Philadelphia, PA

Our mission at Hand2Paw is to provide a safe and supportive work environment for youth, ages 16-24, who are experiencing housing insecurity or in foster care, as a means of building resilience, compassion, and connection with people, animals and the community. Hand2Paw provides paid internships working with homeless animals and a curriculum that enhances coping skills, emotional regulation, conflict resolution, job preparedness, and healing using animal-assisted interventions. Youth also run com Our mission at Hand2Paw is to provide a safe and supportive work environment for youth, ages 16-24, who are experiencing housing insecurity or in foster care, as a means of building resilience, compassion, and connection with people, animals and the community. Hand2Paw provides paid internships working with homeless animals and a curriculum that enhances coping skills, emotional regulation, conflict resolution, job preparedness, and healing using animal-assisted interventions. Youth also run community events to increase community access to resources as they develop collaborative leadership skills. Hand2Paw addresses opportunity gaps in employment and postsecondary success for our young people, the majority of whom have experienced violence, significant trauma, and have a mental health diagnosis or disability. Hand2Paw is the only nonprofit in Philadelphia whose mission is to teach youth practical work skills in a healing-centered, animal welfare setting.  Read More...