Prevention Point Philadelphia

01/29/2026

To spotlight the impact of HIV on Black communities, PPP is hosting a free HIV testing event on Friday, February 6 at 12 pm in honor of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD), which is on February 7. Anyone who takes an HIV test at PPP on February 6 will receive a $10 McDonald’s gift card. This event includes a short speaking program and a live demonstration of HIV testing. All are welcome to join us to mark this important day!

NBHAAD is dedicated to raising awareness about the disproportionate impact of HIV on Black communities. First observed in 1999, NBHAAD highlights the importance of community involvement and improved access to HIV education, prevention, testing, and treatment services.

We hope to see you here at PPP on February 6 for light refreshments, an overview of PPP's HIV prevention and treatment services, and of course, testing!

01/28/2026

Want to make a difference in 2026? Volunteer at PPP!

Wade Collins has been volunteering with PPP's Prevention Services program on "Pack and Prep Wednesdays" for over four months, saying it is important for him to help people facing substance use disorder, as he once was. Now in recovery, Wade is a dependable, empathetic presence every Wednesday when he helps the HIV Prevention team assemble supply kits.

"I have six years clean. I passed my goal of five years, so I am proud of myself," he says. "I'm just trying to be a better human being, because that's what recovery is about. That's why I volunteer, so I can help people, and help myself in the process."

If you'd like to join Wade, sign up through the volunteer form on our website and a team member will follow up with all the details: https://ppponline.org/services/volunteering

01/27/2026

The January 2026 issue of PPP's newsletter, To the Point, is out! This issue highlights our Homeless Services Department. Read this letter from the department's director, Dale Tippett, to learn more about what sets our shelter, case management, & outreach services apart:

We all know that housing is foundational. The real question is: how do we help people get there?

For individuals experiencing homelessness and substance use disorder, the path to health and stable housing is filled with obstacles. As service providers, we continually challenge ourselves to remove those barriers and offer care that is consistent, dignified, and grounded in respect. Our goal is not just shelter, but stability—and a real opportunity to move forward.

My name is Dale Tippett, and I serve as Director of Homeless Services at PPP. Our Homeless Services program includes two emergency shelters, housing case management, on-site medical care, and street outreach. Over my eight years working within PPP’s housing department, I’ve seen firsthand how a low-barrier shelter model can meet people where they are and address their most urgent needs.

At our shelters, we provide more than a bed. We offer a clean and welcoming space, homemade meals, and medical services—paired with consistent guidance toward housing stability and the next phase of each person’s life. This approach reflects a simple belief: if people feel safe, respected, and supported, meaningful change becomes possible.

PPP currently operates 159 emergency shelter beds across two locations—Beacon House and Philly Home at Girard—in partnership with the City of Philadelphia. We are the only shelter program in the city designed specifically for people experiencing substance use disorder. Our spaces are intentionally low-barrier and non-judgmental, built to support healing rather than impose unnecessary rules. We allow pets, do not enforce a curfew, and prioritize access to care—because these details matter.

Read more of Dale's letter & scroll the entire newsletter: https://us9.campaign-archive.com/?u=fe70e32655920929549247f22&id=73a4b810a3

01/27/2026

Due to the weather, PPP’s mobile sites are closed today and tomorrow/Wednesday.

All other services are operating as normal and we continue to host an overnight warming center every night this week.

01/25/2026

Due to the snow and life-threatening temperatures, PPP will be open tomorrow on Monday as a warming center for folks with nowhere else to go in the cold. Our clinics will be on pause, as all staff at the main building will be pitching in to keep our space warm, welcoming, and safe. We will try to be open during our normal hours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., but we ask for a bit of grace and flexibility as we don't know what the roads will look like yet.

This is in addition to our overnight warming centers, which opened last night and will continue through next Sunday morning at 6 a.m. Every night this week we open at 9 p.m. and close at 6 a.m. No one should freeze to death on the streets of our city.

Want to help?

DONATIONS NEEDED:
Hot chocolate
Mini cereal boxes
Chewy granola bars (no peanut butter)
Beverages: water, electrolyte packets, Gatorade
Blankets
Coats, mittens, hats, scarves
Underwear, including boxers

If you'd like to drop off a donation, contact Teena to coordinate: teena@ppponline.org

We also gratefully accept monetary donations at: www.ppponline.org/donate

01/23/2026

Due to the expected winter storm and life-threatening temperatures, PPP's emergency warming center will continue starting tomorrow, Saturday, at 9 p.m. We will be open overnight until Sunday, February 1, at 6 a.m. No one should freeze to death on the streets of our city.

