East Oak Lane: Organization Makes Use Of Green — and It Isn’t Talking Money
East Oak Lane, William Penn’s first neighborhood, is often called a “Green Country Town” and if you’ve taken a trip to this area, you would understand why. Most of the neighborhood’s streets are lined with beautiful, large trees, some of which have been there for decades, others purposely planted by a group of people who call this […]
Kensington: Local Teacher Uses Soccer To Positively Influence His Community’s Youth
Jim Hardy is more than your average high school teacher. He is the leader of the Kensington Soccer Club, a local organization that grew out of the teacher’s passion for the game and for the kids in his Kensington High School classroom. Since laying the groundwork for his vision in 2009, he’s used various programs and […]
Mantua: Five Community Organizations Revitalizing the Neighborhood
Philadelphia’s Mantua neighborhood has been a recent target of revitalization, even getting federal attention. Here are five local organizations that have already been putting in the work to make a change in Mantua. Mighty Writers Recently highlighted for winning the 2015 Edward R. Murrow Award for the outstanding audio documentary “Going Black: The Legacy of Philly Soul […]
Bridesburg: Food Pantry Provides Food and More
It all began with a vision. “I originally started out thinking I could feed the whole city,” said a smirking Florence Rodgers. Rodgers, the head coordinator of the Bridesburg Community Food Pantry, created the food bank in 2009. “I saw the amount of people in need and figured that this was a way to help […]
Spruce Hill: 43rd & Baltimore Plans Change with Neighbors’ Input
Plans are underway for the empty lot at the corner of 43rd Street and Baltimore Avenue. What began as a basic residential complex has expanded to 7,300 square feet of retail space, 108 residential units, 25 to 35 condo units and 93 parking spaces. The project is a partnership between New York-based Thylan Associates and U3 […]
Hunting Park: Police Officer Creates Organization to Solve Community Issues
At one time not too long ago the 87-acre plot of land known as Hunting Park was plagued by drug dealing and prostitution. But area residents have organized to remove these problems. Today, the park has become more family-friendly. To quantify this growth, Fairmount Park Conservancy Director of Development Meg Holscher stated since the creation […]
South Philadelphia: Groups Convene First Neighborhood Leadership Conference
Leaders and members of several organizations in South Philadelphia and around Greater Philadelphia met recently at the Mummers Museum, 1102 S. Second St., for the first Neighborhood Leadership Conference. “It’s a conversation between and among people who are trying to do good for the community,” host Ed Kirlin said. Kirlin, a member of the Pennsport […]
Francisville: Five Community Organizations Enrich One Block
The uniquely triangular section of Francisville connected by the 1600 blocks of Ridge Avenue and Poplar Street is home to five community outreach organizations. Although the groups offer different services, they share similar goals to provide assistance to the community. Southwest Nustop, a drug and alcohol treatment center on the block, opened its doors to the […]
Kensington: Somerset Neighbors’ Plan ‘Clean and Green’ for Vacant Lots
Since last September, the Somerset Neighbors for Better Living has tackled the topic of what to do with vacant lots during its monthly meetings. This civic association in Kensington is now ready to roll of Clean and Green Projects to transform selected vacant lots in the boundaries of Lehigh Avenue to Cambria Street and Kensington […]
Germantown: Crisis Ministry Serves the Community
With the number of people in need of emergency assistance steadily increasing, the Germantown Avenue Crisis Ministry has opened its cupboard every Thursday to distribute food. The Crisis Ministry, located at 35 W. Chelten Ave. inside of the First Presbyterian Church, is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1997. Its mission is to help clients […]