Hello! My name is Dominic DiFrancesco. This summer, I had the great fortune of working as a summer intern in the Marketing and Development Department of Bucks County Housing Group under the leadership of Amanda McGill. I am a rising second-year student studying Marketing at the Smeal College of Business and Vocal Performance at the College of Arts and Architecture at the Pennsylvania State University, University Park (“main”) Campus. I am also a member of the Schreyer Honors College and Penn State’s Presidential Leadership Academy. Ultimately, pairing my majors, I want to work in entertainment marketing and public relations. During my time at Bucks County Housing Group, I worked on social media, contributing to posts on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I worked toward the shared goal of growing engagement on these accounts as social media has become one of the most critical channels for effectively reaching audiences, raising awareness about BCHG’s mission, and garnering support (monetary or otherwise) to drive greater impact and success. I collaborated with other departments, and I worked on several projects including a keywords research project that delved into what people in the community were searching for the most in terms of our pantries and housing services, how we can best utilize this data to spread our message, and what that tells us about our community’s needs. I also worked to revamp branded materials including program one-pagers designed for clients and for donors, respectively. I contributed to the planning, development, and execution of BCHG’s first fundraising event in over two years at Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company on July 15. I helped manage in-person donations, relations with vendors, and I even performed at the event! But most of all, I had the chance to witness incredible people dedicating their time and talents to closing the door on hunger and homelessness in Bucks County. One of my responsibilities as a summer intern was to gather research and resources into a concise document outlining what hunger and homelessness looked like in Bucks County. One of the aspects I touched on in the paper was a misconception that Bucks County is affluent and thus is immune to the housing and hunger crisis. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Thousands in Bucks County cannot fill their own or their family’s plates every day due to a variety of factors. However, there is help. The dedicated staff of Bucks County Housing Group is a caring, selfless, and hardworking group, and I am honored to have been among them for a season. I firmly believe that my time working as a summer intern at Bucks County Housing Group has and will contribute to my future success. Learning the fundamentals of donor relations, digital marketing, and the intricacies of the nonprofit sector will be invaluable to me as I move forward in my education and my career. It has been an eye-opening experience and has piqued my interest in future work in the non-profit sector, knowing that at its core, the work is dedicated to helping people. As I move forward, I am eager to explore new ways to make a positive impact. Thank you to everyone at Bucks County Housing Group for welcoming me with such open arms and making this summer experience unforgettable, especially my Marketing and Department dream team member Hannah Borish. Finally, thank you to Amanda McGill for her direction and mentorship. Amanda showed a genuine interest in my growth and success beyond only how it relates to BCHG and made herself available to provide guidance and support whenever needed. In closing, I’m so grateful to have been able to intern at Bucks County Housing Group, and I encourage any prospective interns to reach out. It’s an experience you won’t forget. Written by: Dominic DiFrancesco
BCHG operates the largest and only professionally-run food pantry system in Bucks County. We have two brick-and-mortar pantries, one in Doylestown and one in Penndel, along with two mobile market vans that distribute food to places further from our permanent pantries. We rely heavily on donations to keep our pantries stocked and our communities fed. If you’d like to help out, donations to our pantries can be made at the following locations and times: Penndel: 349 Durham Road, Langhorne, PA 19047Tuesdays from 10am-12pm Doylestown: 470 Old Dublin Pike Doylestown, PA 18901Wednesdays from 1:30-3:30 If you’re interested in making a larger contribution by holding a food drive, below is all the information you’ll need to get started! What You Need: Containers/boxes for donated items A designated drop-off location with start and end dates and times Publicity (via social media, flyers, etc.) What to Ask for: At BCHG, we prioritize healthy food options in our pantries by following the Healthy Pantry Initiative set up by Philabundance. Click here to learn more: https://www.philabundance.org/healthy-pantry-initiative/ With this in mind, please ask for healthy and fresh food donations such as the items below. Proteins such as: peanut butter canned chicken, tuna, or salmon canned or dried beans lentils and peas Fruits and vegetables that do not require refrigeration such as: canned fruit or 100% fruit juice tomatoes carrots bananas oranges Dairy such as: shelf-stable milk or milk alternatives like oat, almond, or soy milk dried powder milk Grains such as: rice quinoa pasta oatmeal breakfast cereal Other Items such as: olive or canola oil broths, lemon juice, or vinegar nuts crackers condiments like ketchup and mayo Where to Hold the Drive: Any organization that will allow it! For example: schools businesses/office parks neighborhoods churches, etc. Where to Bring the Donations: Please drop off the donations at one of our pantries listed above. To schedule drop-offs outside of the designated hours, please call 215-750-4344 x 101. As we continue our journey to alleviate hunger and uplift those in need, we are very grateful for community support. Every contribution to our food programs counts; if you prefer to make a monetary donation, you can easily scan the QR codes below. Donate on PayPal: Donate on our website: If you would like to view this info as a printable flyer, please click here: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFpMIIMvjU/cMMIeeBLt6Ysodb1sVOPGQ/view?utm_content=DAFpMIIMvjU&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink If you have any questions about organizing a drive or how to donate, please don’t hesitate to reach out to amcgill@bchg.org. Together, we can create a brighter, more nourished future for all. Written By: Hannah Borish
We have some exciting news to share: we are relaunching our Apartment Partners program! By becoming an Apartment Partner, you help us help community members most in need through our Supportive Housing Program (SHP). People joining our SHP are generally facing the greatest risk of homelessness. BCHG’s Supportive Housing Program is the only program in the county that provides a fully furnished and stocked apartment for families to stay in at no cost for up to one year. We operate 23 units throughout the county that serve an average of 42 families per year. Most families come to us from the emergency shelter, with only their personal belongings. When a family moves into one of our units, we want to provide them with all the items they will need for daily living. Our SHP apartments are currently experiencing a high amount of turnover, and we are thrilled that so many people are moving into more permanent housing; however, with that turnover comes the need to “turn over” the apartments themselves and prepare them for new families to move into…and that’s where you come in. Our Apartment Partners program offers two levels of support: Unit Support and Family Support. You can be part of one or both. Unit Support helps us keep the apartments stocked for the next family that moves in. Providing Unit Support includes purchasing/replacing furniture, towels and linens, kitchen utensils, Amazon Wishlist items, “starter packs” of cleaning supplies, and more. Large items, such as furniture and appliances, are used from family to family and are only replaced when they are no longer functional. The average investment of being a Unit Support Partner is between $300-$1000 a year, though your contributions can of course be higher or lower. Family Support directly helps the families who stay in our SHP units. During a family’s time with BCHG, our case managers work to help families return to a place of “normal” as their housing crisis resolves. Most of our families have been living in “survival mode” prior to coming to us, and we want to help them begin to thrive again. This looks different for each family, but there are some things that are universal; birthdays, holidays, school milestones. Providing Family Support includes helping to pay for those sports and extracurricular fees, holiday gifts, birthday boxes, car repairs, and more. The average annual investment of being a Family Support Partner is between $100-$1000, but again contributions are flexible. To learn more about our new and improved program, click the link below, and if you or your group are interested in becoming an Apartment Partner, please email Amanda at amcgill@bchg.org. Apartment Partners Program Info Written by: Hannah Borish
