"I was a stranger and you welcomed me"

Seamen’s Church Institute greets merchant ship workers at ports along the Delaware River and provides services to meet mariners’ practical, spiritual, and emotional needs.

Every year, 65,000 seafarers endure months of isolation and dangerous, grueling conditions to provide a comfortable life for Delaware Valley residents.

Invisible to most of us, these seafarers work long hours to bring 95% of the goods we use in Greater Philadelphia and South Jersey – everything from oil, steel and wood to fresh fruit and cocoa beans. 

From far-away lands, ship workers arrive in our Delaware River ports without basic provisions and without the means to advocate for themselves.

Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI) is an ecumenical ministry called to welcome and befriend these mariners.  We have been serving Greater Philadelphia’s port community since 1843. 

As one of the largest, busiest ports in the United States, our service area covers 125 miles of Delaware Riverway in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and accounts for $17 billion in regional commerce. 

We invite you to learn more about what SCI provides for these migrant workers of the sea, and for our community and local economy. 

Welcome aboard!