Research by Meghan Pierce, Ph.D., and La Salle students helped assess the significant impact of a Northwest Philadelphia nonprofit.

A state-issued ID card—nothing more than a thin, three-inch piece of plastic—can change a life in profound ways.

Applying for federal benefits, for example, requires an ID. Presenting an ID is also commonly needed when applying for jobs, visiting a food pantry, or seeking emergency or temporary shelter.

“In many ways, an ID card actually can act as a barrier that prevents people in need from getting access to the employment and social service ecosystems, and the organizations and supports that are built to help them,” said Meghan Pierce, Ph.D.

“An ID card is like currency in the social service marketplace, and members of Philadelphia’s housing-insecure and disadvantaged communities simply do not have the $30 they need to secure that form of currency.”
—Meghan Pierce, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Marketing
La Salle’s School of Business

An associate professor of marketing at La Salle’s School of Business, Pierce partnered with a Northwest Philadelphia nonprofit, Face to Face Germantown, to assess the impact of its support services for the disadvantaged Philadelphians it serves. More specifically, Pierce and her students analyzed Face to Face Germantown’s work to connect its guests with personal identification documents and the subsequent effect of this work.

Data collected from this and prior research projects conducted by La Salle faculty and...

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