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  • How Share Food Program is Leveling the Playing Field

    How Share Food Program is Leveling the Playing Field

    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.

    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.

    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.

  • Quinta Brunson wants thousands of Philly kids to have free school field trips

    Quinta Brunson wants thousands of Philly kids to have free school field trips

    Quinta Brunson wants you to dig into your pocket to make free field trips possible for Philadelphia students.

    The actor, writer, and comedian — along with Philadelphia School District officials and the leader of the district’s nonprofit arm — announced the “Quinta Brunson Field Trip Fund” on Tuesday.

    The Quinta Brunson Field Trip Fund

    District teachers and administrators will be able to apply for money for field trips by completing a short application subject to evaluation by an independent, internal group of educators. Field trip grants will be made twice a year.

    Brunson, of Abbott Elementary fame, grew up in West Philadelphia and spent time in district and charter schools. She named her smash-hit TV show, now in its fifth season, for Joyce Abbott, her sixth-grade teacher at Andrew Hamilton Elementary.

    Field trips — including ones Abbott’s class sold hoagies to pay for — were a seminal part of her Philly education, Brunson said in a statement.

    Meet the Philly teacher who’s namesake for Quinta Brunson’s ‘Abbott Elementary’

    “They opened my world, sparked my creativity, and helped me imagine a future beyond what I saw every day,” Brunson said. “Going somewhere new shows you that the world is bigger and more exciting than you believe, and it can shape what you come to see as achievable. I’m proud to support Philadelphia students with experiences that remind them their dreams are valid and their futures are bright.”

    “Abbott Elementary” star Quinta Brunson watches the Phillies play the Atlanta Braves during a taping of the show in Philadelphia in August.

    Every Abbott Elementary season has featured a field trip episode, including visits to Smith Playground, the Franklin Institute, and the Philadelphia Zoo. Brunson’s fund “will remove the financial barriers that too often limit our children’s access to these enrichment opportunities,” officials for the Fund for the School District of Philadelphia said.

    The GivingTuesday launch kicked off with an unspecified donation from Brunson herself.

    Kathryn Epps, president and CEO of the Fund for the School District of Philadelphia, said getting students out of their classrooms is crucial.

    “We are honored to partner with Quinta to expand these experiences for children in Philadelphia’s public schools, helping them to envision and realize any future they desire,” Epps said.

    Tony B. Watlington Sr., Philadelphia School District superintendent, said he was grateful to Brunson.

    “We want our students to venture out and bridge what they’re learning in the classroom to engaging, real-world learning experiences,” Watlington said. “This commitment to equitably expanding opportunities for students to have experiences outside of their classroom will help accelerate student achievement and we are becoming the fastest improving, large urban school district in the nation.”

  • Joan Shepp named one of the best clothing shops in the country by the New York Times

    Joan Shepp named one of the best clothing shops in the country by the New York Times

    Ellen Shepp woke up on Monday morning to the fantastic news that Joan Shepp, her mother’s eponymous clothing boutique, made the New York Times’ list of 50 Best Clothing Stores in America.

    Talk about a great kick off to the holiday shopping season.

    “I’m honored, proud, and excited,” Ellen Shepp said Monday morning. “I mean … I’m really over the moon.”z

    Walking into a great clothing store, New York Times cultural trend reporter Steven Kurutz said, is like being “transported to a different world.” It “will make you think about who you are — and may change that perspective in real time.”

    The interior of Joan Shepp at 1905 Walnut St. The 53-year-old store made the New York Times’ list of “50 Best Clothing Stores in America.”

    And yes, walking into Rittenhouse Square’s Joan Shepp does feel like stepping into a sartorial fairytale, which you can leave holding a Yohji Yamamoto hoodie that doubles as a dress, or a perfectly tailored asymmetrical shirt dress from Sacai New York.

    Everything is dreamy, but nothing comes cheap.

    Back in the 1970s, Shepp opened her store to challenge the way the suburban career woman dressed in Philly and introduced her to designer wear, from Yohji Yamamoto to Maison Margiela. One of the earliest entrepreneurs to embrace the store-within-a-store approach to retail, Shepp made space for collections like Yamamoto’s Y-3 and Donna Karan’s Urban Zen.

    The clothing sold alongside furniture, bedding, and candles, making Joan Shepp one of the region’s earliest concept boutiques.

    Joan Shepp founded the store in 1971. She was a 30-year-old single mother of two young children in need of a flexible work schedule that allowed her time for school pickup and drops, to help her daughters with homework, and make them dinner.

    Joan Shepp and her daughter Ellen Shepp, shown here in their Center City store.

    “I have so much fun finding things that are new,” she said to The Inquirer in 2022. “I listen to everyone who comes into my store. I watch them go through the racks. And whether/if they are a customer or a person who wants to open a store down the street, I can pick up on it.”

    Hers is the only store on the Times list from the Philly region.

    The closest is 7017 Reign in Fort Lee, N.J., described by the Times as an “under the radar, street and high fashion” specialty store. There are a handful of stores from downtown New York, but most are in the Midwest and California.

    To produce the list, the Times team selected 120 stores, and then sent reporters, editors, and contributors to visit each of them, sometimes more than once.

    A videographer visited Joan Shepp in early fall, shortly after the store moved to its new home at 1905 Walnut St.

    Noting that Joan Shepp has been in business for more than 50 years — the specialty boutique is in the midst of celebrating its 53rd year — Kurutz wrote “Shepp has flavors of Barneys New York in its heyday.”

    The Barney comparison wowed Ellen Shepp. Christmas had no doubt arrived early for the boutique owner and her team.

    “The whole time they were like, ‘Listen we don’t know whether/if you made this list,’” she said. “They kept it a mystery until right this second.”

    Joan Shepp is located at 1905 Walnut St.

  • Reinvesting in Community

    Reinvesting in Community

    A U.S. Navy veteran with a background in financial services, Citadel Credit Union president and CEO Bill Brown has made it his goal to ensure that Citadel is a trusted partner to its members who, as collective owners of the credit union, are more than just customers. The organization is focused on helping them improve their financial well-being and plan for a stronger financial future.

