Category: Spruce Hill

Spruce Hill: The City School Teacher and Her Impact on the School Community

April 4, 2022Philadelphia Neighborhoods

Samantha Maki always knew she wanted to be a teacher. Since the age of six, when she would give out tests to her friends during playdates, teaching was her passion. The first-grade teacher has been at The City School since 2020, working hard to make a difference in the lives of her students.

Immigration: On A Student Visa, Manish Walia Studies More Than Just Chemistry

July 11, 2018Means George

Manish Walia, 29, grew up in New Delhi, India but he didn’t dream of the United States, even as he watched Spider-Man and X-men cartoons as a child.

West Philadelphia: Libraries “Plant A Seed” That Brings Success And Literacy For West Philly Children

December 22, 2017Alexa Monteleone and

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

Spruce Hill: Greensgrow Urban Farm Talks Food Insecurity And Community

November 8, 2017Katelyn Evans and

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

Spruce Hill: Neighbors in Little Osage Come Together for Disaster Relief

October 9, 2017Owen McCue

Carlos Pérez Sámano wasn’t sure why his phone kept losing service on Sept. 19, but when he returned home from Center City and connected to the wifi, he was bombarded with text messages. “Everyone was

Spruce Hill: Uhuru’s Flea Market Coordinator Inspires Young Africans To Make Change

October 3, 2017Alexa Monteleone

Tiffany Murphy, a native of West Philadelphia, fell in love with community organization and civic engagement during her childhood. Years later, she is now the coordinator for the Uhuru Flea Market and the upcoming One

Spruce Hill: Musician Gets Personal At West Philly Porchfest

June 21, 2017Erinn Kovar

Spenser Colmbs has a bachelor’s degree in advertising and a certificate in neuroscience from Temple University. He has a friendly, honest demeanor that helps make his day job as an insurance agent a little bit

Squirrel Hill: Paradise In Progress Contributes To The Urban Farming Movement

June 19, 2017Erinn Kovar

Peggy Nowak has a house in West Philadelphia that sits next to the lot her old home used to be situated on. Since being torn down, Nowak reclaimed that land to create her idea of a lavish

Spruce Hill: Renovations Underway For Homeless Veteran Shelter

April 24, 2017Erin Patterson

Many organizations in Philadelphia serve a very specific niche. With more than 22 years of service, the Philadelphia Veterans Comfort House hopes to give homeless veterans a chance to start over and become productive members

Spruce Hill: Five Local Ethnic And Minority-Owned Businesses

February 3, 2016Mariama S. Taifa-Seitu

The Spruce Hill neighborhood of West Philadelphia is known for its cultural diversity and variety of great food. These five ethnic and minority-owned businesses in Spruce Hill are providing the local community with affordable