How You Can Help Fight Hunger in Bucks County Summer is here, and while it brings excitement for many, it also poses challenges for our food pantries. This season can be particularly tough as our stock levels tend to run low due to difficulties in securing food donations. While the demand for food assistance intensifies during these months, the support typically garnered during holidays and through school-drive initiatives diminishes. Compounded by the increasing costs of food and reductions in emergency SNAP benefits, the rising client need for food pantry services presents a challenge. We have observed a steady and significant increase in the number of clients seeking assistance at our food pantries. In the month of May alone, over 550 unique households were served, providing vital support to 1,469 individuals a staggering 4,199 times. This figure has only grown in the month of June and is expected to rise as we enter July. SNAP benefits, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is a federal assistance program in the United States. It provides eligible individuals and families with funds to purchase nutritious food. The program aims to alleviate food insecurity and improve access to healthy meals. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pennsylvania provided temporary additional SNAP payments to recipients. These additional funds, typically averaging $95 or more, were crucial in supporting households facing food insecurity and mitigating the pandemic’s impact on vulnerable populations. However, in February, these extra benefits ended, resulting in decreased food assistance for many. Furthering the struggle, food prices continue to rise due to factors including international inflation, labor costs, supply chain issues, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts a projected increase of 4.1% in food production costs for the year 2023. These food prices not only impact consumers, but also our food program’s ability to purchase food. Bucks County Housing Group has witnessed a rise in clients struggling with homelessness or housing insecurity. The issue of homelessness almost always intersects with food insecurity, amplifying the urgency to provide consistent and reliable access to nourishing food. The combination of these factors has created a significant gap that BCHG strives to bridge. We work hard to ensure that vulnerable individuals and families have access to essential sustenance. Our comprehensive approach to food security services ensures the issue of food access is addressed at every stage. These challenges may seem overwhelming, but this is where your support really makes a difference! By increasing awareness of the ongoing need for food donations during the summer months, individuals, local businesses, and community organizations play a crucial role in ensuring that no one goes hungry. Every contribution, no matter how small, can make a significant impact in the lives of those struggling with food insecurity and homelessness. There are many ways to help: Food Donations: Please consider donating either perishable or non-perishable food items. These contributions directly support our clients. Donations can be dropped off at our Penndel Pantry Tuesdays 10:00am – 12:00pm and our Doylestown Pantry Wednesday 1:30 – 3:30pm. To coordinate other donation times or food drives, please email amcgill@bchg.org. Financial Contributions: The best way to support our pantries currently is with monetary donations or gift cards to local grocery stores. These donations allow BCHG to purchase fresh produce, dairy products, and other perishable items, ensuring a balanced and nutritious food supply for our food pantries. Even a small contribution can go a long way in making a positive impact. Volunteer Support: Make a difference in your community by volunteering at BCHG’s food pantries or organizing food drives. Your time and skills can have a significant impact, helping to collect and distribute food to those in need. Spread the Word: Share the mission of BCHG through social media, community newsletters, local events, or just tell a friend about us! Raising awareness is key to expanding our impact and reaching more individuals and families in need. We are facing a decline in food donations and an increase in demand at our food pantries. This presents a pressing challenge, but one we are ready to face. We are dedicated to providing food assistance to all community members who turn to our pantries. To reach that goal, we need your help. Please consider supporting us and our mission to close the door on hunger in Bucks County! Share our mission by following along! Instagram: @buckscountyhousinggroup Facebook: Bucks County Housing Group Twitter: @housing4all LinkedIn: Bucks County Housing Group Written By: Dominic DiFrancesco