    Under his leadership, Citadel is expanding its presence across the greater Philadelphia region, with new branches like its upcoming Overbrook Park location, new partnerships, and a renewed focus on small business growth, financial education, and community empowerment. “I have a firm belief that people deserve a financial institution that cares about giving them a better experience and improving their financial well-being,” Brown said. “That’s exactly why I chose Citadel and what we’ll continue to prioritize.”

    Brown’s approach to leadership is rooted in creating partnerships that have impact. His vision for Citadel’s future is clear: create opportunities and help strengthen financial wellness for individuals, families, and businesses throughout the region.

    In this Q&A, Bill Brown talks about what inspires him and how Citadel’s mission of “Building Strength Together” shapes its work in Philadelphia and beyond.

    What inspired you to take on the role at Citadel?

    It was a chance to bring my experience in financial services to a not-for-profit organization. We have the opportunity to help individuals improve their financial lives. And as a result of helping those people, Citadel can strengthen their communities. That really appealed to me. It was a way to return to service, but this time through finance, helping families build financial stability and opportunity.

    Coming back to this region felt a bit like coming home. My wife and I first lived here years ago, near Rittenhouse Square, and we absolutely fell in love with Philadelphia — the energy, the people, the neighborhoods. Our son was born here, so the city has always held a special place in our hearts.

    You’re a U.S. Navy veteran who served at the Pentagon and as a naval flight officer. How has your military experience shaped your leadership style and approach to teamwork?

    Early in my military career, I learned an important lesson: rank matters, but it doesn’t automatically earn you trust and confidence. Those have to be earned. That idea has stayed with me throughout my career in banking, financial services, and now at Citadel.

    What really matters is that our employees feel they’re working with leaders who care, who have their best interests at heart, and who have a clear vision for how we can serve our members and communities. That comes directly from my time as a Naval Flight Officer. On a crew with people from all walks of life, you learn quickly that leadership isn’t about giving orders. It’s about communication, trust, and shared purpose. You explain the mission, you invite input, you listen. When people understand why we’re doing something and feel part of the process, they’re far more engaged and committed.

    You’ve led a variety of large financial organizations. What makes a credit union different from a bank?

    What makes credit unions different is their purpose. A credit union is a not-for-profit financial cooperative. We exist to serve our members, not shareholders.

    Credit unions began in the 1930s, when many people felt overlooked by traditional banks. Groups of employees and community members pooled their money to help one another, lending to coworkers, neighbors, and small businesses. That spirit still defines us today.

    In a publicly traded bank, the board’s fiduciary responsibility is to shareholders. Of course, banks care about their customers and communities, but their primary duty is to deliver shareholder value. At a credit union like Citadel, our responsibility is to our members, the people who trust us with their money.

    That perspective shapes every decision we make: the products we offer, how we serve, and how we give back. For example, through programs like our Home Help grants and small-business lending, we reinvest profits back into our members’ goals. We still must be financially sound and well-run, but our measure of success is how well we help our members and communities thrive.

    What drives you in your leadership of Citadel?

    What drives me is helping others find the same opportunities I’ve been fortunate to have. I don’t think of myself as particularly gifted or special. What’s helped me succeed is my ability to connect with people and bring them together. I want to create an environment where others can do the same, where they feel empowered to take chances and build fulfilling careers.

    When we help our employees grow professionally, that confidence and purpose often carry over into their personal lives, and that ripple effect is meaningful to me.

    When it comes to our members, my deeper purpose is helping people achieve financial well-being. To me, that’s not about wealth or status. It’s about peace of mind. It’s the ability to sleep at night knowing you’re on solid financial footing, that you’re making informed decisions for your family and your future. Not everyone has access to the same financial knowledge or resources. That’s where Citadel can make a difference, by filling those gaps, educating, and empowering people to feel in control of their finances.

    That same mindset extends to how we support our communities. One of the programs I’m most proud of is the Citadel Heart of Learning Award, which recognizes teachers who make an extraordinary impact on students’ lives. Teachers shape futures, often without much recognition or financial reward, so honoring their work feels deeply aligned with our mission. The awards we give may not change a school’s budget, but they can fund that next project or help one teacher make a difference for 30 kids in their classroom.

    Beyond education, we focus on areas like food security, housing, and financial literacy — the essentials that help people live stable, dignified lives. We can’t solve every issue, but we can partner with others to help move the needle.

    Citadel’s tagline, “Building Strength Together,” reflects its commitment to investing in members and communities. What does this actually look like day to day?

    When we talk about “Building Strength Together,” it’s more than a tagline; it’s our mission and how we measure success. I think of it as a lattice, an interconnected network of programs, partnerships, and volunteer efforts that reinforce one another. It’s not one single initiative; it’s the combined effect of many people and organizations working together to create a stronger safety net for our members and our communities.

    Because we’re a not-for-profit, member-owned credit union, our business model lets us reinvest directly in our members. That means consistently offering higher rates on savings and deposits and lower rates on loans compared to traditional banks. The difference is that instead of profits going to shareholders, the value goes right back to our members.

    We also invest heavily in digital tools and products that make banking simpler and more rewarding, things like higher cash-back cards, better digital experiences, and financial education resources. And through our wealth management division, we help people make informed, long-term decisions about their money, whether they’re rolling over a 401(k), starting an IRA, or planning for retirement.

    At the end of the day, “Building Strength Together” means making life a little easier for our members and stronger for our communities, one financial decision at a time.

    Citadel is expanding its presence into Philadelphia with new branches and initiatives. What is the goal with this growth?

    As we expand into Philadelphia with our first branch location in Overbrook Park, our focus isn’t on creating programs just for the sake of visibility. We want to partner with the best local nonprofits and community organizations, bringing our time, talent, and resources to support the great work that’s already making an impact.

    Our goal is simple: educate and empower people. That’s why we formalized our philanthropy group over the past year: to make our efforts more intentional and effective. As we grow, we aim to uplift the programs and people already doing great work. We’ve already committed more than $6 million in community lending and housing-access programs, and that work will continue citywide.

    Citadel recently became an authorized Small Business Administration lender and expanded its commercial banking services. How does supporting small businesses fit into your vision for community development and economic equity?

