About PEC

PEC's Mission

PEC nurtures families, strengthens neighborhoods, and drives change. We are committed to increasing equity and opportunity throughout our entire community. We provide comprehensive supportive services to homeless women and their children, revitalize our West Philadelphia neighborhood, and advocate for social justice.

Families who turn to PEC come with serious problems. Most are headed by single young mothers who have never lived on their own. They typically read at a sixth grade level or lower and have little or no work experience. Nearly 60 percent survived childhood sexual abuse and gone without treatment most of their lives. A third are fleeing violent partners. Many have turned to substance abuse. Their children often go hungry, fall behind in school, and grapple with emotional problems.

Many of the families we serve become homeless time and again. We seek to help them break free from the past and become strong, productive contributors to society by providing housing, health care, and education.

Our community development arm helps build new homes and maintain and repair existing ones, cleans up vacant lots and maintain parks, and helps families manage their finances.

PEC forms partnerships for strengthening neighborhoods with community members and organizations, individual donors, foundations, and government agencies. Over the past 16 years, we have raised nearly $40 million to help revitalize the West Powelton, Saunders Park, and Mantua neighborhoods that we serve.