A reminder to support West Philly non-profits, causes on #GivingTuesday (updated)

December 2, 2025

As always on #GivingTuesday, we’re encouraging our readers to show their appreciation for West Philly-based non-profit organizations. Throughout the day, we’ll be posting messages from West Philly non-profits in this post and on our social media. Please consider supporting a local cause today with your donation or volunteering. Also, please visit our Civic Life/Neighborhood Resources page where you can find information on many other West Philly non-profits.

Kicks for Kids: Giving Tuesday with HopePHL

Giving Tuesday, which falls on Tuesday, Dec. 2 this year, is a global day of generosity where everyone can give back to their communities through donations, acts of kindness, or spreading awareness. In 2024, more than 50,000 children and youth in Pennsylvania experienced homelessness, with over 10,000 of them right here in Philadelphia. These are not just numbers; they are children whose futures are impacted by housing instability and trauma. HopePHL believes that every child deserves a safe place to call home, and is on a mission to turn these statistics around. Details for participating in Kicks for Kids with HopePHL can be found here.

HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy Announces Giving Tuesday Campaign with New Matching Partners to Support Strategic Planning Efforts

HMS School’s 2025 Giving Tuesday campaign carries special significance as HMS navigates a shift in annual funding and prepares to enter a new chapter with new leadership. For the past decade, HMS has received annual funding from the Rite Aid Healthy Futures Foundation, which previously supported the school’s essential efforts to provide high-quality, safe, and accessible services to students with complex needs caused by cerebral palsy or traumatic brain injury. When Rite Aid closed on October 4th, the Foundation subsequently became inactive, leaving HMS with an unforeseen funding shortage. In response, three remarkable companies have stepped forward to ensure HMS does not face this transition alone. Heckendorn Shiles Architects, Stockton Real Estate Advisors, LLC, and Pennoni will collectively match every individual Giving Tuesday donation up to $10,000, helping replace the lost Rite Aid support and doubling the impact of every gift made through December 3rd. To participate in Giving Tuesday or learn more about HMS School, please visit www.hmsschool.org.

A Giving Tuesday Message from ACHIEVEability

“This GivingTuesday, we’re pausing to say thank you. Because of you, ACHIEVEability has supported thousands of West Philadelphia families through another year of challenge and change. You’ve kept lights on, roofs secure, and futures bright. You’ve helped parents focus on work and education instead of eviction notices. If you’re inspired to do more this GivingTuesday, your generosity will help families weather the uncertainty ahead and stay firmly on their path toward stability. Give in gratitude and keep West Philly families strong.”

The Woodlands: Support the Space you Love

“Shorter, colder days mean the ginkgos have lost their gold, and ochre carpets surround the trunks, the Schuylkill River is visible through the canopy, and our cold-weather flying friends have arrived for the season. Support the daily maintenance and operations of The Woodlands by making a gift to our end-of-year campaign. And, give yourself something to look forward to by joining us on Friday, December 19th, to welcome the shortest day of the year.”

Support Philly People of Hope’s Community Efforts

Philly People of Hope (PPOH) is a grassroots community organization serving West Philadelphia and Kensington. PPOH operates multiple resource banks and weekly outreach initiatives where they provide groceries, hot meals, hygiene supplies, clothing, and emergency support to families, seniors, disabled neighbors, and unhoused community members. The organization is fully community-funded, and every donation directly supports food distribution, supply restocking, and outreach operations. PPOH is currently fundraising to expand their shelves, increase their food supply, and purchase a used van to support daily pickups and deliveries. To support Philly People of Hope’s community efforts, go here.

Curio Theatre Company’s 21st Birthday: Give a Gift on Giving Tuesday

“Your donation — ANY donation — is the arm around our shoulders that helps us get home safely. It keeps the lights on. It pays the humans. It keeps the kids learning. It keeps the stories flowing. It keeps the actors acting the directors directing and the ladders laddering. It helps us connect with lifelong friends, meet new ones and helps to foster our community. So, if your heart is open, if your wallet is willing, if you’ve ever loved us in the flickering half-light of a stage… please consider giving to Curio’s 21st birthday. We would be and already are so grateful, and Curio is insisting that you celebrate with us in our 21st birthday, because you’re a part of Curio.”

Project MEOW