    Becoming an SBA lender to small businesses helps not just one business, but an entire community. We aim to empower small business owners, and we support them in every way, including educating them on operations and how to handle payroll and other aspects of running a successful business. We are helping bridge gaps in access to credit, financial literacy, and overall financial wellness for individuals and businesses.

    Who in your personal life inspires you to be the leader you are today?

    My kids inspire me every day. My son has a real passion for running, a test of will and perseverance that he didn’t get from me. And my daughter has been an incredible dancer since she was little — so fluid and creative. Watching them dedicate themselves to their passions is both humbling and inspiring.

    What do you do with a few hours of free time?

    My free time is sacred, and I spend it with my wife at our kids’ events whenever I can. Vacations are also important for us as a family, a chance to get away and reconnect. Skiing in the mountains is my favorite getaway because it’s family time. [It’s] a chance to disconnect from everything else. Those chairlift rides are some of my favorite moments to talk with the kids or just enjoy the view.

    I even use the idea in business: When I’m looking for people to join our team, I think about the kind of person I’d enjoy being stuck on a chairlift with for 30 minutes. If we can connect there, they’re probably the kind of person who’ll thrive on our team.

    PHILLY QUICK ROUND

    What’s your favorite Philly food splurge? My wife and I love a special dinner at Giuseppe & Sons. Sunday gravy is a must!

    Favorite small business in Philly? Salty Paws Philly on South Street.

    What’s the biggest misconception non-locals have about Philly? We have a reputation for being tough, but once you crack through the exterior, we’re really soft and gooey on the inside.

    What sports jersey do you wear most often? It just so happens that I got number 11, A.J. Brown [of the Eagles], because I can wear my last name!

    Who is the greatest Philadelphian in history? Nancy Johnson. She invented the hand-cranked ice cream machine in the 1850s. And really, who doesn’t love ice cream?

    I feel most like a Philadelphian when … I am packed in on the train, down in South Philly, with everyone else who’s coming back from a sporting event.

  • How Chestnut Hill’s main street is staying relevant in the Amazon era

    How Chestnut Hill’s main street is staying relevant in the Amazon era

    At lunchtime on a Thursday, a week before Thanksgiving, Chestnut Hill was buzzing.

    Inside the newly expanded Matines Café, almost every table was full. People sipped warm drinks from large mugs and ate Parisian croissants and quiche. Bottles of prosecco sat on ice by one large table adorned with Happy Birthday balloons.

    McNally’s Tavern was bustling, too, with regulars sitting at the bar and at tables inside the cozy, nearly 125-year-old establishment atop the hill. Multiple generations gathered — a son taking a father out to lunch, a mother with a baby in a stroller, and two sisters, Anne and Meg McNally, running the place.

    Behind the storefronts along Germantown Avenue’s main drag, some people perused the boutiques, while others typed away on laptops in coffee shops.

    In the northwest Philadelphia neighborhood known for its wealth and postcard-picturesque aesthetic, the small-town charm of longstanding establishments — four are more than 100 years old — is now complemented by the shine of some newer shops and restaurants. Several Chestnut Hill business owners said the variety has helped both old and new spots succeed despite broader economic challenges, including inflation and tariffs, and the loss of a few restaurants.

    A view down Germantown Avenue from the Chestnut Hill SEPTA Regional Rail station.
    The closed Iron Hill Brewery is shown in downtown Chestnut Hill on Nov. 19.

    As the owner of Kilian Hardware, which has been in business for 112 years, Russell Goudy Jr. has watched the avenue change. Fifty years ago, he said it was “basically like a shopping mall,” a one-stop shop for everyday needs.

    In recent years, however, the neighborhood has focused on attracting and retaining unique food and beverage businesses, “quaint, specialty shops,” and service-oriented businesses, which Goudy said offer experiences Amazon and other e-commerce platforms can’t replicate.

    “If you’re not giving people an experience in today’s economy, it’s very tough to compete,” said Nicole Beltz, co-owner of Serendipity Shops, which for a decade has had an expansive store on Germantown Avenue. And providing a memorable experience is never more important than during the lucrative last few months of the year.

    “When you come to Chestnut Hill over the holidays, you get what you came for,” Beltz said. “You get that charming feeling of being somewhere special for the holiday.”

    People walk by holiday decor outside Robertson’s Flowers & Events in Chestnut Hill earlier this month.

    ‘New vitality’ coming to the Chestnut Hill restaurant scene

    During the holidays and all year long, Chestnut Hill business owners said they’re grateful that the neighborhood has held onto its charm despite recent challenges.

    During the pandemic, “it definitely felt a little grim and dark,” said Ann Nevel, retail advocate for the Chestnut Hill Business District. “The impressive thing is the old-timers, the iconic businesses, and some of the newer restaurants … pretty much all were agile enough to tough it out.”

    And a slew of other businesses have moved into the community since then. In the last four years, 20 retail shops, 20 service businesses, and 10 food and beverage spots opened in Chestnut Hill, Nevel said, while several existing establishments expanded.

    Among them was Matines Café, which opened a small spot on Bethlehem Pike in 2022 and expanded this fall to a second, much larger location on Highland Avenue. The café serves 500 people or more on weekdays, according to its owners, and even more on weekends.

    Sitting inside their original location, which is now a cozy children’s café, Paris natives Amanda and Arthur de Bruc recalled that they originally thought they’d open a café in Center City, where they lived at time. Then, they visited Chestnut Hill and fell in love, despite “a lot of empty spots” there around 2022, Amanda de Bruc said.

    A colorful storefront along Germantown Avenue in Chestnut Hill.

    “We liked the idea of living in the suburbs, which technically Chestnut Hill is not the suburbs, because it’s still Philly,” she said. But “we were looking for something that we were more used to, like Paris. There are so many boutiques in such a small area,” and everything is walkable.

    The opening of shops and cafés like Matines became a “catalyst for this new vitality, a new, more contemporary energy that has taken hold in Chestnut Hill,” Nevel said. Soon, “we’re going to see that new vitality in the restaurant scene,” including in some long-vacant storefronts.

