There is a strong sense of community involvement within the Cobbs Creek area. Many organizations are dedicated to improving the area and the lives of those who live there. Within these organizations are individuals working directly with community members.
1. Micel Sanchez (above) is a student volunteer participating in work-study at LIFT. Her role is called “advocate.” LIFT aims to lift people out of poverty, but it is much more than that. As an advocate, she helps people with employment, job training programs, education, housing, taxes and health care.
2. Carter J. Clyod is a psychologist and clinical director of Consortium’s adult outpatient program. He assures the quality of services, including making sure therapists are providing good therapy and that their paperwork and documentation is accurate. He also encourages therapists to develop their own therapeutic techniques.
3. Missy Yuravage is a special instructor with Family Support Services. She works with 3- to 5-year-olds with special needs in the community. She travels to different Head Start programs and preschools around the area to work on pre-academics and early life skills with children.
4. Claire Bowers is site manager at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Pediatric & Adolescent Care office in Cobbs Creek. She has been at this location for 16 years. The agency offers services from age newborn to 21. It offers primary care for those up to 13 years old and family planning for those up to 21. With the lack of nurses in the schools, the goal is to reduce teen pregnancy in the area and make sure family planning needs are accessible.
5. Jannie Blackwell is the councilwoman for Philadelphia’s Third District, which includes Cobbs Creek. As councilwoman for the area, she “focuses on increasing affordable housing and creating economic opportunity for her constituent base whose demographics are continually expanding,” according to her website. She has enhanced her district with more commercial development an homeownership opportunities, the website said.
– Text and images by Chelsea Koerbler and Joie Johnson-Walker
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