’s one place in Philadelphia everyone should visit? Go up and down North Philadelphia Fifth Street on El Centro de Oro, [the] Golden Block. You will feel and hear (and if you want, taste) the richness of Puerto Rican culture.

You grew up in the North Philadelphia area. What has changed the most and what is still the same? When I look out my window here, I’ll look to one side and see gentrification: the new buildings. When I look to the other side, I see my childhood. I see the bodegas, I hear the honking and the music. I see that richness of community.

George Matysik, executive director of Share Food Program, paced behind a standing desk in his North Philadelphia office. In the background, the hunger relief program’s warehouse was visible through a window. “There are two slogans that we have around here. One is that food is a human right, and the other is that hunger is solvable,” he said. “It should not be a political question whether or not to feed the hungry.”

Founded nearly 40 years ago, Share Food Program provides access to food, education, and advocacy through a partner network of community-based organizations and school districts. A native and current resident of North Philadelphia, Matysik has a long history of service in the area. Here, he talks about his roots in the city, being part of a community, and being called to service.

Walk me through your career journey from Philabundance to the Philadelphia Parks Alliance and now, Share Food Program. What connects all of these roles for you?

As a high school student [at Mercy Career and Technical High School], I would come over and volunteer here at Share Food, and that’s where I got to know my predecessor, Steveanna Wynn. When I graduated with a degree to be an electrician, I also graduated with a much deeper understanding of service.

After graduation, I ended up getting a job at University of Pennsylvania as a janitor. Once I got there, I found out that I could go to school in the evenings … and get my degree in urban studies. I wanted to learn more about how cities work, what nonprofits do in that space, and politics — all of that blending together.

After a chance meeting while cleaning a professor’s office at 6 a.m., I went to work on a congressional campaign [for Joe Sestak]. I worked for him for a couple years when he was a congressman. From there, I met the then-CEO of Philabundance and I started their government affairs department.

I was doing that up through 2014 and then went to work at the Philadelphia Parks Alliance until my predecessor here at Share Food (a mentor from my childhood days) announced that, after 31 years, she was going to be retiring. My first [thought] when I found out was, “God bless a sucker that tries to fill her shoes.” But as I thought more about what Share Food Program means to the community, I [felt] invested in making sure it was able to move forward in an important way. [I] ended up reaching out and getting the job.

How did these experiences shape how you approach food insecurity and your work at Share Food Program?

I’d say I come at this work with the lens of, “How do we alleviate poverty in our city?” But using food as the gateway to be able to do that. It was so important to me to figure out how we, in the richest country in the history of the world, help relieve the poverty that we have. Not only here in Philadelphia, but across the country.

Is it easier to bring people to the political table through food?

Yes, but I would say that it’s bigger than that. It’s about equity and how we can close the gaps between the haves and the have nots. There are so many societal challenges that we deal with — addiction or crime or things like that — where there isn’t one single easy answer. But with our work, it’s actually really easy, and that’s the frustrating part. It’s literally just getting the resources and food to the folks who need it, and that should be an easy thing to do.

But sadly, we are living in a time where the incredible greed within this country has prevented that from happening. And so we have this widening gulf between the haves and the have nots.

Food is one of the great uniters of cultures and people. It’s also a gateway to communicate all of the other services we can use to help pull people out of poverty. So with many of the organizations that we provide our food to, it’s not just, “Here’s your bag of food, see you next week.” It’s more like, “Here’s your bag of food, and here’s an array of other services, education, programming.”

Since you took over in March 2019, Share Food’s staff and cold-storage capacity has grown five-fold. What made that possible?

It wouldn’t have happened without the foundation that my predecessors built here and within the city. In the time that I’ve been here, it’s really been about engaging the broader Share Food community, whether that’s our volunteers, our board, or our staff, who have been the ones to lead all of this. My goal is to bring some of the resources together so that we can do all of that work, but they’re the ones who really have been able to execute it.

There have been setbacks along the way. Some of those have been external threats, like the pandemic or what we’re seeing right now with the federal government pulling resources away from aid organizations.

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Talk to me about how the pandemic changed the way Share helped the community.

