“Think clearly and write with clarity” is the mission statement of the Mighty Writers. Mighty Writers is a non-profit organization founded in 2009 with an aim to combat food insecurity while providing youth literacy programs. Being a writing-focused organization, Mighty Writer’s state that “you can’t think or write with clarity if you’re hungry.” According to their 2021 annual report, it is clear that Mighty Writers is having a huge impact, distributing over 200,000 meals, 80,000 boxes of groceries, 17,500 books, and 1.2 million diapers, along with a number of other necessities.
Their services are completely free to local communities and offer various programs based on location. Such programs include writing workshops to increase the literacy skills of children as well as to serve as an outlet for expression. Other programs are aimed at mindfulness, offering participants a resource to understand their emotions, identity, and trauma. These mindfulness exercises relate straight to Executive Director Tim Whitaker’s philosophy behind Mighty Writers:
“Not everyone—as is so strikingly apparent of late—thinks clearly. And even fewer people express themselves with clarity. But for those who nail both clarity of thought and expression, a lifetime of Mightiness is available for the taking. We’re believers in the power of writing.”
The Mighty Writers are located in New York, New Jersey, Chester County, and Philadelphia. There are three locations in Philadelphia with an upcoming fourth opening in Germantown.
West Philly: Mighty Writers West
“MW West launched in 2013 in a former storefront church at 39th and Lancaster in West Philadelphia. In 2019, we relocated to Mantua, a neighborhood designated as a Promise Zone—an Obama-era program designed to boost assets and strengths in high-poverty areas.”
This West Philadelphia location offers writing workshops, afterschool programs, and evening programs for teens and toddlers. Food distribution for Mighty Writers West takes place on 35th and Fairmount, Monday through Friday, 12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
North Philly: Mighty Writers North
“MW North was originally launched in 2015 in collaboration with the Church of the Advocate, a leader in civil rights advocacy in North Philadelphia. We now occupy a large, well-lit writing center in the new Vaux Family Center. Big Picture High School is in the same building (the old Vaux High School), but you need not attend the high school to participate in our programs.”
Program Director of Mighty Writers North, Faith Best, provided a comment on her location:
“I worked in many education fields for 10+ years; my love of education has expanded while working with Mighty Writers… We offer three education programs starting this fall, our After School Academy is for grades 3-8, our teen Scholars program for grades 9-12, and our Mighty Toddlers program for ages 1-5.”
Food Distribution for the North Philadelphia location is located in the Vaux Building on 24th and Master Street, Monday through Friday, 12:00 p.m.- 2:00 p.m.
Philly Ninth Street Market: Mighty Writers El Futuro
“Located in the heart of the 9th Street Market in South Philadelphia. We offer a daily after-school Academy (grades 3-8), Family Write Nights and bilingual programs to support and uplift Latino culture and families. Our bilingual (Spanish / English) programs are designed for native Spanish speakers and feature themes like photography, art and science.”
With a location that is linguistically accessible to Spanish speakers, food distribution for Mighty Writers El Futuro is on 1025 S. 9th Street, Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
After battling COVID restrictions for the past few years, Mighty Writers aims to return to in-person events after holding a majority of their workshops online. With the safety of children and the community in mind, more children are returning to in-person sessions. Whitaker states that “we’re seeing the light” at the end of a dark COVID tunnel, and an end to a harsh era filled with confusion, anxiety, and many zoom meetings.
Through their website here, information on specific events, volunteer opportunities, and community resources are available.
Michael Emmert is a second-year student at Drexel University, looking to obtain a bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in writing. Outside of classes he likes to walk around Philly finding coffee shops and sketch things in his journal. In addition to writing, Michael also has a love for plants and drawing. One day he hopes to publish an eclectic book, blending mediums including poetry, art, and memoir.