WHAT WE DO
Every Monday since December of 2002, a group of volunteers has met along the Ben Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia to provide a dignified meal to the homeless and hungry. We serve beef pasta, tuna pasta, chicken hot dogs, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and dessert. We are committed to serving a meal that we would share with our families.
While we serve meals on Mondays, throughout the week a network of shelters, halfway houses, and rehabs refer clients to Restart for assistance in obtaining proper identification. You cannot get a job, cash a check, receive medication, obtain housing, (etc.), without proper state identification.
From 2002-2020, Restart helped folks get ID by providing PennDoT vouchers on the Ben Franklin Parkway. In 2020, the program moved to a remote service.
Through 2025, Restart is assisting agencies as they attempt to get IDs for homeless individuals who have lost valid ID cards. Through wonderful advocacy, PennDoT IDs are now free for anyone who has an expired ID.
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”