    In 2026, former Four Seasons sommelier Damien Graef is set to open a wine bar, retail store, and fine-dining spot called Lovat Square off Germantown Avenue, Nevel said. On the avenue, a café-diner-pub concept called the Blue Warbler is under construction and also slated to open sometime next year.

    Kilian Hardware in Chestnut Hill has been in business for 112 years.

    In downtown Chestnut Hill, there are still a few empty spots, including those left by Campbell’s Place, a popular restaurant that closed this summer; Diamond Spa, which closed this fall; Iron Hill Brewery, which closed in September (right before the regional chain filed for bankruptcy); and Fiesta Pizza III, which closed last year.

    Kismet Bagels, a popular local chain, was set to fill one of the spots this summer, but its deal fell through, co-owner Jacob Cohen said in a statement. He said they could “revisit the Chestnut Hill neighborhood” in the future.

    While the future of Iron Hill will be dictated by bankruptcy proceedings — which include an auction of assets set for next month — stakeholders say conversations are ongoing about some of the other vacancies.

    Shuttered Iron Hill breweries sit empty across the Philly area. What will become of them?

    Steve Jeffries, who is selling the Campbell’s building for $1.5 million, said he’s gotten a lot of interest from people who want to revive the nearly 3,000-square-foot space as a neighborhood pub, but one that is “more cutting edge.” Perhaps, he said, one that is not focused on craft beer, which has decreased in popularity, especially among younger generations.

    “The town is just screaming for other opportunities for nightlife and sports bars,” said Jeffries, executive vice president of Equity CRE. “There has been a connotation in the market that Chestnut Hill was kind of older, stuffy, that it wasn’t a nightlife town.”

    But that’s changing, Jeffries said.

    Char & Stave, an all-day coffee and cocktail bar, has done great business since moving into Chestnut Hill, its owner, Jared Adkins, said.

    Just ask Jared Adkins, owner of Char & Stave, an all-day coffee and cocktail bar at the corner of Germantown and Highland Avenues.

    After Nevel visited Ardmore and saw the success of Adkins’ original Char & Stave, she recruited him to open a Chestnut Hill location. It started as a holiday pop-up in 2022, then became a permanent presence the next year. Since he moved into town, Adkins said, business has been booming.

    “We’re really just busy all day long,” said Adkins. The café is open until 11 p.m. during the week, midnight on the weekends, and it often brings in musicians and hosts events.

    Adkins describes Char & Stave as a place where drinkers and nondrinkers alike can spend time together, and where people can get work done with coffee or a cocktail beside them: “It’s really a gathering place that fills a niche of a nice cocktail place.”

    More changes to come for Chestnut Hill

    Businesses along Germantown Avenue in Chestnut Hill are decorated for the holidays.

    Chestnut Hill business leaders and community members say they’re optimistic about the neighborhood’s continued evolution.

    As Brien Tilley, a longtime resident and community volunteer, ate lunch inside Cosimo’s Pizza Cafe, he said the community is doing well. But, he added, “it could always do better. It’s always in transition.”

    Nevel noted that restaurants require more capital to open than other businesses, so it can take awhile to fill those larger holes downtown.

    “The economy is tough,” said Anne McNally, a fourth-generation owner of McNally’s, as she sat by the tavern’s front window overlooking Germantown Avenue. But in Chestnut Hill, she gets the vibe that the community “wants us to be successful.”

    McNally and Goudy, of Kilian’s, both noted that their families bought their buildings decades ago. That has contributed to their longevity, both said, as has evolving with the customer base.

    For the McNally family, that meant transitioning from a “bar-bar,” with no clock or phone, to a bar-restaurant that closes at 10 p.m. For Goudy, it meant soliciting online orders and walk-in business from out-of-town and even out-of-state customers whose older homes require unique hardware.

    “Everything is changing,” Goudy said. “It’s important to keep changing and not to try to go back to where you were before.”

  • At Project HOME, providing shelter is just one link in a chain that restores dignity and offers hope | Philly Gives

    At Project HOME, providing shelter is just one link in a chain that restores dignity and offers hope | Philly Gives

    As charming and ebullient as Nephtali Andujar is (lots of hugs, compliments, and gifts of his homemade pottery), the 61-year-old is also pretty blunt about why people should give to Project HOME, one of the city’s largest nonprofit housing agencies.

    Because of Project HOME, said Andujar, who spent years living on the streets, he is no longer desperate — desperate to get money to feed a heroin addiction, desperate to scrape $5 together to pay someone to let him drag a discarded mattress into an abandoned house for a night’s sleep out of the rain.

    “It’s not just giving someone an apartment,” said Andujar, who sheepishly described a past that included stealing cars and selling drugs. “It’s the snowball effect.

    “You are not just helping the homeless,” he said. “You are helping the city. You are helping humanity.”

    In the agency’s name, the letters HOME are capitalized, because each letter stands for part of the multipronged approach that Project HOME takes in addressing homelessness and combating poverty for the 15,000-plus people it serves each year.

    There’s H, for Housing — not only housing in the literal sense, but also in the teams of outreach workers who comb through the city’s neighborhoods looking for people like Andujar. One outreach worker found Andujar in 2021 at a critical moment in his life — clean, just out of the hospital for liver treatment, and back on the streets of Kensington ready to begin anew.

    “We know we have to do the most we can to preserve these resources that we’ve come to rely on,” says Donna Bullock, president and CEO of Project Home.

    For Andujar, it was a race. What would find him first?

    Would it be heroin, as it had so often been in the past? It was tempting. It’s painful being on the street — cold, hungry and dirty, ashamed and alone. “When you do heroin, you don’t feel the cold. It kills the hunger,” he said. “When you use the drugs, you don’t have to suffer for hours. Heroin numbs you.”

    Instead, though, it was the outreach worker — someone who had been through Project HOME’s recovery program — who plucked Andujar off the street in the nick of time and took him to a shelter.

    A year later, that same outreach worker helped Andujar move to his own room at Project HOME’s Hope Haven shelter in North Philadelphia.

    “You get tired of the streets. They were killing me,” Andujar said.

