What the org has to say: “Philadelphia CARES (which stands for Crisis Assistance, Response, and Engagement for Survivors) is a collaboration between the District Attorney’s Office, the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Officer and the nonprofit Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia. The CARES unit is a division of The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office that seeks to help families of homicide victims.”

What we found: CARES primarily provides crisis response, including grief counseling, funeral assistance, and utility support. Before the pandemic, its representatives would meet victims at the scene of a crime or in the hospital for follow-up care. With in-person access limited by the pandemic, CARES now reaches out via phone to provide resources. The organization is connected to all major hospitals in Philadelphia, as well as to several faith-based organizations.

What the org has to say: “CeaseFire PA is a statewide gun violence prevention advocacy group. We believe that everyone should be able to live a life free from gun violence, where they feel and are safe, and we work to make that world a reality by building the kind of political and public support it takes to change public policy.”

What we found: Are you a Philadelphian that wants to see major change in the way our city deals with gun violence? If so, CeaseFirePA offers volunteer programs that can teach you to advocate for exactly that. CeaseFirePA prides itself on creating local, grassroots groups of volunteers who want to find ways to hold their local leaders accountable. Volunteering opportunities are available throughout the entire state, and major cities such as Philadelphia have their own organizers. By signing up, you’ll contribute to CeaseFirePA’s long-running advocacy for what it calls “common sense gun violence prevention legislation.”

What the org has to say: “Juvenile Law Center advocates for rights, dignity, equity and opportunity for youth in the child welfare and justice systems. We envision a world that affirms the unique and developmentally distinct qualities of youth, guarantees fair and equitable treatment, and ensures opportunities for successful adulthood.”

What we found: Juvenile Law Center takes a unique approach to the work they do: They view youth as leaders in child welfare and juvenile justice reform. The organization hires young Philadelphians to create advocacy projects. As participants pursue their work, the organization also trains them to talk to the media and speak publicly. Juvenile Law Center youth often attend hearings, city council meetings, press hearings, and workshops to help them best understand how these proceedings can differ from case to case.

What the org has to say: “The Society advocates for systemic policy change, responds to the concerns of incarcerated people and their families, provides subsidized bus service for Philadelphia families visiting loved ones incarcerated in different parts of the state, and provides assistance to individuals returning home from incarceration. It is the only non-profit organization in the United States with this degree of access to jails and prisons.”

What we found: Pennsylvania Prison Society helps incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people and their family members reintegrate into society. The organization pairs people with a mentor and sets them up with a monthly support group. PPS and its volunteers can also help if you’re facing abuse or lack healthcare.

What the org has to say: “The mission of Women Against Abuse is to provide quality, compassionate, and nonjudgmental services in a manner that fosters self-respect and independence in persons experiencing intimate partner violence and to lead the struggle to end domestic violence through advocacy and community education.”

What we found: Women Against Abuse serves people of all gender identities who are experiencing intimate partner violence, and operates the only emergency domestic violence shelters in Philadelphia. The organization has confidential locations and 24-hour security, as well as other trauma-informed on-site services, including case management, therapy, and children’s programming.

What the org has to say: “YSRP uses direct service and policy advocacy to transform the experiences of children prosecuted in the adult criminal justice system, and to ensure fair and thoughtful resentencing and reentry for individuals who were sentenced to life without parole as children (‘Juvenile Lifers’).”

What we found: YSRP’s goal is to have juvenile cases moved out of the adult justice system because in Pennsylvania, children as young as 10 can be charged as adults. Philadelphia has sentenced more children to life in prison without parole than any other city in the country. The organization works with clients for as long as they want, including when they are incarcerated and when they come home and need help reentering society. The staff meets monthly with trauma-informed therapists who teach them how to support the youth they are serving. YSRP offers art and poetry workshops to youth who are currently incarcerated and were charged as adults. Due to COVID, clients are now participating in those workshops over Zoom, on prison computers.