North City Congress was established in North Central Philadelphia in 1963, with the help of private sector social service agencies and as a federation of more than 50 community based groups and organizations. During its first decade, North City Congress represented the federation of neighborhood organizations that were determined to effect social change. North City Congress initiated a number of a
ctivities designed to plan, coordinate and deliver a variety of human services in the North Philadelphia community. Today, NCC provides programs and services primarily for older adults through our North Broad Street Senior Center (NBSC) and the In-Home Support Program (IHSP). The North Broad Street Senior Center provides programs and services including a daily lunch, exercise classes, health and wellness workshops and screenings, nutrition education, line dancing, walking group, computer classes, arts and cultural programs, arts and crafts club, bible study, a book group, local and long distance trips. In addition, participants receive social work support which includes individual, group and caregiver counseling, referrals to other community-based programs/services, benefits counseling, and workshop groups (i.e., Veterans Administration, and caregivers). Many NBSC members and community friends volunteer their time and talent to support the center and our community. NBSC hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm with occasional programs on evenings and weekends. NCC In-Home Support Program (IHSP) provides short-term assistance and on-going basic support for adults 60 years of age and older who live in North Philadelphia and have difficulty and/or need assistance leaving their home. Services include information and resource assistance, benefits and entitlements counseling, home delivered meals, transportation to medical appointments, senior companions, minor home repairs, adaptive equipment, one time heavy cleaning and/or extermination services, and short-term homemaker and adult day services. NCC also maintains responsibility for fiscal oversight of Support Community Outreach Programs (SCOP) funded by the City of Philadelphia. This program provides grants to over 300 community based and civic organizations across the city to initiate cultural, educational, counseling and recreational services and options for disadvantaged youth from diverse ethnic backgrounds. The scope of NCC’s responsibility includes ensuring that agencies spend their allocation according to their budget and comply with the City’s reporting requirements.
