Trevor Ferrell

Who is Trevor Ferrell?

Trevor Ferrell is an advocate for homeless people. He started Trevor’s Campaign for the Homeless in 1983, when he was 11 years old. On December 8, 1983, he watched a news program on street people. This prompted him to ask his parents, Frank and Janet Ferrell, how he could help. They drove their son into Philadelphia that night to give bedding to a homeless man who was sleeping on the sidewalk in front of the Union League in Center City. He later established a shelter called Trevor's Place with the help of his parents. A book titled Trevor's Place was written by his father and published in 1985. He was honored for his efforts by President Ronald Reagan in his 1986 State of the Union address. A TV movie titled Christmas on Division Street aired in 1991 with Fred Savage as Trevor. A 1994 episode of the series Lifestories: Families in Crisis titled Brotherly Love: The Trevor Ferrell Story was made about his efforts. When he was 18, he and his family left Trevor’s Campaign. He currently runs a thrift shop on Lancaster Avenue.

In 1985, Ferrell received the Samuel S. Beard Award for Greatest Public Service by an Individual 35 Years or Under, an award given out annually by Jefferson Awards.