    Next Andujar found Project HOME manager JJ Fox, who helped him get a birth certificate and other documents, and arranged for him to stay. But he needed more than a warm bed.

    The problem with getting straight after a heroin addiction, Andujar explained, is finding a new purpose and direction. For so long, life was focused on a repeat cycle of getting the next fix and then becoming numb to pain while it was working.

    So when he got to Project HOME, he needed a new direction, which is where both the O and E in HOME came in for Andujar.

    “JJ Fox gave me direction,” he said, and so did Project HOME employment specialist Jamie Deni.

    Training certificates cover a wall in Nephtali Andujar’s studio apartment in Project HOME’s Inn of Amazing Mercy in Kensington.

    The “O” in HOME has to do with Opportunities for employment. Certificates cover one wall in Andujar’s studio apartment in Project HOME’s Inn of Amazing Mercy, a 62-unit apartment building and offices in a former nursing school dormitory in Kensington. He can point to his accomplishments in computer skills, barbering, and training as a peer specialist to help others the way the outreach worker helped him.

    But Andujar is not in good health, as vigorous as he appears. His addictions will someday exact their price, even though with cirrhosis of the liver, he is already living years beyond what his doctor predicted.

    Full-time work is not an option. So Andujar is part of the “E,” as in Education. Deni helped him get a grant to take art classes at Community College of Philadelphia. She helped him understand CCP’s education software so he could turn in his homework.

    Project HOME offers classes in graphic design, music production training, ServSafe food handling, forklift and powered industrial trucks certification, and website building, among other courses.

    The M stands for Medical. Project HOME doctors, nurses, and other health practitioners treat 5,000 people a year, both in a fully equipped health center and by sending medical teams into the streets, caring for people, literally, where they live.

    “My dad always told me that you need three things — housing, food, and love. You get all that here,” Andujar said.

    And for him, it goes beyond that. During a stable period in his life, Andujar had a partner and a child. His daughter is now 14 and living with her aunt in New Jersey. Her mother, who was also stable for many years, fell into addiction but is clean now. She is living in another Project HOME apartment.

    Like Andujar, Omayru Villanueva, 49, another resident at the Inn of Amazing Mercy, recalls her first night of homelessness.

    She remembered a cold slushy rain.

    She remembered sweeping every corner of her house, determined to leave it clean, no matter what. Her husband had been convicted and jailed for a federal crime. She couldn’t make the payments on the house, so she sold or stored all of her belongings and prepared to leave.

    On her last morning at home, she and her school-age twin sons walked out the door before the sheriff came. Her older daughter was able to find a place in a shelter. Her second daughter, just under 18, said she was living with a boyfriend, but it turned out that she had been trafficked.

    “There’s a sense of dignity and respect when you have your own place,” says Omayra Villanueva, another resident of the Inn of Amazing Mercy.

    By that evening, Villanueva was desperate. She took her boys to a hospital emergency room. At least they could sit indoors while she figured out something. “I was crying inside.” Finally, she called a friend from church who took her and her sons in.

    From there, they moved from shelter to shelter, and ultimately to a Project HOME apartment with two bedrooms.

    “That night we had a pizza party. We were so happy,” she said. “There’s a sense of dignity and respect when you have your own place. You can take your worries away from having a place to live, and you can focus on other things.”

    She remembered lying in her new bed, “thanking God and rubbing my feet against the mattress.” The next day, she woke up, opened the window, and listened to the birds. Then she asked her sons what they wanted for breakfast. “When you are in a shelter, you eat what they give you.”

    The simple pleasures.

    The new head of Philly’s Project HOME brings a lived experience of housing insecurity

    Three of her four children, scarred from the experience, have also been homeless and living on the street. Her two sons, now 23, are in Project HOME apartments. Both daughters are now fairly well-established.

    Villanueva appreciates the medical help she has been given at Project HOME, particularly for mental illness stemming from the trauma she has experienced with her ex-husband’s arrest and homelessness.

    “Anybody can end up being homeless,” she said. “I wasn’t a drug addict. I wasn’t an alcoholic. It can happen to anybody.”

    She thinks of her daughter, who has a house, a job, and a car. But if something happens to the car, her daughter won’t be able to get to work. She won’t be able to pay her mortgage, and she could wind up homeless. It’s that simple.

    “It’s important to donate because people can help break the cycle of homelessness,” Villanueva said.

    “It’s about housing and education. It’s about medical help. It’s about employment,” she said. “Project HOME helped me a lot.”

    The truth is that every person in Project HOME has a story. Those stories keep Donna Bullock, president and chief executive, motivated to preserve and protect the agency founded just over 35 years ago by Sister Mary Scullion and Joan Dawson McConnon.

    She worries about how the city will respond to federal executive orders amounting to the criminalization of homelessness. Will there be tightened requirements for agencies that provide shelter?

    Project HOME is reimbursed for some of the medical care it provides, but Bullock worries that new rules involving Medicaid reimbursement will impact the agency’s budget, while cutbacks in services increase demand.

    “It’s terrifying,” she said. “We know we have to do the most we can to preserve these resources that we’ve come to rely on.

    “In this job, I’ve learned to appreciate the humanity of folks — the residents and the stories they tell and the contributions they make to our community.”

    Sometimes, she said, Project HOME residents walking the path of recovery slip and fall away. Sometimes the results are tragic, the losses devastating.

    “We’re experiencing all these moments — communal grief and communal celebrations as well. We talk a lot about how every journey of recovery is unique. Everyone walks their own journey. We can’t do the walk for you, but we can walk with you,” she said.

    Bullock invites others to the journey, promising that when people give to Project HOME, they can be assured that their money is carefully managed. “We’re good stewards of the resources entrusted in our care. We know how to leverage the resources given to us.

    “Folks expect a return on their investment, and the return is the difference in individual lives and also building a community,” she said. “Your investment is magnified 10 times over.”

    This article is part of a series about Philly Gives — a community fund to support nonprofits through end-of-year giving. To learn more about Philly Gives, including how to donate, visit phillygives.org.

    For more information about Philly Gives, including how to donate, visit phillygives.org.

    About Project HOME

    Mission: To empower adults, children, and families to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty, to alleviate the underlying causes of poverty, and to enable all of us to attain our fullest potential.

