About the Patrician Society
Founded in 1981 to help those in need, the Patrician Society is currently focused on addressing the needs of the swelling ranks of families who are hungry and come to us for food. We also offer a summer camp for children. In the past, we have run a men's shelter, a multi-national Hispanic support group, a senior citizens program, an after-school care center and a youth job-training program in conjunction with Temple University. The Society's founder, Rev. Gerard McCaffrey, was a priest at St. Patrick R.C. Church in Norristown who was concerned with the growing problems in his neighborhood. Father McCaffrey, along with Franny Lawrence, Charles McPherson and Joe McLaughlin galvanized a group of fellow citizens around a simple mission: To help those in need in any way we can. Today, the Patrician Society is a secular organization, no longer funded by the church, that receives its financial support primarily through donations and grants secured by its director and its volunteer Board of Directors. In 2011 we served nearly 1,200 different verifiably needy families through one or more of our services. All donations to the Patrician Society are used to provide for the basic human needs of the less fortunate among us.
Emergency Assistance
Patrician Society assistance includes providing a grocery baskets designed to supply enough food for all family members in a verifiably needy family to have 3 meals a day for 3 days. Whenever possible, we use volunteers for cupboard tasks such as intake, food sorting, grocery package makeup and distribution as well as other jobs required to supply food to our needy patrons.
When funds are available, the Patrician Society also provides financial aid with utilities, uninsured medical supplies, and housing costs. Since we are able to generate donations from a wide area, we have no geographic boundaries in terms of providing service. If a potential client can prove an economic need (and as long as we have access to necessary resources), we will do all we can to help out.
Children's Summer Camp
Each summer the Patrician Society Summer Day Camp enrolls forty children ages five through eleven in each of six one-week sessions providing recreational and educational opportunities for as many as 240 children (limited to 40 in each of 6 one-week sessions). Program staff includes a director and three associate directors. Funding is provided by private donations, individual contributions and minimal program fees. Camp activities on Mondays and Fridays include the usual array of arts & crafts, sports, games, music and videos. Every Tuesday and Wednesday the camp visits various educational and recreational sites. Thursdays are spent at French Creek State Park swimming pool. Applications for 2012 will be available on May 1. Space is limited to 40 kids in each session, so contact the office by telephone or email on or after May 1 in order to get on board!
