Philly Restart

Our long-time friends will remember Jason Cookie-Man Mercado. Jason gained national recognition for his amazing cookies that he perfected out of Philly homeless shelters. He lost a steady chef job during the pandemic, had a brief stint unhoused, but is back on his feet, and now giving back again. A California paper picked up his story:

https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/homelessness/2021/04/14/man-becomes--housing-champion--to-help-people-break-cycle-of-homelessness?fbclid=IwAR0HzhxA1fL2_AdsBe5lGG1749Q-GpzGycnQ1ntn3LHrmXnXyeG7mnwegnE

Man becomes ‘housing champion’ to help people break cycle of homelessness OC has a need for more homeless housing.

It's been a tough year for many in Philadelphia and beyond. One of our simple messages is that, 'you are not alone' - and our community meals are a time to share more than food.
Thank you for standing with us.

www.PhillyRestart.com

Penn Dot ID's are now free in Pennsylvania for the homeless who are renewing and getting one for the first time.
We have been working towards this waiver for years, and there are many to thank who did the heavy legal lifting, thank you. There are still those who lose their ID's and will need help (and we will continue to pay for those), but this is a very great thing for many. With loving support, we've written over 80,000 ID checks over 18 years, but the load just lightened, and we are deeply grateful for those that have carried us.

https://www.radio.com/kywnewsradio/news/local/homeless-pennsylvanians-can-now-get-free-photo-ids?fbclid=IwAR1cEvkeZrfKXYxDl7Lcky07gXiYMab8BsecWvuil_CYcOcqNRhN8mWnYUk

Homeless Pennsylvanians can now get free photo IDs Starting Monday, homeless people in Pennsylvania can get a free photo ID, and homeless advocates are praising the new law that made it happen. Read more here.

If you've visited Restart in the past 18 years, you've met Fila, our organizer and ambassador to the homeless community. Yesterday at our Monday meal, Fila got a great visit from Pete, one of our originals. When we first came to the Parkway in 2002, Fila and Pete were unhoused, sleeping on the sidewalk. Good men in a tough city. Some saw them as homeless, but that is far too simple. They were Sixers (Pete) and Lakers (Fila) fans. And political and funny and hopeful. They were Philly guys. Yes, they were homeless, but they were so much more. And now they are living in their own apartments, paying taxes, still talking trash about the NBA. For all of us that have only seen our street folks as homeless, we haven't seen enough. And for all of you who have helped out along the way, we can't thank you enough.
www.PhillyRestart.com