September 21, 2016
David Chiles, Executive Director of Providence Center
Providence Center in Philadelphia is a sponsored ministry of the Society of Holy Child Jesus.
Providence Center recently held an event to announce our impending move into a new building. We are excited about this move, as the new building is more than five times larger than our current row home. The extra space allows for more classrooms and activity areas to better serve our students and community.
At the same time, we are conscious of not losing the unique feeling of Providence Center. At the event in May, we had three of our students prepare remarks about what Providence Center means to them. Each student touched on the same theme: we are a family. Aisha, a 7th grader who has spent four years in our program, said, “Sometimes I worry about the violence in our neighborhood, but being at Providence Center makes me feel like I am at home because I am around friends and staff who are like family to me.”
Arisitdes, another 7th grader who has been with us for six years, agreed: “The kids know the minute they get there [Providence Center], they are going to feel safe, they’re going to be welcomed, and they’re going to be protected. No matter what, they’ll be there for us.” Isaiah, one of our Teen Leaders who recently graduated and is preparing to enter dental school, summed it up: “When I come to Providence Center, whether I’ve had a tough day at school or not, it’s like a family. You feel it.”
While Providence Center’s space and programs are growing, we are not losing sight of what makes us special. For many of our students, we are a safe haven, a home away from home.
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