    People served: More than 15,000 annually — with street outreach, housing, opportunities for employment, medical care, and education.

    Annual spend: $49.06 million

    Point of pride: Project HOME, which operates 1,038 housing units, broke ground in October for construction of 45 new apartments; also under construction are 20 respite beds. In the pipeline are an additional 44 apartments. Project HOME also operates the Honickman Learning Center Comcast Technology Labs, Stephen Klein Wellness Center, Helen Brown Community Center, and Hub of Hope.

    You can help: Volunteers tutor students, serve meals, participate in neighborhood cleanups, and organize donation drives at their organizations for household items or other items useful to families or people still experiencing street homelessness.

    Support: phillygives.org

    What your Project HOME donation can do

    Here are some ways that a gift can help the people we serve:

    $25 provides warm clothing and new socks for a visitor at the Hub of Hope.

    $50 supports a behavioral health counseling visit.

    $100 provides a month’s worth of hygiene products and toiletries for a family.

    $250 provides a welcome basket for a new resident complete with sheets, towels, and cooking supplies.

    $500 supports five dental visits at the Stephen Klein Wellness Center.

    $1,000 funds six weeks of summer camp at the Honickman Learning Center Comcast Technology Labs, keeping a child’s mind active during the summer and supporting moms who work.

    $1,500 funds a certification program through the Adult Education and Employment program leading to employment readiness.

  • Meet Project HOME’s New President and CEO

    Meet Project HOME’s New President and CEO

    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.

    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.

    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.

  • More New Yorkers want apartments in the Philly area

    More New Yorkers want apartments in the Philly area

    More out-of-towners and fewer locals are searching for rental homes in the Philadelphia region, with New Yorkers leading the way. No word on whether they plan to become Eagles fans.

    In an analysis of the country’s 50 largest metropolitan areas, Philadelphia had the second-largest drop in local rental demand since before the pandemic, as measured by listing views on Realtor.com.

    In fall 2019, about 68% of the Philadelphia metro’s rental traffic on the website came from local residents. By this fall, that share had dropped to about 45%, according to a Realtor.com report published this month.

    Philadelphia was one of 20 metros that switched from having mostly local demand for rental listings before the pandemic to mostly out-of-town demand. Only Detroit had a larger drop than Philadelphia in the share of locals looking online for rentals.

    This fall, most of the Philadelphia metro’s out-of-town rental traffic — 48% — came from the New York metro, which includes some North Jersey cities. The share of listing views coming from the New York metro grew from almost 7% of all traffic before the pandemic to more than 25% this fall.

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    In the Philadelphia region, the median asking rent for rentals with zero to two bedrooms was $1,743 in October, according to Realtor.com. The area’s affordability compared to New York and other large nearby metros attracts out-of-town renters. That’s also the case in such metros as San Francisco and Charlotte, N.C.

    But for many renters already living in the Philadelphia area, the region’s relative affordability doesn’t mean much. The region is one of the least affordable major metros in the country for its apartment renters based on their incomes, according to a January report by the online real estate brokerage Redfin.

    “Shifting affordability across regions is reshaping renter behavior, with a growing share of demand coming from outside local markets,” Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com, said in a statement.

    “Data show that more renters are willing to look farther afield, in some cases to entirely new markets, for homes that better align with their budgets,” Hale said.

    Although New York renters are among those eyeing the Philadelphia region, many are looking to stay put. The New York metro had the highest share of local rental demand this fall. About three in four online views for rentals in that metro came from inside the metro, about the same share as in 2019.

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    Nationwide, the rental market has continued to cool, Hale said. From January to October of this year, the median asking rent stayed roughly flat, falling by 0.1%. Over the same period of 2024, the median asking rent increased by 1.1%.

  • Helping Philadelphia’s Children Heal

    Helping Philadelphia’s Children Heal

    For more than five decades, Philadelphia’s Children’s Crisis Treatment Center (CCTC) has opened its doors to vulnerable young people and families who have been impacted by violence, loss, and adversity. “Helping a child heal doesn’t just change their life. It strengthens their family, their extended network, and, in a very real way, their community,” the organization’s CEO Antonio “Tony” Valdés, 61, said. “That’s what continues to inspire me: understanding that the work we do at CCTC ripples outward, touching countless lives beyond the one child sitting in front of us.” Since taking the helm in 1997, Valdés has transformed CCTC from a small local agency into a cornerstone of children’s mental health care in the greater Philly region, helping the nonprofit expand from four programs to 15, to reach more than 3,500 young people each year.

    Valdés has spent his career focused on the guiding belief that every child, no matter their circumstances, deserves the chance to feel safe, seen, and supported. Under his leadership, CCTC has redefined what community-based care looks like, meeting families where they are, honoring their cultures and experiences, and building systems of care rooted in empathy and equity. In this Q&A, Valdés reflects on the urgent mental health needs facing Philadelphia’s children, the evolution of trauma-informed care, and how CCTC continues to offer hope where it’s needed most.

    What inspired you to do the work you do today?

    I think it has a lot to do with how I grew up. I was very fortunate as a child. My parents are immigrants, my father from Cuba, my mother from the Dominican Republic. When I was young, my dad started his own business and we moved from the States back to the Dominican Republic. Living in another country as a teenager gave me a deeper sense of perspective.

    It made me think about culture as the environment we live and grow in, the “soup,” so to speak, that shapes our narratives and defines how we experience the world. That way of seeing things naturally led me to think about systems: families, neighborhoods, schools, and how they all influence children’s lives.

    So when I began working in mental health, I was already thinking in those systemic terms. A few years later, I had the chance to work with children and it immediately clicked. I realized that the earlier you reach a child, the greater the impact you can have.

    Helping a child heal doesn’t just change their life. It strengthens their family, their extended network, and, in a very real way, their community. That’s what continues to inspire me: understanding that the work we do at CCTC ripples outward, touching countless lives beyond the one child sitting in front of us.

    What do you bring to this job that is unique?

