Comedy: Former Ohio Comics Now Contributing To Local Communities
Dorian Vasquez and Setoiyo Ekpo are both Philadelphia-based comedians by way of Columbus, Ohio. Each giving back to North Philadelphia residents in their own way, they just happen — by coincidence — to be helping people on different ends of the age spectrum. Vasquez is as a career specialist, helping find jobs for graduates at […]
Local Music: Five Unorthodox Places To Catch A Show
Whats the best way to get to know Philadelphia’s music scene? Easy! Head out to one of the many local shows put together by Philly locals. Each of the following venues are known for their eclectic events that bring people together from all around the city and surrounding suburbs. Philadelphia easily has one of the […]
West Philadelphia: Libraries “Plant A Seed” That Brings Success And Literacy For West Philly Children
Out of the 339 schools within the Philadelphia School District, only eight have full-time paid certified librarians. Louis Lozzi, a Philadelphia native and teacher said that the lack of library funding in the school system has been an issue since he began his teaching career 15 years ago. “I’m used to being in schools without […]
Cobbs Creek: Environmental Center Educates The Community And Works Alongside The Philadelphia Water Dept.
The Cobbs Creek Environmental Center is part of the Alliance for Watershed Education of the Delaware River, one of many organizations in the area providing public education about the environment and our water supply. “One of the problems we have in this part of the city is our system is very old,” said the center’s […]
Overbrook: Panthers’ Basketball Program Hopes To Reclaim Storied Past
The significance isn’t lost on Cyri Coates. Every time the senior on the Overbrook High School basketball team walks into the school’s Wilt Chamberlain Memorial Gym, he sees the images of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer around the gym. He sees the red and orange banner representing Chamberlain’s retired No. 5 jersey hanging on […]
West Philadelphia: Local organizations tackle food insecurity
Every Tuesday and Saturday, Kinji Ridley parks his car and unloads boxes of groceries from the trunk, handing them over to volunteers who set them up on benches and picnic tables. A line of dozens of West Philadelphia residents forms and they each pick out bags of food, assembly-line style, before dispersing and going their separate […]
Spruce Hill: Greensgrow Urban Farm Talks Food Insecurity And Community
Greensgrow Farm was created to bring fresh, locally-grown produce to Philadelphia. Today, two locations and mobile markets (in Fishtown and West Philadelphia) provide fruits, vegetables, flowers and a sense of community across the city. The urban farm located at 5123 Baltimore Ave. seeks to raise awareness of the necessity of wholesome agricultural practices, as well […]
City Politics: Philly Food Bucks Reaches A Milestone In Empowering SNAP Shoppers
“When Food Bucks came out at Clark Park, I was on the SNAP benefits,” said Meghan Filoromo of The Food Trust’s Philly Food Bucks program. Filoromo was working at the market at the time. “It made such a huge difference for what I could purchase,” Filoromo said. “[Before Philly Food Bucks] I was trying to just buy […]
Kingsessing: Developing Adult Literacy Provides Opportunities
Eight years ago, Darrow Lyons’ wife encouraged him to join Never 2 Late, an adult literacy program offered through the Center for Literacy, an organization that provides programs to adult learners. The 63-year-old South Philly resident has been attending classes ever since. The program is held at the Kingsessing Branch of the Free Library every […]
Belmont: Entrepreneur Jennell Moody Hopes To Inspire City’s Youth
When she was 14 years old, Jennell Moody (above) started braiding her neighbors’ hair on the front steps of her mother’s North Philadelphia home. Word of her skills spread through word of mouth, and Moody eventually turned her hairstyling into a small business, charging $10 for the neighborhood girls to come get their hair done. […]