The Advocate Cafe: A Hand-Up, Not a Hand-Out
Project Goals and Objectives:
- Foster creativity in the fields of photography, social media, and community outreach, culminating in projects completed by high school Youth Works Work Ready interns
- Promote cardiovascular and oral health
- Increase awareness of substance abuse, chronic diseases, and hunger
- Establish the foundations for ACCE to aid in the launch
- Create a comprehensive review of the Advocate Café to showcase the soup kitchen’s impact on the community and utilize the data for upcoming improvements
- Collaborate with other non-profits committed to hunger relief to initiate future partnerships
Personal Statements
“I began my journey as a BTG intern with high hopes of inspiring change by bringing medical knowledge to my site, learning more about the surrounding community, and working with an interdisciplinary team. What I never expected was to gain as much perspective and insight into the motivations and reasons behind different human behaviors. Working with a varied population- age, race, sex, housing status-allowed me to examine the struggles of everyday life for many and taught me to approach everyone with the respect and mindfulness their experience deserves. I walk away from this experience with more tools in my tool belt and knowledge in my library, which I will carry with me into my future career and personal life.” – Kelsey McGlade
“Through BTG, I have been exposed to the complexities of various issues faced by inner-city communities in north Philadelphia, such as hunger, poverty, chronic illnesses, and lack of resources. I began this summer with high expectations and the hope of changing lives in the weeks to come; however, from my time at Church of the Advocate, I gained significant insight from the community they serve. I learned that life is about making the best of every situation and to focus on personal development: becoming a better person every day and doing things not only because you enjoy them, but rather because you want to make an impact on others. Overall, I will always remember my experiences from BTG and use that knowledge to be a well-rounded and empathetic pharmacist.” – Maggie Gandhi