Homeless Health Initiative
Our Homeless Health Initiative (HHI) provides free health services to children and families living in local emergency housing shelters. Hundreds of dedicated HHI volunteers provide free health services and customized programming designed to care for the health and welfare of families experiencing homelessness.
Our services include:
- High-quality, acute medical and dental care
- Connection to health insurance as well as primary and specialty care providers
- Health education on topics such as nutrition and fitness
- Collaboration with local and national partners to advocate for the healthcare of children in shelters
- Assistance in replicating the HHI model in other communities
If you’re looking for emergency housing, contact Philadelphia’s Office of Homeless Services for help. After hours (nights, holidays, weekends), call 215-787-2887.
Volunteer opportunities
The Homeless Health Initiative depends on dedicated volunteers to provide free, high-quality medical and dental care, health education and various services to children and families in the shelters we serve. We offer rewarding clinical and non-clinical opportunities during flexible daytime and evening hours, weekdays and weekends, with full support from HHI staff and volunteer leaders.
Weekday daytime opportunities - Philly
SPARK: Safe Physical Activities and Recreation for Kids is a weekly fitness and nutrition program for children, empowering them to make healthy choices during their time in shelter and beyond. Volunteers receive ongoing supervision and support from program leadership to facilitate a structured trauma-informed curriculum that provides opportunities for fun play while learning healthy lifestyle choices.
- Who: Anyone 18 years and older is welcome to join!
- When: One Wednesday a month, 4 - 5 p.m.
- Where: LSH/Jane Addams Place, Philadelphia, PA
Weekday daytime opportunities - Trenton
CHOP Health Matters (health education workshops): Lead a parent health education workshop once or on an ongoing basis. Share medical topics or skill of your expertise, such as acute illness, asthma, diabetes, nutrition, vaccines, CPR, development, behavior, art therapy, etc.
- Who: Anyone 18 years and older is welcome to join!
- When: Every Thursday, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
- Where: HomeFront, Ewing, NJ
Adult exercise: Lead a yoga, dance or Zumba class once or on an ongoing basis.
- Who: Anyone 18 years and older is welcome to join!
- When: Daytime hours M-F; Contact HHI for schedule
- Where: HomeFront, Ewing, NJ
Adult art: Lead an art class in medium of your expertise once or on an ongoing basis.
- Who: Anyone 18 years and older is welcome to join!
- When: Daytime/weekdays – specific date/time of workshop(s) to be mutually agreed upon
- Where: HomeFront, Ewing, NJ
Weekday evening opportunities - Philly
CHOP Night: HHI's core program in Philadelphia. Once a month, HHI volunteers offer free onsite medical and dental care to families living in emergency housing shelters throughout West Philadelphia. HHI’s multidisciplinary volunteer team consists of CHOP attending physicians, pediatric residents, dental fellows, nurses and nurse practitioners, social workers and PARC outpatient registration volunteers, as well as local university students in nursing, social work, dentistry and medicine. The overall goal is to improve health and health access, and to reduce health disparities within this population.
- Who: Only CHOP volunteers - clinical (RN, APP, MD, DMD), CHOP PARC team members, Penn medical/dental/nursing students, and HHI social work interns.
- Contact HHI team for more details.
Weekend opportunities - Philly
Workout/character building with teens: The HHI team offers weekly workout and character-building sessions for teens living in shelters. We’re looking for volunteers, especially those who specialize in adolescent medicine, to join our team. Volunteers encourage leadership by selecting teens to help recruit participants and lead the workout. After each workout, teens, volunteers and shelter staff participate in a conversation about character strength and take turns recognizing each other for the strengths they possess. By the session’s end, everyone has been recognized for having at least one strength — sometimes it’s a trait they hadn’t even recognized in themselves before — and they leave feeling seen and loved.
- Who: Clinical (RN, APP, MD) and non-clinical volunteers (anyone 18 years and older is welcome to join!)
- When: Sundays, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
- Where: HopePHL's Youth Emergency Service (YES), Philadelphia, PA
Shelters we serve
Our Homeless Health Initiative (HHI) works with several emergency housing shelters in the Greater Philadelphia area, providing a wide range of supportive services.
Resources for families
We have compiled these resources for families in need of emergency shelter, mental health services or crisis intervention.
Homeless Health Initiative 2023 Annual Impact Report
Last year, HHI provided healthcare, hope and inspiration to hundreds of children and families experiencing homelessness. Our 2023 Annual Report offers an overview of our accomplishments over the year.
Our team
Our team of experts is dedicated to providing high-quality medical care and support services to children and families experiencing homelessness.
Thank You for Your Generosity to HHI
Our Homeless Health Initiative (HHI) appreciates the generosity of individuals, groups and organizations that donate goods and supplies to families that reside in our partner shelters in and around Philadelphia.
Building a Partnership
In the United States alone, 37.2 million people live below the poverty level, 580,000 individuals are homeless on a typical night, 44 million individuals are at risk of experiencing hunger, and one in six children live in poverty.