    First, I’m very persistent. Once I decide to go down a path, I keep pushing forward. Second, I’m personable and social. I interact casually with people, which makes me approachable. Finally, I bring a practical, analytical approach to the work. Many CEOs in this field come from operations or program backgrounds, and I do too, but I also have a knack for numbers and finance. That combination allows me to manage the business side of CCTC effectively while staying deeply connected to our programs and the families we serve.

    Right now, our annual budget is about $30-35 million, and managing that while staying true to our mission requires both persistence and practicality.

    You’ve talked about the importance of early intervention. Why does that matter so much?

    The earlier you intervene and support families, the better. A lot of our work at CCTC focuses on helping parents and caregivers understand what their children are experiencing, what we call “psychoeducation.” We help them see that many behaviors, even the difficult ones, make sense in light of what a child has lived through. It’s not “bad behavior.” It’s a natural response to trauma. It’s actually not normal for a child to go through terrible things and show no signs of distress.

    Science now backs this up. The landmark Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study, conducted more than 20 years ago, revealed powerful connections between early trauma and long-term health outcomes, including not only behavioral issues or substance use problems, but even higher rates of heart disease and cancer. What we’ve learned since then, through brain imaging and neuroscience, is that trauma in early childhood can actually shape how the brain develops. The brain adapts to prioritize survival, and other areas, the ones that regulate learning, relationships, and emotion, can be underdeveloped as a result.

    That’s why early, loving, consistent relationships are so crucial. The most powerful protective factor is the presence of caring, dependable adults in a child’s early life. The next is a sense of belonging and community. When those are strong, children build resilience.

    Some adversity can actually help children grow, as long as that balance tips toward safety, love, and connection.

    How has CCTC evolved since its early days?

    The people who founded CCTC in the early ’70s probably wouldn’t have used the language we use today, but they were clearly responding to a growing awareness that children’s behavior was often rooted in trauma. That early insight has shaped CCTC from the beginning. Over the years, the field has evolved, and so have we. About 18 years ago, we made a major shift by embedding trauma-informed principles into every part of the organization. It changed not only how we treat children, but how we support staff, collaborate with partners, and engage with the community. It became a core philosophy, not just a clinical model.

    That focus has kept us true to our mission. We’re not trying to be all things to all people. We’re a children’s behavioral health agency and everything we do aligns with that purpose. Staying disciplined in that way allows us to build stronger partnerships and deliver deeper impact.

    Today, we serve children from about 18 months through 18 years old, but most of the kids we work with are between three and 13. Roughly 75% are 10 or younger. That’s really where our heart is: early and elementary-age children, because that’s where we can make the greatest difference.

    What’s been the biggest challenge for CCTC over the years?

    One of the biggest challenges has been working within systems that are incredibly complex, whether that’s government, insurance, or even community and political structures. These systems often tend to move toward the least common denominator: keeping things steady, avoiding risk. Innovation doesn’t always get rewarded.

    But CCTC has always been an organization that looks ahead. We’re constantly asking: What’s next? Where do we need to be two, three, four years from now? That kind of thinking sometimes puts us at odds with the larger system, and that can be frustrating. There have been times when we knew an idea would make a real difference, but it took years before the funding or policy landscape caught up.

    A good example is care coordination, or what some call “case management.” We’ve always believed in helping families navigate all the challenges that can prevent them from engaging in treatment: housing instability, food insecurity, lost utilities, lack of transportation. For years, that kind of work wasn’t funded or even recognized as essential. But to us, it was obvious, since if a family’s basic needs aren’t met, therapy alone won’t change much.

    What’s a big goal for CCTC’s future?

    One of our biggest goals is to bring what we do directly into the natural settings where children and families already are. That’s where real access happens: in schools, recreation centers, community programs, and other places that feel familiar and safe.

    When mental health care is part of everyday life, it becomes normalized. We’re already doing some of this, placing parenting groups and educational programs in community settings, to help families better understand the roots of behavioral challenges. Many parents we meet are doing their best, but no one’s ever helped them recognize how their own childhood experiences might still be shaping their parenting today.

    What transformations have you seen in the development of children who have come to CCTC?

    I look at it on two levels: observable outcomes and how a child functions in their life. On the surface, success shows up in things like fewer suspensions or detentions, reduced fights, and improved grades.

    But real success goes beyond behavior. It’s about helping children make sense of what happened to them. Kids who’ve experienced trauma should never simply forget it. They need to learn how to live with it, understand its impact, and gain the skills to respond differently. That helps them manage triggers, regulate emotions, and gain self-awareness.

    What misconceptions about trauma or mental and behavioral health do you most want to challenge?

    There are a few. The first is one that still lingers. The idea that “kids are young, they’ll forget.” That’s just not true. When a child experiences something terrible at four years old and starts acting out at nine, those behaviors are often connected. Ignoring that link does a real disservice to the child.

    The second misconception is about resilience. People sometimes say, “She’s stronger because of what she went through.” Trauma doesn’t make you stronger; protective factors do. Maybe that person had strong family support, stable housing, or a teacher who cared. Those things build resilience, not the trauma itself.

    And the third is about the multigenerational nature of trauma. When harmful behaviors aren’t addressed, they echo through families. A parent who grew up with abuse or neglect might not repeat the same actions, but the emotional patterns of anger, control, and detachment can still carry forward. Recognizing that connection across time, generations, and communities is key to breaking the cycle.

    What is your mantra?

    I try to live by the idea of focusing on what you can actually impact. I stay focused on what makes the biggest difference.

    PHILLY QUICK ROUND

    Favorite Philly food? For Dominican food, I really like Mamajuana in Fishtown and a few spots in North Philly, like El Meson and Barú.

    Sports team you love: I’ve been a Phillies fan my whole life.

    What you wish people knew about those who call Philly home: What I wish people knew about Philadelphians is how much the city has changed over the past 20 years. Many outsiders still see Philly as it was 25-30 years ago, but today it’s far more diverse, not just in food and restaurants, but across neighborhoods.

    Greatest Philadelphian of all time? My pick for greatest Philadelphian of all time is easy: Ben Franklin.

    Favorite thing to do when you have free time in and around Philly: I love exploring new restaurants I haven’t tried yet, especially with friends.

