The Porch Light Initiative
The City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program and the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) introduce The Porch Light Initiative, a three-year initiative to improve individual and community health in three North Philadelphia neighborhoods (the 19121, 19132, and 19140 zip codes).
Together with individuals receiving treatment for behavioral health challenges, we are building teams of behavioral health service providers, artists, and community residents to address trauma in our most underserved communities alongside the associated issues of drug addiction, mental illness, homelessness, and other behavioral health issues.
By facilitating opportunities for personal growth and leadership, creating transformative public art projects, and raising awareness of behavioral health services, The Porch Light Initiative will illuminate the pathway toward enhanced community health and overall quality of life.
The Goals of The Porch Light Initiative
- Shed light on challenges faced by those with behavioral health issues, reducing stigma and encouraging empathy among fellow community members
- Create a network of services for the benefit of individuals and families that heightens awareness of behavioral health resources and increases access to treatment
- Build a team of artists, service providers, individual participants, and other stakeholders that collaborate on transformative public art projects which encourage community ownership and pride and catalyze positive changes in neighborhoods
Partnering organizations: The City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS), Project H.O.M.E.’s Rowan Homes – Partner Agency for 19121, Sobriety Through Out-Patient (STOP) – Partner Agency for 19132, Asociació Puertorriqueños en Marcha (APM) – Partner Agency for 19140
The Porch Light Initiative is made possible thanks to the generous support of the following funders: City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health & Intellectual disAbility Services, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation, William Penn Foundation, Independence Foundation, Claneil Foundation, The Philadelphia Foundation, The Patricia Kind Family Foundation
Explore Our Completed Porch Light Projects
In partnership with Citizens Acting Together Can Help (CATCH)
