Philadelphia has the highest rate of poverty among the nation's 10 largest cities. One in four Philadelphians lives in poverty. So do over a third of all children. Philadelphia's rate of poverty is more than four times that of surrounding counties.

The problem is daunting, but ECS is part of the solution.

Since our founding in 1870 as the Protestant Episcopal City Mission, ECS has cared for the most vulnerable among us as a matter of faith and responsibility. When tuberculosis devastated tenement communities in the early 1900's, we treated those suffering from the disease and helped alleviate the overcrowding and poor nutrition that contributed to its spread.

Today, ECS St. Barnabas Mission for homeless women and their children provides far more than shelter, offering education and comprehensive social services that help families become self-sufficient. Our foster care program supplanted orphanages in the 1930's, years before other agencies made that shift. ECS Home Care helps seniors live safely in their own homes rather than institutions.

The specific needs in our community are always changing. Our values remain the same.

Reaching out from faith roots, we provide compassion and competence in equal measure to help families stay together, children and youth thrive, and communities grow stronger. Each year, we set ambitious goals for our programs and achieve measurable results.

It takes extraordinary energy, determination and resources to break the cycle of poverty. As an independent social services agency, we rely on partnerships with parishes and individuals to supplement funding from government, foundations and proceeds from our endowment.

Join with us and pledge your support to ECS. You can help accomplish this vital mission and reach out to the people behind the statistics.