The 2017 Hurtado Walk

Last Thursday, Prep students walked on the Parkway with the Hurtado Food Pantry, and delivered "Blessing Bags" consisting of socks, hats, gloves, and toiletries to Philadelphia's visible homeless population.  Students talked with these men and women, and in each bag passed out pamphlets advertising various outreach programs in the city - information that was provided by the Bethesda Project (which runs 13 shelters in the city of Philadelphia). Some students paused to pray with the people on the Parkway.

Hundreds of pounds of supplies were collected from students, alumni, faculty, and staff, and most notably through the Mother's club which organized an enormous drive of hats and gloves.

In addition to the bags that were distributed on the Parkway and in Suburban Station, teams of students took supplies (mostly soap and deodorant) directly to the Bethesda Project's emergency shelter "Our Brother's Place" and were treated to a tour of the facilities.  Moreover, toiletries, clothing, and other assorted supplies to the Franciscan's soup kitchen in Kensington, St. Francis Inn.  In total, the Prep donated over 585 pounds of material in one day.

Thank you especially to: Our very generous donors in the Prep community, Club Co-Presidents Andrew Bracken, '17 and Matthew Zito, '17, the students who were able to help us prepare and sort the donations, the students who walked on the Parkway on that cold day, the Mother's Club (especially Mrs. Debbie Bevilacqua, who helped co-ordinate "Operation Warm and Toasty II" ... which collected approximately 70 pounds of material) as well as Mr. Sam Deitch and Mr. Frank Raffa who helped lead the event.

Hurtado donates 1,000 pounds of food on Columbus Day

Hurtado Vice President Matt Zito, '17 with Hurtado members Ryan Lord, '18 and John Kuzmick, '18.

On Monday, October 10, 2016, Preppers weighed, packed, and transported over 1,000 pounds of food from the Prep to the Mander Recreation facility at 33rd and Diamond Streets.  Families will be able to select from this food on Thursday evening.  These food donations came in various forms to the pantry, including from the Prep Kairos program, which encourages our students and their families to donate canned goods at the start of their retreat experience.  In addition to the various generous donors who provided these food items, we would like to thank the students who did the heavy lifting (they are pictured above), Mr. Jerome; as well as Mr. Shawn White and alumnus Alex Hughes-Taylor, '05, the latter two both provided institutional and logistic support.

We plan to make another delivery soon of socks and soap (especially since many freshman generously donated socks at the start of their Freshman Retreat), if you are interested please reach out to club President Andrew Bracken, '17, club Vice President Matt Zito, '17, or moderator Leo Vaccaro, '05.   One further note: the offices of the Hurtado Food Pantry have moved from the Multipurpose Room to the former counselling offices on the Third Floor of Villiger Hall.

The Prep donates 1500 pounds of food and over 1000 pairs of sock to Philadelphians in need

Outside of "Our Brothers Place," a men's shelter on Hamilton street.  Preppers donated 200 socks here.

Over the past week, the Prep donated over 1,000 pairs of socks and more than 1,500 pounds of food to people in need across Philadelphia.

Last Thursday, March 17, the Prep presented a "Welcome Basket" to a family that during a "Home Dedication Ceremony" for Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia.  Included in this basket were some food items as well as some Prep gear!

On Friday, March 18, the Hurtado Food Pantry teamed up with the "Homelessness Sleep-out" and delivered over 1,000 pairs of socks to people in need.  "Our Brother's Place" - an emergency shelter on Hamilton street with 149 beds, received approximately 200 pairs.  St. Francis Inn, a Franciscan Soup Kitchen on Kensington Avenue, which feeds between 300 and 600 people daily, received approximately 400 pairs of socks.  And Face to Face Germantown, which serves 2,500 people annually, received approximately 400 socks.  Students also engaged the 'visible' homeless community along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, and handed out a number of pairs there.

On Monday, March 21st, St. Francis Inn collected 517 pounds of food from the Hurtado Pantry; and today we delivered 1008 pounds to the Mander Playground at 33rd and Diamond.

The Prep welcomed some new neighbors through Habitat for Humanity.

Preppers handing out socks.

Loading the van.

At St. Francis Inn.

On the Parkway.

Logan circle.

Students were treated to a Q&A on homelessness with Larry Russock, the Program Coordinator at St. John's Community Services.

Students help load a van with food for St. Francis Inn.

Posing in front of the Mander Playground, where 1,008 pounds of food were delivered today, March 23rd.

Setting out the food.

Mike Matkovic, '16, sorts food.

Special thanks must be given to the generous parents, students, faculty, staff, and administrators who supported the Hurtado Food Pantry with time, money, and in-kind donations.  We also wish to thank the various individuals who helped organize the pantry during its latest adventures - at the Prep this includes President Fr. John Swope, Principal Jason Zazyczny, Sam Deitch, Jonathan Jerome, Bill Conners, Bill 'Speedy' Morris, Bill Avington, Bryan Ghee, Bob Furth, Bob Reamer, and Debbie DiMarzio.  At Habitat for Humanity, special thanks are given to Shonda Brinson and Frank and Suellen Monaghan.   During the Sock Deliveries, we were greatly assisted by Larry Russock from St. John's Community Services, Hannah McGrath from the Franciscan Volunteer Ministry, Hilary Coulter from the Bethesda Project, Susan O'Hagan Marley (and son Dan '16) from Face to Face Germantown, and especially Alumni Service Corps Volunteer Brendan Kennedy.   During our recent food deliveries, Franciscan Volunteer Christopher Ellingwood, Sonia Nelson, and Prep graduate Alex Hughes-Taylor, '05, provided much help.  We once again relied on YouGiveGoods for many of our sock donations, and Michelle Seideneck helped us out again!  As can be seen in the pictures, many students provided the manpower necessary take these donations to fruition, and many more are not pictured - we would like to thank you all!