Prevention Point Philadelphia

02/20/2026

Big thanks to Mark for sharing his story. Good news: Mark just moved into his new apartment from our shelter at Philly Home at Girard! . . . . . . .
Mark calls Prevention Point Philadelphia (PPP) “my safe haven.”

After years of substance use and uncertainty, Mark is finally addressing long-standing legal issues and, crucially, has just moved into permanent housing. He is recommending PPP’s services to everyone he meets on the streets.

“Prevention Point was there when I needed them,” says Mark, 62, a long-time Philadelphia resident. “They help a lot of people… I believe the programs they’ve installed and their polices and the way they operate has saved many lives.”

Although Mark comes from a close-knit family, he began experimenting with addictive substances, including angel dust, at age 10. He started using co***ne as a teenager. His neighbors in South and West Philadelphia were doing the same thing and “it was no big deal... it was accepted and seemed to be all right although it wasn’t all right,” Mark says.

Mark calls Prevention Point Philadelphia (PPP) “my safe haven.” &n

02/20/2026

Prevention Point's warming center resumes Sunday, 2/22 at 9 p.m. and will remain open through Monday, 2/23 at 6 a.m. We will then REOPEN later on Monday at 9 p.m. and close on Tuesday at 6 a.m. PPP is committed to getting people off the frozen streets and into a warm, calm, safe space during extreme temperatures.

02/18/2026

Prevention Point hosted a special testing event on Feb. 6 in honor of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Our team was able to test over 30 people in less than three hours. Thanks to Prevention Health Care Coordinator Kareem Mims, Lead Executive Officer Silvana Mazzella, and volunteer and patient Mark Knox for their powerful words.

02/17/2026

Vote for PPP as a Philly Favorite! Go to "Services" and then "Nonprofit Organization." Scroll down and select Prevention Point Philadelphia--we're towards the bottom--then submit your ballot. You can vote once every day until Feb. 27. Thank you!

Vote once per day from February 9 through February 27.

02/17/2026

Last week PPP’s Womxn’s Night held a Valentine’s Day tea party for our participants! Thanks to the community members who helped make it happen including Socks For The Streets, Andrea McCord, Ellie, Friends of Jerry, and Teena Weisler 💕🙏💖 The team worked hard to create a special event where our guests could feel extra loved and celebrated.

02/15/2026

All PPP services will be closed tomorrow for the federal holiday, with the exceptions of our shelters and homeless outreach team. We will open again as usual on Tuesday.

02/12/2026

Leave a Valentine's Day message for Prevention Point Philadelphia staff! PPP's employees work hard every single day providing lifesaving services to people facing homelessness, health complications, and substance use disorder. Leave them a sweet Valentine’s Day note in our comments or DMs and we will make sure they see it and feel the love!

02/12/2026

To spotlight the impact of HIV on Black communities, PPP hosted a free HIV testing event on Feb. 6 in honor of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, which was on Feb. 7. In just two hours, Kareem, Monica, and the testing team tested 33 patients. Crucially, they identified one patient with a known positive diagnosis, and reconnected them to care with PPP’s HIV clinic.

Speakers included Prevention Healthcare Coordinator Kareem Mims, Lead Executive Officer Silvana Mazzella, and PPP participant and volunteer Mark Knox. Kareem and tester Monica Hillard also conducted a “demo” HIV test to show how quick and pain-free these tests have become. No matter what a patient’s results are, our staff will be there to guide them to the next steps in their care.

Photos by Cari Feiler Bender

02/11/2026

Prevention Point's warming center resumes tomorrow, 2/12 at 9 p.m. and will remain open through Friday at 6 a.m. We will then REOPEN on Friday, 2/13 at 9 p.m. and close on Saturday at 6 a.m. PPP is committed to getting people off the frozen streets and into a warm, calm, safe space to sleep during extreme temperatures.

02/09/2026

Prevention Point's warming center resumes TONIGHT at 9 p.m. and will remain open through tomorrow at 6 a.m. We will then REOPEN on Tuesday, 2/10 at 9 p.m. and close on Wednesday at 6 a.m.

Once we reach maximum capacity, we do everything we can to connect people to another nearby warming center that has space. No one should be left to freeze on the streets.

Want to support this ongoing effort? We need:
Hot chocolate
Mini cereal boxes, chewy granola bars (no peanut butter)
Beverages: water, electrolyte packets, Gatorade
Blankets
Coats, mittens, hats, scarves
Underwear, including boxers

Contact teena@ppponline.org to schedule a drop-off. We also gratefully accept monetary donations at www.ppponline.org/donate

02/07/2026

February 7 is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD), a day 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.

Medicine has come such a long way since the height of the AIDS epidemic. People living with HIV can now have long, healthy lives with the proper treatment. However, we have a long way to go towards lowering stigma, discrimination, income inequality, and other factors that affect people's risk of acquiring HIV and ability to access treatment. Learn about PPP's HIV testing, prevention, and treatment programs: https://ppponline.org/medical-services

Stay tuned for a wrap-up of our NBHAAD event yesterday!

02/06/2026

PPP is opening again as a warming center TONIGHT 2/6 at 9 p.m. and will remain open through Sunday, 2/8 at 6 a.m. We will then REOPEN on Sunday at 9 p.m. until Monday at 6 a.m.

Once we reach maximum capacity, we do everything we can to connect people to another nearby warming center that has space. No one should be left to freeze on the streets.

Want to support this ongoing effort? We need:
Hot chocolate
Mini cereal boxes, chewy granola bars (no peanut butter)
Beverages: water, electrolyte packets, Gatorade
Blankets
Coats, mittens, hats, scarves
Underwear, including boxers

Contact teena@ppponline.org to schedule a drop-off. We also gratefully accept monetary donations at www.ppponline.org/donate