The Disproportionate Impact of Food and Housing Insecurity on the LGBTQIA+ Community June is National Pride Month, a time to celebrate all colors of love and reflect on the history of the LGBTQIA+ community in our country. While Pride Month is mainly honored through bright and fun events like parades and parties, it is also a bleak reminder of the hatred, hardships, and disproportionate challenges that members of the LGBTQIA+ community have faced throughout history and still face today. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), these challenges are often caused by different social, economic, and systemic factors, such as discrimination, family rejection, and being at a higher risk for mental challenges. Unfortunately, members of the LGBTQIA+ community face discrimination in many areas of life, and housing/food security is no exception. In general, LGBTQIA+ adults report significantly higher rates of hunger and homelessness than the general population. Housing Insecurity The Williams Institute at UCLA’s School of Law published a study in 2020 that found that, compared to cisgender heterosexual individuals, members of the LGBTQIA+ community have higher rates of poverty, lower rates of homeownership, and higher rates of homelessness. The report found that 17% of sexual minority adults reported experiencing lifetime homelessness; this number is almost three times higher than the percentage of the general population who reported experiencing lifetime homelessness (6%). The study also found that more than 70% of heterosexual, cisgender adults own their own homes, while less than half of LGBTQIA+ adults own their own homes. Other Williams Institute studies have found that homeownership is even lower among LGBTQIA+ racial minorities and transgender people. In the housing market, LGBTQIA+ individuals are often mistreated by online renters, mortgage lenders, and homeless shelters and services. “Stigma and discrimination create or exacerbate housing instability for LGBT people across their lives, from family rejection of LGBT youth to discrimination in the rental market and mortgage industry to harassment at senior living facilities,” (Williams Institute). Real-life examples of this discrimination include housing providers not renting or selling to same-sex couples, realtors refusing to show houses to a transgender individual, and a leasing manager at a 55+ community rejecting a tenant’s request to add his same-sex partner to his lease, stating, in writing, that “the community only accepts married couples in unions between one man and one woman,” (HUD). Food Insecurity The same discrimination and disproportionate numbers can be found when looking at food security among the LGBTQIA+ community. According to the Household Pulse Survey conducted between July and August of 2021, more than 13% of LGBTQIA+ adults reported living in a home where there was often not enough to eat, almost double that of non-LGBTQIA+ adults (7%). Furthermore, a Williams Institute report published in 2020 revealed that the number of LGBTQIA+ individuals who reported not having enough food to eat that year was more than double that of the general population. Not only do members of the queer community face hunger more often than heterosexual, cisgender adults, but they also reported often feeling unwelcome at food pantries and places that were supposed to help them. How to Help So, what can we do to help? At Bucks County Housing Group, our mission is to make food and permanent housing more accessible to everyone, regardless of who they love or how they identify. We work toward this goal through various housing programs like supportive housing, rapid rehousing, housing counseling, and food programs like our pantries, mobile markets, and community gardens. None of this work would be possible without the support of community members like you. If you’re able, please help us on our mission to end hunger and homelessness in Bucks County through any or all of the methods below: Volunteer Donate Hold A Drive Share our mission by following along!Instagram: @buckscountyhousinggroupFacebook: Bucks County Housing GroupTwitter: @housing4all Lastly, be sure to stay up to date on local news and updates impacting the LGBTQIA+ community. Written By: Hannah Borish
Written By: Sherry Pace April is financial capabilities month! Our HUD Certified Housing Counselors are here year-round to assist you with budgeting, financial capabilities, first-time homebuying, and foreclosure prevention. To help you navigate your finances, here are some top tips from a HUD Certified Housing Counselor: Not sure about your budget? Get Housing Counseling. Create a realistic Money Map to help you reach your goals because money management is not managing to spend all your money each month! Start building wealth instead of financed stuff. Consider compounding interest and the benefit of building savings and earning interest on interest, instead of paying interest on interest when carrying credit card balances. Start saving for retirement as early as possible – those 40 years go by fast! Credit affects more than just a home purchase – it affects rates on any type of loan you may want to purchase, your housing choices, insurance costs, and sometimes even employment. Review your credit report and future plans with a counselor before making any changes to your credit profile. Want to know more or need individualized advice? Learn more about our program here, or complete an intake application with our Housing Counseling department here and look out for an email from us!
