Linda D. Perkins, Counsel at White and Williams, Named Chair of Drueding Center’s Quality and Performance Committee

Linda D. Perkins, Counsel at White and Williams, and a former long-time Assistant District Attorney for the City of Philadelphia, has been named Chair of the Quality and Performance Committee for Drueding Center, a transitional housing and comprehensive support services program for homeless women and their children located in the South Kensington section of Philadelphia.

With more than 20 years of experience working for Philadelphians as an Assistant District Attorney, Linda has a strong commitment to helping poor and disadvantaged people improve their lives through programs such as Drueding Center, emphasizing better education, healthier lifestyles and family-focused support services.

“Throughout my career, especially as an Assistant District Attorney, I have seen firsthand the struggles and challenges faced every day by so many women in our community as they try to raise their children to become good citizens,” said Perkins. “Too often, society seems to simply condemn many of these women and ignore their dreams for a better life for themselves and their children, rather than working to create support systems and offer needed tools to help them help themselves. “

The Quality and Performance Committee is comprised of several members from Drueding Center ‘s leadership team along with volunteers and members of the Board of Directors. The committee reviews all outcomes of Drueding Center's residential, youth and community service programs. The committee's fundamental task is to ensure, through comprehensive program monitoring, that the services Drueding Center offers have a positive impact on the families being served in the areas such as: goal planning, improving self sufficiency, clinical counseling for both children and mothers, life skills, parental engagement and early childhood education.

The long-term vision of Drueding Center is to help its families move out of homelessness and poverty and towards a more stable socio-economic place in the Philadelphia community, thereby helping two generations in every family to heal and succeed over time.

In addition, Drueding Center features a licensed child care center that has earned Pennsylvania’s top rating in the Keystone STARS program and accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and provides clinical counseling, parenting and life skills training, intensive case management and housing assistance. It also operates the Green Light Food Pantry to assist families with fresh, healthy food, cooking skills, and nutrition education.

Also unique to Drueding Center is an After Care program that follows its graduates for seven years. In that time, 94 percent of able mothers are working, going to school, or involved in a program, 90 percent moved into permanent housing, and 100 percent of families maintain housing for at least three years.

Drueding Center is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Since 1987, Drueding Center has served over 3,000 families, including 6,000 children.

About Drueding Center

Drueding Center, the first transitional housing program in Philadelphia, serves more than 400 homeless and formerly homeless families per year through transitional housing, case management and a licensed child care. Drueding Center builds lives and renews hope by working with homeless women and their children to create two generations of self-reliant adults. For more information, visit www.druedingcenter.org. Drueding Center was founded in 1987 by the Sisters of the Holy Redeemer, and is part of Holy Redeemer Health System. The program, which in addition to providing transitional housing, includes a fully-licensed, highly rated child care center, follows residents for seven years after they graduate from the program.