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HomeAuthorsChelsea Ann Rovnan

Articles by Chelsea Ann Rovnan

Education

West Oak Lane: Volunteers Want to Keep Up with the Sweep Up for Philly Spring Cleanup

May 10, 2016 Chelsea Ann Rovnan

Each spring, brooms, rakes and buckets of paint come alive as the neighborhoods across the city participate in citywide cleanup days. But what about the rest of the year? Vernon Smith and Carlton Williams, legislative

East Oak Lane

West Oak Lane: Planting Seeds For Youth to Help Clean Up Streets

May 10, 2016 Chelsea Ann Rovnan

On the corners of many streets in neighborhoods throughout the city, there is trash and other debris strewn around. Events like the annual city-wide spring cleanup day were created to help keep streets clean and also

Northwest Philadelphia

West Oak Lane: Expressions Of You Store Owner Offers More Than Just Cards, Gifts to Community

April 25, 2016 Chelsea Ann Rovnan

At the corner of Ogontz Avenue and Walnut Lane, a bright orange awning offered shade to a colorful storefront. Inside, owner Diane Caffie was bundling black and white balloon bouquets for one of her regular customers. Expressions of

East Oak Lane

East Oak Lane: Raise of Hope, Inc. Provides Affordable Housing for Homeless Families

March 18, 2016 Chelsea Ann Rovnan

Homelessness is nothing new and for Raise of Hope, Inc. founder Habeebah Ali the issue resonates on a personal level. As a survivor of domestic violence and someone who was once homeless, Ali knows how

Education

West Oak Lane: Simons Recreation Center Director Offers “Safe Haven for the Kids”

March 3, 2016 Chelsea Ann Rovnan

For Amenah Claiborne, her role as center director at Simons Recreation Center doesn’t feel like work. Instead, her job reminds her of a family, one that is helping to provide a safe haven for kids

East Oak Lane

East Oak Lane: Non-Profit Program Director Helps Provide Scholarships To Students In Need

February 10, 2016 Chelsea Ann Rovnan

Portia Fullard, a longtime resident of East Oak Lane and graduate of Temple University, is program director for Sky Community Partners, Inc., a local non-profit organization that identifies children in underserved communities and helps pay

North Philadelphia

West Oak Lane: Five Things That Bring The Community Together

February 8, 2016 Chelsea Ann Rovnan

West Oak Lane is home to many community centers, churches and offices that serve as gathering places for its residents. The West Oak Lane area is focused on building “community” by bringing residents together through different opportunities in the

Recent Posts

  • These Philly High Schoolers Are Taking Journalism Into Their Own Hands
    January 23, 2026
  • How Community Gardens are Fighting Erasure and Displacement in North Philadelphia 
    January 16, 2026
  • Healing from Gun Violence: A Conversation With Mary Felder
    January 15, 2026
  • With Changes to SNAP Looming, South Philly Mosque Pledges to Continue Food Distribution for All
    January 3, 2026
  • The Light We Hold: Inside a Philly Community Gathering of Art and Grief
    December 27, 2025
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