Drueding Center

Opening the Door
Family homelessness is on the rise.
Requests for emergency shelter by families
have increased every year since 1985.
Only one in five homeless mothers receive
financial assistance from family, partners or
friends, according to the National Center on
Family Homelessness.
Many children arrive at Drueding after
being shuffled from place to place among
relatives or in foster care. The average
child in the residence is 3 years old and
may already know what it’s like to go to
bed hungry or sleep on the street. Older
children and teens may have witnessed the
terror of domestic abuse, experienced a stressful eviction or suffered the
neglect of a drug-addicted parent.
How do you keep a child’s dreams alive in the midst of deprivation?
Rates of emotional and mental health problems are high among
homeless children, as are academic difficulties. Giving these children a
sense of normalcy is as important at Drueding as
providing mothers with counseling and resources.
A dedicated family advocate sees that each family
member receives the personal care required to heal,
grow and begin anew. While mothers work
toward self-sufficiency through education
and training programs, infants
and toddlers benefit from extra
attention in the Child Care Center.
Preschoolers, some with
developmental delays, reap the
advantages of Head Start. Older
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youths have Drueding’s After School Program, where they get help
with homework, have fun and mature under adult guidance, and the
Drueding Teen Network offering workshops, trips and activities.
“The children are encouraged at Drueding to go for it – that if they
work at it, they can accomplish anything,” says Beverly, a mother of five
who overcame her battle with drug addiction and graduated from
Drueding in 1993. Knowing she can count on the support of the
Drueding Teen Network makes life a lot easier and gives the family
something to look forward to, she adds. “My daughter used to feel bad
about her weight, but after taking a workshop on self-esteem, she
learned that what she feels on the inside matters more – that she is
beautiful in her own way.”
“Everything I’ve been through is still out there,” observes Bev, determined
that her children won’t make the same mistakes she did. “Having
the kids participate in the Teen Network helps them stay out of trouble.”
The Drueding Foundation
Making rainbows appear for families in need
Since Drueding Center/Project Rainbow opened its doors in 1987, The Drueding Foundation has been
adding colors to the rainbow for more than 550 families and 1,000 children in North Philadelphia.
Our immense gratitude goes to the Drueding Foundation members below for their unwavering financial
and volunteer support. They have been important partners to Holy Redeemer Health System in its mission to
care, comfort and heal the most vulnerable mothers and children in our community.
Mr. Albert J. Drueding, Jr Mrs. Elizabeth Michener
Mr. Bernard J. Drueding, Jr. Ms. Mary Grace Snyder
Mr. James Drueding Mrs. Diana D. Stewart
Ms. Diana S. Gifford Ms. Patricia D. Stokes
Mrs. Mary E. Lopiccolo
Thank you!