The food insecurity rate just exploded in that early part of the pandemic. There were many folks who wouldn’t present as food insecure but felt that way for the first time in their lives because they went to the grocery store and they couldn’t get exactly what they wanted. So many of the folks that we serve live that life every day. The food might be on the shelves, but they can’t afford what’s there.

We were fortunate here at Share. We’d done a $1.5 million food buy in late February in preparation for the pandemic. So while some folks were going to the grocery store and finding empty shelves, our warehouse was bursting at the seams.

And we were really able to quickly react to all of the logistical challenges. In normal times we served about 7,000 seniors in senior centers or senior-only high rises, but by March 2020, many of them closed their doors to the public. So we called those seniors at home, and we said, “Hey, what if we got you a home delivery?” We had our volunteers step forward and start delivering groceries. It grew so much in such a short period of time that we eventually brought DoorDash in as a partner. Now our location here at Share Food is the largest single DoorDash distribution location in the country. That really rapid scaling happened with government support.

How did you see government support evolve?

Throughout the early part of the shutdown, Washington started to handle the health and economic crisis in a bipartisan way: extending unemployment benefits, additional SNAP benefits, and the child tax credit. It was an inspiring example of what can happen when government and nonprofits work together toward the common goal of helping to close that gap again between the haves and the have nots. You had all of these resources go to the folks who we serve and folks that need it the most. By late 2020 and early 2021, we saw the biggest one-year reduction in poverty since 1964, when Lyndon B. Johnson launched the war on poverty.

Sadly, just as this bipartisan unity was helping us get to the root of hunger, it was clear that the economic crisis was staying with us. Washington pulled back so many of those resources. By January 2022, we started to see [poverty] pick up again. It was maybe just a percentage or two [increase] in the first month, but now we’ve seen about 120% increase from 2022 to 2025, because many of those resources have been pulled from folks.

And now on top of that, this year has brought additional cuts to our organization and by extension, the folks we serve. We had about $8.5 million of food and funding eliminated in March from our organization by the USDA under the Trump administration. On top of that, the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill pulled additional resources from SNAP benefits, Medicaid, and other programs. And [the] government shutdown [earlier this year] impacted WIC and SNAP. All of those compounding challenges are really what keep us from being able to do the work in the way that we know it needs to be done. And that’s why we rely so heavily on our community, on our donors to step forward to help fill those gaps at a time when the government’s investment in the working class is receding.

Is there anything you wish people would take away from this collective experience?

When people are using the working class as a political football, ultimately that means that our fellow humans aren’t getting food. And I do wish that we didn’t look at folks as red voters or blue voters, but as human beings. So many in every political spectrum need basic assistance to put food on their table, to put a roof over their heads.

What do you find important about living in the community you serve?

I live within a mile of Share Food. For me, the work that I do here in this neighborhood is all about this community and my home. It matters when one community can come together and show other communities how it can be done.

Change doesn’t happen in Washington — it comes to Washington: it comes from Selma, it comes from Stonewall, it comes from Ferguson, it comes from small communities that folks might not have even known about until they organized.

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PHILLY QUICK ROUND

What’s your favorite Philly food splurge, and where do you get it? Georgian Bread up in the Northeast. When I go there, I order everything on the menu.

Favorite Philly small business? Uncle Bobbie’s is the bookshop that I frequent the most.

What sports team do you root for? I would say the Sixers are my “live and die.” The Phillies are a very close second.

What do you wish people knew about the people who call Philly home? I think we get a rap for being a little tough; we are actually, deep down, kindhearted people that care.

Who’s the greatest Philadelphian of all time? I’m reading a lot about the Reconstruction Era in Philadelphia right now, and Octavius Cato was a young Black man who was an incredible athlete and political organizer who was murdered on Election Day in mid-October 1871 for [his] organizing work.

Who is your favorite Philadelphia born artist or performer? Ram Squad was my [favorite] hip hop group growing up. They were North Philly, and that was just raw ’90s Philly hip hop, and I loved them.

What do you do for fun around Philly? I eat a lot of food and then I try to run off the calories.

Do you have a mental health run recommendation? Forbidden Drive in Wissahickon Trail.

