ECS has transformed St. Barnabas Mission from a 107-bed emergency shelter to a Community Resource Center.
At the same time, ECS has expanded its Rapid Rehousing capacity from 20 units to 60 units, giving ECS more capacity to house individuals and families in need than existed with St Barnabas.
Current and Future Offerings
- St. Barnabas has a number of critical assets. Following a lengthy community needs assessment the following programs and capacity are either operational or will be shortly.
Industrial Kitchen and Dining Room
- Supports Cook-Off creating some 500 freezable healthy meals for delivery to individuals in need of meals. Focused currently on elderly populations in West Philadelphia.
- Future plans include community meals and healthy eating education.
- Low-cost rental kitchen space for food services entrepreneurs
- Education for food service professionals
Food Pantry
- In partnership with Philabundance, St. Barnabas serves the community with a shopping experience to provide healthy choice food and essential home and personal goods
- Open choice pantry launched in April 2021, now serving over 435 families
- Support for Mission Meals and Market model and programs
Behavioral Health Clinic
- In partnership with Malvern Behavioral Health, the clinic provides onsite services
ECS Program Space
- HQ Inclusion and Advocacy, positioned to support I&A efforts that wrap around participant and community services
- HQ Rapid Rehousing
- ECS Wellness Programs and Partnerships
- ECS Out of School Time (OST) Offices
- Economic Mobility Coaching , ECS MindSet Offerings
- Specialist Programs: Financial Counseling; Housing Counseling; and Work Force Counseling
Episcopal Legal Aid
- Monthly in-person clinics and direct referrals
Community Incubator Space
- Rooms with meeting space and technology available to the community
- Digital literacy program offerings
Outdoor Community Meeting Space and Playground
- Safe space for children to play
- Safe space for community members to gather
Hosting Various Partners
- Satellite constituent services from State Representative Morgan Cephas and Councilman Curtis Jones
- Health Promotion Council (HPC)
- Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM)
- West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI)
- Shape UPZ