Spirit of Generosity: Marie and Jim Seward

Long-time Project HOME volunteers and MPOWER partners Marie and Jim Seward may remember some of the details differently, but they agree on what matters most. 

It was supposed to be an ordinary family outing to a Phillies or Eagles game (here is where Marie and Jim differ) at the Vet. Their four children, James, Daniel, Christopher, and Alison, chattered excitedly in the back seat after a quick stop at McDonald’s for lunch to take along to the game. 

Before they reached the stadium gates, however, young Christopher noticed a man who was homeless and, without a word, offered up his sandwich. “That simple moment,” Marie shares from the living room of Sacred Heart Recovery Residence, “has never left us.” 

Marie and Jim, married 54 years this December, have long marveled at the generosity of their four children. “Our kids always looked after their friends,” reflects Jim. “I can’t say it was us, exactly. They were eager to help. It was innate.” 

The shared desire to volunteer that the younger Sewards had carried over to Mom and Dad, too. Marie and Alison enjoyed successful stints with a local Habitat for Humanity affiliate, tackling projects like roofing and painting. 
When the family was dealt an unimaginable loss, Christopher’s sudden passing in 1999, the desire to volunteer took on an even deeper meaning for the Sewards, particularly Marie and Jim. 

“I would never describe Christopher as a ‘scholar’,” Jim recalls. “But he had a heart of gold. And after his loss, which still hurts, we had to carry our love for him into action.” 

“When we lost Christopher,” shares Marie, “we didn’t want to close ourselves off. We wanted to open our hearts. When we knocked on the doors at Project HOME, that is what Sister Mary and Joan did for us. They opened their doors and their hearts to us… and we were HOME.” 

Marie and Jim took turns volunteering with Project HOME’s Outreach Coordination Center, and Marie later found meaning in assisting with the hospitality suite in the earliest days of the Stephen Klein Wellness Center, helping guests with laundry, connecting with services, or taking a shower.  

“When I think of Marie and Jim Seward,” offers Project HOME co-founder S. Mary Scullion, “I am amazed by their faith and their compassion, and their willingness to do whatever was needed. Christopher was the person who brought them to Project HOME, and their fidelity to his memory and spirit is what keeps them connected to our Beloved Community.” 

For more than three decades, Project HOME’s location at 1515 Fairmount Avenue had been known by only its street number. T-shirts were emblazoned with “Free 1515” back when the organization was in litigation with the City of Philadelphia. In Project HOME’s unofficial lexicon, “1515” became more than a call sign. It carried with it the spirit of collective will that fought the good fight and won, and it welcomed hundreds HOME. The building was filled with the hum of daily life, shared meals, and new beginnings, with the lobby and first floor serving as the 24/7/365 hub of Project HOME’s Outreach Coordination Center. 

When the time came for Marie and Jim to help choose a name for 1515, one option carried the promise of love, legacy, and compassion in action: Christopher J. Seward Residence. The Sewards chose to name the residence in Christopher’s memory because the deep empathy he felt continues to ripple outward through their generosity. 

"There is a legacy within these walls,” Project HOME President and CEO, Donna Bullock beamed at Christopher J. Seward Residence’s renaming celebration last fall. “A legacy of fight. A legacy of Transformation. A legacy of hope. Christopher’s memory is now tied to this legacy, too.”  

“Christopher recognized that people should never be alone,” offers Jim. “This felt like the right thing to do. Christopher wouldn’t want us to just say something; he’d want us to do something.”  

In giving his name to this home, the Sewards are giving voice to that same humanity, ensuring that every person who walks through its doors is met with dignity, compassion, and the sense that they, too, belong. 

“We are humbled to be part of this community,” reflects Marie. “Project HOME means there is hope, people are loved, and people care.”