Who is Sister Mary Scullion?
Six facts to know about Project Home's Sister Mary Scullion.
Sister Mary Scullion, 70, a Philadelphia nun who grew up near Oxford Circle and attended both St. Joseph’s and Temple Universities, is president and executive director of the nationally renowned nonprofit, Project HOME. She’s also the organization’s co-founder. She plans to step down from her position by the end of 2024. She lives in a North Philadelphia Project Home residence for young adults aging out of foster care.
Who is Sister Mary Scullion’s Project HOME cofounder?
Joan Dawson McConnon, 63, the associate executive director who co-founded the nonprofit with Scullion in 1989, will also be stepping down in 2024. She lives in Springfield, Delaware County.
What kind of work does Project HOME do?
The nonprofit was formed to help fight homelessness. It has a $52 million operating budget, 1 million square feet of real estate, dozens of programs, and a staff of 450 who have helped countless people in need find homes, improve their health, become educated, and get jobs. Project HOME has created 1,000 units of housing in 19 residences. Its motto is: “None of us are home until all of us our home.”
What is Sister Mary Scullion’s reputation?
Scullion’s work with people experiencing homelessness has become nationally known. She was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most-influential people in 2009. She’s won the University of Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal, American Catholicism’s highest honor. Along the way, she’s consulted with the likes of Michelle Obama, Pope Francis, Colin Powell, Prince Charles, and Nancy Pelosi. She’s famously known for her work with New Jersey rock star Jon Bon Jovi, who has given millions of dollars to the cause fighting homelessness, much of it to Project HOME.
What was Sister Mary Scullion’s earlier work?
Scullion lived homeless for a week in 1978 to understand what it’s like to sleep in the open. She led demonstrators into City Council chambers, set up protest encampments at 30th Street Station, and was arrested for civil disobedience efforts a reported four times.
What is Sister Mary Scullion like personally?
Unassuming and self-deprecating, Scullion is also considered to be a tireless advocate who can be quite tough. “Believe me,” a former Philadelphia police officer who’s worked with Scullion for years said, “if she needs to tell you off, she will.”