Our Co-Founders
In 1989, Sister Mary Scullion and Joan Dawson McConnon co-founded Project H.O.M.E., a nationally recognized organization that provides supportive housing, employment, education and health care to enable chronically homeless and low-income persons to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty. Under their leadership, Project H.O.M.E has grown from an emergency winter shelter to 418 units of housing and three businesses that provide employment to formerly homeless persons. Project H.O.M.E. also prevents homelessness in a low-income neighborhood in North Central Philadelphia. This initiative includes greening vacant lots, economic development, home ownership for the working poor, and the Honickman Learning Center and Comcast Technology Labs—a 38,000 square foot, state-of-the-art center that offers comprehensive educational and occupational programming. To date, Project H.O.M.E. has leveraged over $40,000,000 in equity towards housing and economic development.
Project H.O.M.E. co-founders Sr. Mary Scullion, left, and Joan Dawson McConnon
Under their leadership, Project H.O.M.E. has won numerous awards including most recently The National Alliance to End Homelessness' Nonprofit Sector Achievement Award and a STAR award from The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty. Furthermore, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) selected Project H.O.M.E. as one of the "100 Best Practices" nationwide out of 3,000 nominees, and the Philanthropy Roundtable selected Project H.O.M.E. as one of the "16 most efficient and innovative charities we know of anywhere."
Sister Mary Scullion, Executive Director and President
Sister Mary Scullion has been involved in service work and advocacy for homeless and mentally ill persons since 1978. She was a co-founder in 1985 of Woman of Hope, which provides permanent residences and support services for homeless mentally ill women. In 1988 she helped to found the Outreach Coordination Center, an innovative program coordinating private and public agencies doing outreach to chronically homeless persons in Center City Philadelphia.Sister Mary is also a powerful voice on political issues affecting homelessness and mentally ill persons. Her advocacy efforts resulted in the right of homeless persons to vote as well as a landmark federal court decision that affects the fair housing rights of persons with disabilities.
Sister Mary has received numerous honorary doctorates for her leadership in the City of Philadelphia. She was also awarded the Liberty Bell Award from the Philadelphia Bar Association, the Prudential National Nonprofit Leadership Award and the 1992 Philadelphia Award. In 2002, Mary was awarded an "Eisenhower Fellowship," and that same year, she and Ms. McConnon were national awardees of the Ford Foundation's prestigious "Leadership for a Changing World Award."
Joan Dawson McConnon, Associate Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer
Upon graduation from O'Hara High School, Joan Dawson continued her education at Penn State University, receiving a Bachelors of Science Degree in Accounting. After graduation from Penn State, Joan received a Masters Degree in Taxation from Drexel University, becoming a CPA in 1983.Joan worked at both GTE and Corning Glass as an Accountant for 6 years. While volunteering in the various cities where she worked, Joan witnessed the suffering of women, men and children who were forced to live on the streets. When she returned to Philadelphia in 1987, Joan began volunteering at Mercy Hospice and doing outreach work with the Philadelphia Committee for the Homeless. In 1989 she decided to change the direction of her professional life, and began working with others to find permanent solutions to end homelessness. That year, along with Sister Mary Scullion, Joan founded Project H.O.M.E.
Joan is a member of the Board of Directors of Regional Housing Legal Services. She is also the recipient of the Spirit of Philadelphia and the Catherine McAuley Spirit of Mercy awards.