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

  • Fully booked: The ‘Michelin effect’ is being felt at Philly’s honored restaurants

    Fully booked: The ‘Michelin effect’ is being felt at Philly’s honored restaurants

    As chef Nicholas Bazik climbed into bed late Tuesday night, he checked the reservations at Provenance, his posh restaurant in Society Hill. Business at Provenance, with its 25 seats and $225 French-meets-Korean tasting menu, had been respectable especially since September, when it appeared on Bon Appétit’s list of the country’s best new restaurants.

    Bazik discovered that Provenance was fully booked, 30 days out. The next day at noon, the next round of tables was snapped up in six minutes, he said.

    Chef Nicholas Bazik of Provenance, with wife Eunbin Whang, accepts a star at the Nov. 18 Michelin Guide ceremony.

    The so-called Michelin effect was at work. Provenance — as well as Her Place Supper Club and Friday Saturday Sunday, both in Rittenhouse — received one star from the Michelin Guide at Tuesday’s Northeast Cities ceremony, placing them in a rarefied league of 280 so-honored U.S. restaurants.

    In city after city since Michelin’s arrival in the United States two decades ago, newly starred restaurants report full books, wait lists stretching weeks or months, and in some cases double- or triple-digit growth in reservations. Winning a Michelin star — one or especially two or three — is no small task, and customers are known to travel to dine at a starred restaurant.

    Her Place Supper Club chef Amanda Shulman (left) and husband Alex Kemp take a photo at the Sixers game Wednesday. Shulman rang the bell at the start of the game.

    At Her Place, where it’s been what chef-owner Amanda Shulman called “a whirlwind of a week,” it’s difficult to determine Michelin’s impact. “We’re a small restaurant to begin with, but we’ve definitely seen a jump in email inquiries that are keeping our reservationist/administrative queen Natalie busy, along with a bump in social following. Truly a surreal experience and we’re just excited to welcome in more new faces.” (The Sixers invited Shulman to ring the bell before Wednesday’s game.)

    Friday Saturday Sunday already was one of Philadelphia’s hardest reservations, even before it won the James Beard Award for best new restaurant in 2023, and owners Chad and Hanna Williams are planning an expansion to the rowhouse next door.

    Chefs Marc Vetri (left) and Chad Williams during the cocktail hour, at the Michelin Guide announcement at the Kimmel Center.

    Restaurants that were included in Michelin’s Bib Gourmand (best value) and “recommended” categories also reported an uptick in business.

    “It’s been an outpouring of positivity,” said Louis Novak, general manager at Famous 4th Street Deli in Queen Village, a Bib Gourmand recipient where all business is walk-in. He reported “exceptional” sales. “It’s also a ‘Day 1’ mentality moving forward. It’s a responsibility to live up to being a Michelin award winner.”

    At chef Jesse Ito’s Royal Izakaya in Queen Village, a Bib recipient, the line is longer and the weekday wait list is growing earlier than usual, said Daisy Zeijlon, who handles the restaurant’s publicity.

    At Sally (Bib), a pizzeria near Fitler Square, business was up 10% since the announcement, said owner Cary Borish.

    At Mish Mish (recommended), Alex Tewfik was ebullient on Sunday: “Being in South Philly, and the Eagles being the last monoculture we have left as a city, our Sundays have been brutal. Today, they are no longer brutal, which is, in ways, a sort of godsend situation.”

    Although hard numbers were hard to come by so far, the good vibes are everywhere as the restaurant industry enters its typically busy period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.

    Chef Chris Kearse of Forsythia with his wife, Lauren, at the Michelin Guide announcement.

    “We have received such amazing support from the culinary community,” said Chris Kearse, chef-owner of Forsythia (recommended). “It feels like the whole city has come together to celebrate the excitement of the awards, and we’ve been touched by how many guests have stopped in to sit at the bar and share a celebratory drink with our team.”

    Al Lucas — a partner at Defined Hospitality, which operates Suraya (recommended), Kalaya (recommended), and Pizzeria Beddia (Bib) — said reservations “have already been very robust so we really cannot tell the impact quite yet. We have, however, seen a lot of anecdotal positive responses through Instagram, emails, and DMs.”

    Ellen Yin, who owns High Street (recommended), said it was too early to tell Michelin’s long-term recognition; “however, the energy is palpable.”

    Study after study has cautioned that Michelin acclaim does not always translate to success.

    A report in the Strategic Management Journal challenges the assumption that Michelin stars only help restaurants, finding that starred establishments are actually more likely to close due to increased operational pressure.

    Daniel B. Sands of University College London examined New York restaurants deemed “at risk” of earning a star by tracking those that received favorable New York Times reviews and later Michelin recognition. His analysis and interviews with owners revealed that while stars boost prestige, they also intensify strain along the value chain. Landlords, suppliers, and employees often demand higher compensation, while staff may leverage the star to seek better opportunities or launch competitors.

    At the same time, customer dynamics shift: New diners arrive with heightened expectations or tourist motivations, and regulars may visit less often. Some restaurants make costly adjustments to accommodate new guests without increasing revenue. Sands concludes that Michelin stars can bring mixed outcomes, with some businesses thriving but others buckling under the added pressure.

    Can the good vibes last? “Having seen bumps from things like being on lists [and] getting accolades in the past, the ‘pop’ doesn’t always last,” said Tewfik, at Mish Mish. “I’m aware that we’re in uncharted territory with Michelin, but usually it dies away in a few weeks. So we’ll see, but for now, we’re so so so thrilled.”

    Philadelphia chef Marc Vetri, who took Michelin nods for Fiorella (Bib Gourmand) and Vetri Cucina (recommended), tempers exuberance through experience. His first major award was in 1999, when Food & Wine named him one of its best new chefs. “These awards, while exciting and give the city a big boost, are not a magic pill,” Vetri said.

    “Lists, awards, Beards, Michelin — it’s all the same,“ he said. ”Over time, they will bring more visitors, and if you have a good reputation and you are consistent, if you keep putting in the work and [are] evolving, more people will come. That’s the award: The customers who keep coming back. People are going to be very sorry if they think a nod from anyone is going to validate them and make them super busy. That’s just not how it works.”