July 28, 2025

Community programs at Paul’s Run combine spiritual care, connection, and purpose

From embracing multiple faith traditions at religious services to making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the homeless, the residents at Paul’s Run have plenty of opportunities to nourish their faith and give back to the community.

Fostering this spirit of connection is the calling of Pastor Michelle Wildridge, Chaplain and Director of Spiritual Care. She is deeply committed to nurturing a meaningful, multi-faith culture that also empowers residents to remain active, valued, and engaged.

Many faiths, one community

Residents enjoy a variety of religious services, including weekly Shabbat run by Shaare Shamayim Synagogue, Catholic Mass offered daily by Sisters living at Paul’s Run, and Protestant services each Sunday.

“I’ve worked in so many inter-faith contexts that Paul’s Run fits the bill in a lot of different ways,” says Pastor Wildridge. “We have four or five sisters that come to Shabbat every Friday, and I have a couple of Jewish residents that pop into my Sunday service. And at Passover, the Sisters are just as excited to attend as those who have been Jewish all their lives,” she adds with a smile.

Service as a way of life

The residents are also eager for ways to put their faith in action by serving the community. Those in independent living make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches each week for the homeless in Kensington. They also prepare snack bags for the homeless in collaboration with The Welcome Church. And for “Christmas in July,” they wrap donated seasonal items like cookies and hot chocolate to distribute to underserved families in the area. Residents in the healthcare wing often volunteer to bag candy for the general store—and go home with a few treats as thanks for their efforts.

The largest community service project each year is making backpacks for seafarers who work on the cargo ships that dock at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

“Every year we get backpacks and fill them with shampoo, body wash, pens, paper, pencils, candy—anything that they would need, being on a cargo ship in the middle of the ocean,” Pastor Wildridge explains. “Then we have a knitting club that knits hats and scarves, so we put a hat and scarf in the backpack, too.”

While their efforts may benefit seafarers and the homeless, the residents at Paul’s Run are enriched as well.

“They’re constantly thinking about ways they can help, even the people who have just moved here. They will invite new folks to come down for community service. And they come sit with us and make peanut butter sandwiches or put snack bags together, so there’s the social element. It helps them physically live out their faith, and it makes them feel good to do things for other people.”

Whether they’re creating new friendships, sharing their stories while bagging candy, or living out their faith through service, the residents at Paul’s Run are part of a giving community—one that keeps them active, engaged, and valued.