Thanksgiving and Advent approach. Readers who are open to it will catch the spirit of gratitude and hope in the following newsletter about Boot Up Philly, an annual celebration of St. John’s Hospice in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia where members of the Order of Malta partner as they give witness to their mandate ‘obsequium pauperum’.
Boot Up Philly: Warmth, Dignity and Faith for Philadelphia’s Vulnerable
Over the years, many folks have asked us two questions: How did Boot Up Philly begin? And where do those black coats come from? We’re glad to finally share the story, and to recognize the people who make it all possible…
On a Saturday morning each October, a line forms on a Center City Philadelphia sidewalk. Well over 1,000 men and women, many of them living on the streets, in shelters or in unstable housing, come for something simple and urgent: a pair of sturdy boots, a warm coat and other essential cold weather gear to carry them through the winter ahead.
This is Boot Up Philly, hosted each year by St. John’s Hospice, a ministry of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, with support from parishes, ministries and volunteers across the region. Since the first Boot Up Philly in 2021, the Order of Malta in Philadelphia has been a partner.
St. John’s provides the boots. The Order provides the coats, hundreds of them each year, along with a growing array of hats, gloves, socks and scarves. For the past two years, members have also offered packets of Rosary beads with instructions on how to pray the devotion, so guests leave with warmth for the body and the soul.
A coat designed by the homeless, for the homeless
These are not ordinary donated coats. Members of the Order of Malta asked homeless men and women what they actually needed in a coat, then built one to match.
The result is black, three-quarter length, hooded, quilted and waterproof. The color was a deliberate choice: the people consulted said their greatest fear was being assaulted in alleys and parks, and a dark coat helps them stay inconspicuous.
Hidden inside pockets keep valuables safe. Velcro closures replace zippers, which are hard to manage with cold or unsteady hands. The coat is cut for easy movement, layers well across seasons, and can be used as a blanket at night. Every detail reflects the dignity of the person who will wear it.
From Australia to Oklahoma City to Philadelphia
The coat began with the Order of Malta’s Australian Association, whose Coats for the Homeless program now provides thousands of coats each year to cities across Australia.
In 2019, members of the Order’s Federal Association in Oklahoma City brought the idea to the United States. They raised the money for a first shipment of 3,360 coats, shipped by container to Oklahoma City and shared with Order of Malta regions around the country. Their ministry, now a nonprofit called Blessed Are They, supports vulnerable people facing homelessness and food insecurity.
That first order of 3,360 coats has since grown to over 6,400 through Blessed Are They, reaching Order of Malta regions and communities across the United States. Wherever they go, each coat costs just $27 to produce and deliver.
The Philadelphia Region has made those coats the heart of its winter outreach. Each year, members and friends of the Order raise between $17,500 and $20,000, enough for 650 to 750 coats, and members distribute every one of them by hand at Boot Up Philly. What began as one region’s response to a call from Oklahoma City has become a lasting tradition for Order members across the Delaware Valley.
Faith in action
The Order of Malta is a lay religious order of the Catholic Church. It traces its roots to 1048 and Blessed Gerard, who founded it to care for pilgrims in Jerusalem. Today its roughly 13,500 Knights and Dames worldwide remain true to its twofold mission: nurturing and witnessing the faith, and serving the poor and the sick.
Boot Up Philly is that mission made visible. Members from across the Delaware Valley spend the day handing out coats and other essential items. Along the way, some guests stop and pray, and those moments matter as much as any coat.The effort is entirely volunteer-driven, so every dollar given goes toward coats and the people who receive them.
Yet Boot Up Philly is about more than a single day. It is one visible sign of a much larger commitment: that every vulnerable man and woman in Philadelphia has what they need to face the winter with warmth, safety and dignity.
No one organization can do that alone. It takes the Order of Malta, St. John’s Hospice, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and the many parishes, ministries and volunteers who give their time, resources and prayers, each bringing its own gifts to a shared work of mercy.
Together, they are building something that reaches well beyond one Saturday in October.
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