What is one place in or around Philadelphia you wish everyone would visit at least once? Independence Hall. I’m going to get emotional if I elaborate too much. I think that the two founding documents that were written in Independence Hall are more important now than they ever have been. And I think it is a wonderful opportunity for a reminder for all Americans of what this country truly was founded on.

The former state representative, lawyer, and longtime community advocate Donna Bullock is now leading one of Philadelphia’s most respected nonprofit organizations, Project HOME. Named its president and CEO in July 2024, Bullock brings lived experience and a deep sense of justice to the organization’s mission of eradicating homelessness. The child of a single mother, she grew up relying on the network of local church soup kitchens in New Brunswick, N.J. “But my mom and grandmother taught me something powerful there, not just how to receive help, but how to give back,” she said. “I may have gone there for a meal, but I also had to wash dishes, help a senior. That sense of community responsibility has always stayed with me.”

Founded in 1989, Project HOME has built more than 1,000 units of supportive housing, manages more than $150 million in net assets, and has become a national model for holistic solutions to homelessness. In this conversation, Bullock reflects on the legacy she has inherited, the systems she hopes to shift, and the very personal stories that shape her leadership.

Project HOME was founded in 1989. How is the landscape different than it was 36 years ago? What does the cause of ending homelessness look like now?

We remain true to the founding vision of our co-founders [Sister Mary Scullion and Joan Dawson McConnon]: none of us are home until all of us are home. When we look at that statement, it’s really this commitment that we have to our fellow human beings, to see them as our brothers, and sisters, and neighbors, and fellow Philadelphians. Our work doesn’t end until we can really say that everybody is home and that we all have a role in the work it takes to solve homelessness.

That also remains true: we still believe we can solve homelessness. We can do that. It will require everyone to play their part.

The founders of Project HOME and the folks doing this work 20, 30, 40 years ago really believed we could achieve functional zero homelessness in Philadelphia. They were on track to doing that. But what they could not expect was a pandemic. They could not expect the opioid crisis. And they could not expect the scale of the affordable housing crisis. These three national, if not global, issues have deeply impacted housing and homelessness here and across the country.

In the 1990s, Project HOME fought a four-year legal battle that culminated in a landmark Fair Housing victory, securing the right to build supportive housing at 1515 Fairmount. Over the years, the organization has also built a holistic model of care. How will the organization’s legacy continue under your leadership?

Sister Mary and Joan, our founders, built this amazing organization with a deep understanding: to address homelessness at its roots, we have to address housing, employment opportunities, medical care, and education. We will continue that. We will continue to build supportive housing, provide services, and support individuals on their journeys, through recovery and into stability.

We’ve also always remained on the front lines. We’ve always been an advocate, and we’ll continue to be one. I believe the skillset I bring as a legislator and as a lawyer, with experience in both city council and Harrisburg, will only amplify and support the legacy I’ve inherited. That means being a voice for those in our care, those at the core of our mission, especially now as we navigate policies from the federal government, HUD, and the Department of Health, that will impact the people we serve on a very personal level.

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You were raised by a single mom. You’ve experienced some of the very issues you’re now helping others navigate. How did your upbringing shape your worldview?

Those lived experiences absolutely shaped my sense of justice and community obligation.

My family relied on resources like the local soup kitchen in New Brunswick. I watched that soup kitchen evolve too. It was once just different churches offering meals on different days. But in the ’80s, around the same time Project HOME was founded, they came together, formed a nonprofit, created a central location, coordinated the schedule, and started offering meals seven days a week. That showed me the power of nonprofits when they work together in the best interests of the people they serve.

And that’s what I want to carry forward. No matter where we go next, we keep the people we serve at the center of our decisions.

You studied criminal justice at Rutgers and earned your law degree at Temple. You could have taken different paths. Why law?

Honestly, I was a very naive young person who wanted to change the world. I thought, law school is how I’ll do that.

And I did well: I got good grades in tax law, property law. But I took a class called “Law and Community,” and one of my classmates worked at Project HOME. We talked about their work in the 19121 ZIP code. I was planning to move into that same community.

