Wharton: Roots Of Happiness Grows Community For Elderly Southeast Asian Immigrants And Refugees
Every Tuesday morning elderly Southeast Asian immigrants and refugees come together to socialize, strengthen community ties and improve their mental and physical health. Roots of Happiness: Elders Health & Wellness Services takes place from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at coworking space Bok on Ninth Street near Mifflin Street. The program, run by SEAMAAC, serves […]
Immigration: Carol Agia And Marco Circelli Discuss History Of Italian Immigration In Philadelphia
Like many Italian-Americans in Philadelphia, Carol Agia’s grandparents came to Philadelphia around the turn of the 20th century. One of her grandfathers immigrated in 1896 at the age of seven, while the other arrived in 1915 when he was 12 years old. “Often the father and the oldest son came over, saved a little bit […]
Point Breeze: Urban Farmer Shares His Craft With Community
Twenty-seven-year-old Atiba Ellerby is a part-time barista and full-time urban farmer. When he’s not making coffee at The Pharmacy, a coffee shop in Point Breeze, he is tending to gardens throughout the city. Farming is a craft he learned 14 years ago through the Urban Nutrition Initiative. How do you feel you impact your community? […]
Southwest: The Rewards of Helping a Community Grow
Donna Henry loves the feeling of helping someone in a tough situation. It’s part of why she loves working for the Southwest Community Development Corporation. She first went to the Southwest CDC for a position she thought was preservation-based. She was quickly appointed the executive director of the organization, a position she has held for […]
Brewerytown: Residents Adapting Alongside New Developments, Businesses
Brewerytown is an attractive neighborhood to people looking for the cool, new hot spot to live. Its accessibility by public transportation and its proximity to Center City and Fairmount Park have made it an enticing area for developers and new residents. It’s no question that Brewerytown has seen changes in recent years. New apartment buildings […]
Brewerytown: The Yoga Studio Opens Arms to Everyone
Emile Sorger, owner and founder of The Yoga and Movement Sanctuary at 26th Street and Girard Avenue, moved to Brewerytown in 2012. After witnessing the booming growth of his old neighborhood in Fishtown, he found similar circumstances in his new “up-and-coming” neighborhood. As a freelance yoga instructor, Sorger noticed the influence of his teachings in the city, […]
Chinatown: Supporting the Community Through Faith
Since its founding, Chinatown has been ever-changing–from the demographics of the area to its boundaries. Central to this community’s perseverance has been the local churches including the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church and School and the Chinese Christian Church and Center. In the 1890s Chinatown was a very small section of what we think of today. […]
Strawberry Mansion: Kevin Upshur, Founder of the Strawberry Mansion Learning Center
Kevin Upshur, a longtime resident of Strawberry Mansion, has watched his neighborhood go through changes in his life. The biggest change? Upshur’s family owned and operated bar, was converted into the Strawberry Mansion Learning Center, a non-profit neighborhood education and resource center. Opening its doors in 2008, the center, has provided the children of the community […]
East Falls: Glassblowing Studio Is All Access To The Public
With the help of over-sized tweezers, a wooden paddle and a 2,000 degree furnace, Nikolaj Christensen and his coworkers at East Falls Glassworks are able to turn molten glass into a masterpiece. Nikolaj Christensen is the director and head glassblower at the East Falls Glassworks. Christensen’s passion for glassblowing began in 2001 when taking an […]
Local Music: Marley McNamara Builds Community Behind The Scenes
Marley McNamara turned her passion for music into a career. McNamara became involved with the Philadelphia music scene through a job tending bar at World Cafe Live. From there, McNamara began booking small shows at the venue. She built friendships with people and started booking shows full-time. McNamara took her music career further and began […]