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 […]
North Philadelphia: Promoting Literacy To Parents And Children In Unlikely Places
A shave, a haircut … and a good book? A North Philadelphia barber shop is part of a program to help increase literacy and help strengthen the community. Jasmond Schoolfield, better known as “Jazz the Barber,” owns Creative Image Unisex Hair Salon at 2737 W. Cecil B. Moore Ave. Putting down his hair cutting tools, he takes […]
Manayunk: North Light Community Center Staff Offers Support Programs For Local Families
North Light Community Center, located at 175 Green Lane, just off Main Street, has been a consistent presence in the neighborhood for more than 80 years, offering child care, raising money for scholarships for local kids and serving as a space for locals to convene. Irene Madrak (pictured below) is the executive director at North […]
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. […]
Haverford North: The Health And Resource Festival Returns To West Philly
St. Ignatius Nursing and Rehab Center collaborated with Alain Locke School, West Philadelphia Seventh Day Adventist Church and the Department of Public Health to bring back the Health and Resource Festival Saturday Sept. 29, which had been absent from the neighborhood since 2015. The center started what had been the annual festival in the early […]
Immigration: The Welcoming Center For New Pennsylvanians Assists Those New To Philadelphia
The Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that seeks to help those in need, including immigrants and refugees, with improving their lives and socioeconomic status. Philadelphians who are foreign born often find themselves at a disadvantage in the job market and require additional assistance in getting the education, language skills and connections […]
Immigration: Councilman Mark Squilla Helps Serve Immigrant Communities
Councilman Mark Squilla is the councilman for the First District in Philadelphia City Council. Squilla is the representative for several Philadelphia neighborhoods such as Chinatown, Kensington, Bella Vista, Northern Liberties, Fishtown and Port Richmond. A native of South Philadelphia, Squilla has been engaged in public service for close to 30 years, serving on the Philadelphia Democratic […]
Immigration: Cambodian Youth Leader Talks Literacy Challenges And Solutions
Rex Yin has been the youth development coordinator at the Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia for the last three years. He said his favorite part of the job is seeing the growth of the students he works with. Yin helps lead several youth programs, including the SumOur Roots program, a collaboration with VietLead and the Bhutanese […]
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 […]
Nonprofits: Providing Education For People During And After Incarceration
While Abdul Lateef was incarcerated, he spent most of his time reading. At first, spy novels were his favorite. Then, he moved on to heavier material, like biographies of civil rights leaders and accounts of historical revolutions. “If I didn’t have access to literature, then the culture that permeates the prison environment could have easily […]