Written By: Lindsay Troyer Since the COVID-19 pandemic, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) recipients in Pennsylvania have been temporarily receiving an “extra SNAP” payment in the second half of the month. This extra boost (averaging $95+) has been supporting households already experiencing food insecurity and helped mitigate the impact of the pandemic on this more vulnerable population. However, these additional SNAP distributions will be ending this month, and food banks and nonprofits are preparing for the predicted increases, including our food programs here at BCHG. We are ready to help our community members who will face extra needs as a result of this change. Please visit and share our food pantries page if you or someone you care about is in need, and continue reading to learn more about this policy and its changes in our community. What is SNAP and how do ‘emergency allotments’ work? SNAP benefits are tiered monthly monetary distribution based on the USDA’s Thrifty Food Plan – defined by the USDA as “the cost of groceries needed to provide a healthy, budget-conscious diet for a family of four.” The “maximum benefit allowed” is given to those with essentially no income. Using this determination, a family of 4’s maximum allotment would be $939/month, and under non-emergency circumstances, that maximum allotment would be reduced by 30% of the household’s net income, averaging closer to $700/month for that family of 4. Emergency Allotments were implemented at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and SNAP recipients who had already been receiving the maximum allotment based on their ‘income’ received a second payment of an additional $95/month. Recipients who hadn’t met the maximum allotment prior to the pandemic began receiving the difference between their distribution and the maximum allotment as a second monthly disbursement in the second half of the month. Emergency Allotment Impact Emergency allotments kept approximately 4.2 million people out of poverty, reducing poverty by 9.6% in states with them – including reducing child poverty by 14% (Wheaton and Kwon, Urban Institute, 2022). Unfortunately, ending these extra SNAP allotments will create extra challenges for our community members to meet their nutritional and dietary needs, but that’s where your local food banks, pantries, and community fridges help bridge the gap. Now more than ever, this is where food secure community members can get involved and really make a big difference. Check out our food programs page for more information about our food pantry, mobile markets, and how to get involved in our community! To donate to our mission and our food programs, visit our donations page. To see our food program’s impact on Bucks County children, check out this infographic:
Ayleah is a student at Swarthmore College majoring in Economics and minoring in Global Studies. She is interested in learning more about urban planning and researching public health disparities. Ayleah’s work was focused on creating a transportation program in suburbs and rural areas like Bucks County. She is exploring why there is a need for transportation in these areas mainly because there is a lack of reliable and affordable public transportation in these areas. “From my own experience back at home in North Carolina, I know relying on public transit can make one trip take an entire afternoon. It’s not all that uncommon for families to delay getting medication, finding help at food banks/shelters, or keep up with financial services just because there’s no way for them to get across town. Over time, these problems compound, especially for vulnerable populations like the elderly, disabled, veterans, or families. For these reasons, I believe investing into private transportation services, such as uber/lyft assistance, van shuttling, and helping pay for auto repairs, would be more effective measures at providing transportation assistance to people in rural and suburban areas as opposed to providing public transit.” To view Ayleah’s research, click here.
We wanted to cast a spotlight on our final student researcher who worked with us this past summer. Thank you Kahlaa for all of the meaningful support you have provided to our organization. Kahlaa is a student at Swarthmore College, majoring in Economics and minoring in Engineering. Last summer, Kahlaa researched the relationship between housing and health in Pennsylvania, based on counties’ median household income. Kahlaa was recently abroad in Spring of 2020 with a global health curriculum, and she was motivated in learning more about the complexity of health in the U.S through her research. Click here to view Kahlaa’s research.
During the summer of 2020, Bucks County Housing Group ran a Research Internship to help shed light on the community problems that we work with every day. We would like to use our website to highlight their work. Meet Puja! Puja is a student at George Washington University studying political science and economics. Last summer, Puja studied how the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are changing the housing conditions of those in the Bucks County community. Specifically, she focused on BCHG’s housing program clients and how their needs have evolved during this challenging time. At the end of her study, she developed recommendations for potential adaptations to the housing programs. Puja is interested in this issue because she enjoys exploring economic topics, and wanted to address a current and relevant problem in her community. This summer, Puja plans to return to examine the longitudinal effects of the pandemic on those in need throughout our county. To view Puja’s research so far, click here.