Germantown: Church Welcomes First Generation Haitian-American Youth Ministries Director
The First United Methodist Church of Germantown (FUMCOG) has sat on the corner of East High Street and Germantown Avenue since 1796. In September, the congregation welcomed 33-year-old Jeanna Murat (pictured above). Murat is first generation Haitian-American who has dedicated her life to empowering youth and pushing them to explore their faith. “My role whenever […]
Powelton Village: Park Cleanup Initiative Brings Both Community And University Students Together
Love Your Park, a citywide initiative to keep Philadelphia’s parks clean, had it’s fall cleanup Saturday morning on Nov. 11 at Saunders Park on 39th Street and Powelton Avenue. Community members and Drexel University students came together to pick up leaves, throw out trash and begin planting flowers that would bloom by spring. The initiative does […]
Kensington: Local Boxer Shares Gift With Community
With years of boxing experience under his belt, 18-year-old Branden Pizarro is making a name for himself as the youngest professional boxer in Pennsylvania. He’s been featured on Showtime’s ShoBox: The New Generation and now has his own space for him and others to train, The Gift Boxing Gym. In this video, Pizarro and his family […]
Overbrook Farms: Community Members Memorialize, Demonstrate At New Wilson Goode Sign
On the 2400 block of North 59th Street, just below the newly named W. Wilson Goode Sr. Way, stands a four-foot-tall shrine that reads, “To honor former Mayor W. Wilson Goode Sr. with a street, is to dishonor the 11 MOVE ancestors and the Osage Avenue/Pine Street neighbors.” The shrine was created by Philadelphia activist […]
East Falls: Friends of Mifflin, Principal Work Together To Drive Community Involvement
Wind howled and rain pelted down on East Falls, but inside the warm gymnasium at Thomas Mifflin Elementary School, smiling children ran around in colorful costumes to the sound of popular tunes put on by DJ Mighty Flip Side at the Mifflin Fall Festival and Carnival on Saturday, Oct. 27. Principal Leslie Mason (pictured above) bravely […]
Mill Creek: Building And Serving The Community Through Art
Every Saturday this past October, children and residents have gathered at the Mill Creek Recreation Center, 4700 Brown St., for art classes hosted by the community group Fine Art Through Our Eyes (FATOE). The classes run through the beginning of December, This past week, the class celebrated the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, which translates to […]
Juniata Park: First-Year Principal Goes The Extra Mile To Help Students Succeed
Emily Mary Trunfio, principal of One Bright Ray Community High School, doesn’t want to just help kids who struggle academically get a high school diploma. She wants to help them achieve success after they leave school as well. The school helps at-risk kids who are behind academically to catch up and get that ever-important diploma. […]
West Poplar: New Community Center Leader Unites Poplar Residents Through Art, Sports
Richard Austin, 54, worked in banking and insurance for almost three decades before making the leap to nonprofit work to connect with communities hands-on. After eleven years in the sector, the Cheltenham resident started a new position in September as the outreach program director at Saint Paul’s Community Center on Wallace and 10th streets. […]
Germantown: Andrew Trackman Talks Bettering Businesses And The Community
In 2014, Andrew Trackman (pictured above) became the Executive Director of Germantown United Community Development Corporation (GUCDC), located at 5320 Germantown Ave. He has been with the organization since it was created in 2012. He grew up in New Jersey, but has lived in Philadelphia since moving here at age 18 to got to school at […]
Brewerytown: Residents Raise Concerns About Public Transportation, Garbage Pickup
During the Brewerytown-Sharswood Community Civic Association’s (BSCCA) meeting on Thursday, Sept. 20, tensions arose around residents’ concerns about the lack of public transportation, as well as a perceived garbage problem. “This area is a transportation desert,” said Warren McMichael, vice president of the BSCCA. “We have brought this up numerous times; from 29th Street to Ridge Avenue, […]