Homies Helping Homies: Where Music & Community Meets Mutual Aid

On a Friday evening in West Philly, HHH Radio goes live. Broadcasting on WPEB 88.1 FM, the biweekly show features local DJs and artists sharing music rooted in the city’s DIY ecosystem. It feels casual and familiar — friends sharing music over the air — but the show is part of something much larger.

HHH Radio is a media extension of Homies Helping Homies, a Philadelphia-based mutual aid collective rooted in Point Breeze and West Philly. While the radio show platforms local artists and builds connection through music, the heart of Homies Helping Homies lies off-air: distributing food and essential goods, hosting community cleanups, and creating accessible spaces for art and gathering. Together, the two arms reflect a shared belief that community care doesn’t have to be formal or complicated to be effective.

Founded by Kevin Bass and fellow organizers in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Homies Helping Homies emerged in response to urgent gaps in local food access. Bass, who moved to Philadelphia in his early twenties, was drawn to the city’s working-class roots and deep sense of neighborhood accountability. “Everyone operates off respect here, and I really admired that,” he says. 

When pandemic shutdowns caused food access points in Point Breeze to close, particularly affecting elderly neighbors, the collective began distributing groceries out of a basement. What started as a one-off effort quickly grew into something more permanent. “There was this kind of a void that needed to be filled, and we stepped in to fill it,” Bass says. What began as a one-time effort quickly grew into a full-fledged operation, expanding through multiple locations before settling into a permanent space with a walk-in fridge and a volunteer base of more than fifty.

Today, the collective distributes food and essential goods multiple Sundays each month, runs community cleanups, hosts art programming, and maintains a volunteer base of dozens of people – many of whom live in the neighborhoods they serve.

That local grounding is key. “We live, work, and operate in the communities we serve,” Bass says. “Talk to your neighbors. Say hi. Don’t look down on people. Treat everyone like a human being, and you’ll be treated the same.” That approach reflects both a practical and philosophical commitment to Philadelphia neighborhoods, particularly as gentrification reshapes the city.

HHH Radio entered the picture naturally, emerging from a one-night DJ event meant to bring foot traffic to a gallery space. “We set up a bar, booked a few of our friends to DJ, and called it ‘HHH Radio,” organizer and on-air host Drew Johnson shared. Soon after, the team was invited to broadcast on WEB.

“This was in no way on our bingo card,” Johnson shared. “Using the word ‘radio’ on a flyer opened up an entire new lane of promise and connection, and from there we felt that the radio was as punk as it gets.” As technology increasingly advances – A.I., he groans – it’s harder than ever to separate truth from artifice. For Johnson, radio is a medium where you can’t fake it. “We pushed ourselves to learn FCC regulations and strip things back to basics… this analog approach feels akin to the collective community’s work – eye to eye interactions that you can’t fake and that you have to show up for.”

Each broadcast features DJs deeply embedded in Philly’s music scene – many of whom also volunteer with Homies Helping Homies. “The same people mixing on the radio sometimes pick up boxes or serve food,” Bass says. “That connection is very real in that regard.” 

HHH Radio has welcomed guests such as Phreakwency, Resonate, and Speed FM, showcasing the city’s vibrant DIY network. 

“I describe HHH Radio as an accessible Trojan horse made of sound and color,” says Johnson. “Once folks tune in, we’re able to redirect them toward something bigger than themselves [the volunteering and
mutual aid effort of homies helping homies], while enjoying an offering [the DJ set] from our local darlings.”

That “Trojan horse” approach is intentional. Radio, Johnson explains, has a uniquely low barrier to entry: Anyone can tune in, and there’s no algorithm to fight or subscription required. “We want people to know they already have the capacity to support their community in ways they’d probably do in their free time anyway,” he says. “If you’re a makeup artist, do you want to come to a barbecue and face-paint for the kids? If you’re a photographer, can you document a block cleanup? It’s really easier to help your neighbor – or, more to the point, help your homie – than you might realize.”

HHH Radio allows the team to spotlight their favorite up-and-coming DJs, share a message of hope, and keep their heads on straight, one episode at a time. “Music is the great equalizer,” Johnson adds. “It brings us together, shares talent, creates a clearing in a stressful world, and lets people know they can act on their despair. Using it as a tool for collective care binds people who might not have considered themselves part of a community.”

After a brief holiday pause, HHH Radio will air January 9 with “Drew + Friends,” a special birthday edition featuring a selection of Johnson’s favorite DJs. Later in the month, listeners can tune in for a 90-minute B2B set and on-air interview with Obreezy Beats and E.LEE on the 16th, followed by a two-hour non-stop set from Great Circles resident Vincente on the 23rd. 

During winter, Homies Helping Homies ramps up its efforts. “We’re doing our coat drive at multiple locations,” Bass explains, “and we operate every Sunday where we do our Wharton Park food distribution (2300 Wharton St) and our community cleanup at the same time. People can also volunteer on Saturdays at our space.” Volunteers can sign up to help with food distribution, community cleanups, and other projects, and physical donations can be dropped off at HHH Garage (2400 S 24th St, Philadelphia, PA 19145) on the first three Saturdays of every month from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. (See the full list of accepted items here.)

For Homies Helping Homies, growth isn’t the goal. Instead, the focus is on sustainability – keeping the doors open, the music playing, and the food tables stocked. 

“I’m thankful that people trust us and we can’t do without y’all,” Bass shared. “We don’t get big grants and things of that nature; we are supported by a lot of great local businesses and partnerships that we have. That’s what helps us sustain ourselves and what keeps Homies going, and I can’t be more thankful for that. No grant will ever do anything that the community does for us. So keep supporting us, because we’re going to keep supporting y’all.”