Want to help in this herculean effort?

DONATIONS NEEDED:
Hot chocolate
Mini cereal boxes
Chewy granola bars (no peanut butter)
Beverages: water, electrolyte packets, Gatorade
Blankets
Coats, mittens, hats, scarves
Underwear, including boxers

If you'd like to drop off a donation, contact Teena to coordinate: teena@ppponline.org

We also gratefully accept monetary donations at: www.ppponline.org/donate

01/22/2026

Thanks to Molly, a resident at Philly Home at Girard, for sharing a glimpse into her journey. We're really proud to work with her and grateful that she's a part of our community. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Molly came from “a good family,” she says, and has a supportive lifelong relationship with her loving mother. Yet, she had a lot of anger issues when she was growing up, a problem exacerbated by a strict disciplinarian father and the slow pace of life in a small Poconos town. When she was 14, her friends started experimenting with drugs. She did, too.

“I always thought that drugs were bad and was like, ‘Don’t use them. They’re horrible,’” recalls Molly, now 37. “But when I used them, I laughed and had fun. From there, it became ‘Well, that drug was fun. Let me try a different drug.’”

When she used, Molly says, she “felt confident. I had an almost unstoppable feeling. And I wanted to chase that feeling.”

Fast forward to 2013. After trying co***ne, Oxycontin, Percocet, and other addictive substances, Molly was using he**in and living on the streets of Kensington with her wife. Prevention Point quickly became part of their lives, a place where they could access medical services and sterile HIV prevention tools, have meals, and get water and coffee.

The couple also became regulars at PPP’s Women’s Night events. One night, Molly remembers, PPP handed out snow boots and winter jackets for everybody. It was her wife’s birthday, and the staff celebrated it.

“Things like that made us feel human again,” Molly says. Read her story:

Molly came from “a good family,” she says, and has a supportive lifelong relationship with her lo

01/20/2026

PPP is hosting another warming center TONIGHT, 9 p.m.-6 a.m., at our main building 2913-15 Kensington Avenue. It's getting down to 11 degrees after the sun sets. Want to help keep unhoused Philadelphians out of the cold? Contact teena@ppponline.org about in-kind donations or make a monetary contribution at www.ppponline.org/donate. Thank you!

01/18/2026

After our warming center ends tomorrow at 6am, all PPP services are closed in honor of MLK Day, with the exception of our two shelter locations and homeless outreach. We will open again on Tuesday as usual 💕

01/17/2026

Teena Weisler, Prevention Point’s warming center coordinator, said the doors opened at the organization’s headquarters at 9 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15, when most other warming centers in the city close.

“Then we go through the night until 6 a.m.,” said Weisler. “In my experience, people really do just want a safe, warm space to sleep and rest because it's not happening on the street. You can not get good sleep and rest your body outside."

With Philadelphia set to experience its coldest stretch this winter, Prevention Point Philadelphia and Project HOME are partnering for a series of overnight warming centers. The city has declared a Code Blue ahead of the upcoming cold weather.

01/14/2026

PPP is hosting a series of emergency warming centers for our unhoused community members starting TOMORROW!

So far, our warming center dates are:

Thurs 1/15, Fri 1/16, Sat 1/17, Sun 1/18
Each day, 9 p.m.-6 a.m.
Stay tuned for more date announcements.

PPP will provide: snacks, breakfast, hot chocolate and other beverages, yoga mats, and blankets. Staff will also distribute hygiene kits in the morning as guests leave.

DONATIONS NEEDED:
Hot chocolate
Mini cereal boxes
Chewy granola bars (no peanut butter)
Beverages: water, electrolyte packets, Gatorade
Blankets
Coats, mittens, hats, scarves
Underwear, including boxers

If you'd like to drop off a donation, contact Teena to coordinate: teena@ppponline.org

We also gratefully accept monetary donations at: www.ppponline.org/donate

01/12/2026

In 2026, we are so grateful for Harm Reduction Therapeutics and their generous donation of RiVive, the lower-dose, 3mg nasal naloxone spray.

RiVive’s 3mg formulation is effective in saving lives, and could also be a more compassionate option for opioid overdose reversal. A lower dose of naloxone decreases the likelihood of severe precipitated opioid withdrawal symptoms. This makes the experience of waking up gentler for the patient and reduces the risk of another immediate overdose.

We are excited to expand our options for overdose reversal medication and get this into the hands of community members.

If you are interested in lower dose naloxone, Narcan, or intramuscular naloxone, stop by Prevention Point Philadelphia, Monday–Fridays, 9am–4pm.