Business Students Tackle Real Ethics at Philly Soup Kitchen

When volunteers at a Philadelphia soup kitchen started worrying about dwindling guests, a business professor saw something unexpected: a perfect teaching moment about ethics in action.

For a decade, Professor [name] has volunteered at St. Francis Inn in Kensington, a neighborhood known for its struggles with poverty, homelessness, and addiction. The soup kitchen, founded by two Franciscan friars in 1979, serves thousands of sit-down meals each year with help from just nine full-time staff and hundreds of volunteers.

But around 2018, something changed. Gentrification, rising housing costs, and increased police activity pushed vulnerable residents out of Kensington. Fewer guests walked through St. Francis Inn's doors.

Volunteers faced tough questions. Should they relocate north where more people needed help? Build a mobile unit to reach people wherever they were? Close their doors entirely?

The professor realized these weren't just charity questions. They were complex business decisions requiring strategic thinking, financial analysis, and ethical reasoning.

So in 2024, she brought the challenge to her Management Honors Capstone Seminar at St. Joseph's University. She published a full business case study titled "Dealing with Change in Kensington, Philadelphia: The Case of Saint Francis Inn."

Now business students don't just read about corporate responsibility in textbooks. They wrestle with real stakes affecting real people. They analyze demographic shifts, budget constraints, and mission alignment while remembering that every decision impacts someone's next meal.

The Ripple Effect

This approach transforms how future business leaders think about success. Students learn that serving people well sometimes means adapting boldly, even when it's uncomfortable. They discover that good business strategy and genuine compassion aren't opposites but partners.

The case study has sparked conversations far beyond one classroom. Other universities have shown interest in using real nonprofit challenges to teach ethics and management. Students graduate understanding that the best business decisions consider both spreadsheets and human dignity.

St. Francis Inn continues serving Kensington today, and a new generation of business leaders now knows that profit and purpose can walk hand in hand.