When I graduated, I asked myself, “How am I going to change the world with corporate law?” That’s when I found my niche supporting nonprofits and small businesses as a legal services attorney. I helped make sure they stayed compliant and stable, because they were providing critical resources to the community. It was a way for me to give back what I always believed didn’t belong to me: my law degree belonged to the community.

That work exposed me to leaders like [Philadelphia city] council president [Darrell] Clarke and others, and it led me into public service. Eventually I was working with organizations like Project HOME from the outside. Now I get to work with them, and lead them, from the inside.

In a past interview you said you “took the leap” in 2015, and ran for political office, eventually winning a special election to represent Pennsylvania’s 195th district in the state House of Representatives. What compelled you to leap?

I’ve always answered the call to service. Did I plan to run for office? No.

But a few people came to me and said: “You should consider this. You’re the right fit.” I gave it a lot of thought. I had been hosting a women of color leadership breakfast at my house every year, encouraging other women to run. When this opportunity came up, many of them looked at me and said, “Donna… it’s your turn.”

What is it like to run for and hold office?

It’s a vulnerable position to be in. But because I was led by service, it didn’t feel like I was putting myself in the spotlight. It was a shift, of course — personally for family, and professionally for my career — because it wasn’t the direction I was going. But it was an amazing detour. I was able to bring in my skillset as a lawyer and as an advocate into this legislative space, see the issues that I was passionate about on a statewide level, and advocate for those issues with folks who weren’t as aligned. Being on that stage in Harrisburg really helps you to become a stronger advocate for issues that are really important for you. You have to work a little harder to see where other folks are coming from and try to reframe those same issues so you can get buy-in.

Yes, it becomes about consensus building.

Yes. I spent time across the state meeting folks in their district. “What does this legislation look like in your district? Well, now I understand why you don’t support it. Let me show you what it looks like in my district, and maybe we can find a way to get to the middle.” That coalition building is so important, and I think has helped already in the work that I’m doing here at Project HOME.

You’ve said, “There are many challenges, but you don’t overcome them. You accept them, embrace them, and use them to effectuate change.” That’s a powerful reframing. What’s a moment in your career where that philosophy took hold?

There was a moment in Harrisburg when there had been a series of shootings in my district. Young people had lost their lives to gun violence. I stood on the House floor and talked about it, not just as a legislator, but as a mother of two Black boys in North Philadelphia.

I talked about what it meant to walk my children past blocks with candles and teddy bears. I didn’t want to just argue the policy; I wanted them to understand the experience. My colleagues had met my boys. I wanted them to understand that these weren’t abstract lives; these were our kids. While it didn’t move the legislation, it did bring more people to the table to say, “I need to understand this.” There were a couple of colleagues who met with me separately. With one in particular, we started having regular coffee meetings to talk about the differences in our districts and in the things that our constituents wanted.

And that’s the power of storytelling. Whether it’s on the House floor of the state capitol, through the media, social media, in a small group, or just a conversation that one of our residents may have with somebody else, storytelling can really move people. It can move legislation, policy, and resources.

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PHILLY QUICK ROUND

Favorite Philly food indulgence: It’s got to be water ice, right? My favorite water ice is the neighborhood spot called King’s in Strawberry Mansion.

Favorite Philly small business: Everybody needs a spa day. My favorite is a Black woman-owned spa in Brewerytown called Remedy Spa & Wellness. I’ve been going to [owner Cari Young’s] spa for years. Back when I was a state representative, she would host Black women’s business roundtables there. Even when I didn’t have a spa appointment, she would let me just sit in the space. Even her lobby had that sense of relaxation, Zen, and getaway, and I always appreciated that.

Sports teams you love or root for: I’m at Project HOME, so it’s got to be the Phillies. [The Phillies are a Project HOME partner.]

Greatest Philadelphian of all time: Marian Anderson. Just for what she stood for at the time. Standing firm in her art form, but also in advocacy and what she meant to the community, and her grace and beauty in doing it.

What do you wish people knew about the folks who call Philly home? We got grit. But we are also just a loving group of folks. Everybody’s welcome. What I love about Philly is once you become family, they just welcome you with open arms. We may be a little aggressive with the love. But it’s love.