Kensington: Galaei Philly Empowers The Lives Of Latino LGBT Youth
Right across the street from Norris Square Park, at 149 West Susquehenna Ave., sits a small but powerful organization dedicated to helping residents in Philadelphia’s LGBT community. Galaei Philly provides health services such as HIV testing, counseling and sexual health education with a special focus on those of Latin origin. The organization’s mission is to […]
Hunting Park: Local Efforts Encourage Minorities And Millennials To Vote
Equipped with pledge cards, iPods, and polling data, a group of five millennials cramped into a minivan. Maneuvering through North Philadelphia, the team knocked door-to-door along nestled rowhomes in Hunting Park, Juniata Park, and Feltonville, greeted by residents stricken with consternations surrounding Election Day. The canvassing clan is a constituent of the National Council of […]
Hunting Park: Latino Community Sees Viable Mayor in Diaz
At Tierra Colombiana, support for mayoral candidate Nelson Diaz.
Marisol Maldonado considers Tierra Colombiana the “clothespin” of the Latino community. The 44-year-old Latina remembers going to North Philly’s Hallahan High School and telling her friends, “Meet me at the clothespin.” “It’s our hub and meeting point,” says Maldonado of the famed restaurant and club on 5th Street near Raymond in Hunting Park. “Everyone knows […]
Kensington: Congreso Partners with Comcast to Beautify the Community
The Latino community was out in full force for Comcast Cares Day at Congreso’s headquarters at 215 West Somerset St. in eastern North Philadelphia. The partnership between Comcast and Congreso had volunteers show up as early as 8 a.m. undeterred by the brisk, windy conditions. “I promise and have it on good authority that it’s […]
Latino Philadelphia: 5 People Making a Difference
Father Bruce Lewandowski (above), Vicar for Cultural Ministries, Archdiocese of Philadelphia. For the past three years Father Bruce Lewandowski has overseen the Office for Hispanic Catholics as the Vicar for Cultural Ministries at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. His primary goal is to make sure the estimated 200,000 Hispanic Catholics of Philadelphia know that the church […]
El Bloque de Oro: the Cultural Center of Latino Philadelphia
Spending a day in “El Bloque de Oro” will have you thinking you’re in a tropical Caribbean island. Fake palm trees sit on every corner down North Fifth Street while store signs are read in Spanish. It is very possible to spend the entire day in this neighborhood and function perfectly only speaking Spanish while […]
Al Dia: Kensington High CAPA Latinos Overcome Odds to Graduate
No one ever said life at an inner-city school would be easy, but Kensington High School for the Creative and Performing Arts has managed to overcome many obstacles to provide its students with an education that they can build on. Kensington High School CAPA, as it is often called, boasts a 62.2 percent graduation rate […]
Al Dia: Latina Counselor Helps Kenginston CAPA Students
As Keila Vargas puts it, she has two babies back at home and countless others at Kensington High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (KCAPA). Vargas, whose parents are from the Dominican Republic, is the guidance counselor at KCAPA. While serving the student body as a whole, Vargas feels a special connection with the […]
Grays Ferry: Soccer League Draws Blood and Community Together
“Is there anything more beautiful than to celebrate a goal?” asks PhillyMex founder Emilio Alcaide on the league’s Facebook page. Alcaide did not play soccer much in Mexico but upon arriving in South Philadelphia, he found comfort and camaraderie in pickup soccer games with other Mexican immigrants in neighborhood parks. Word of the matches quickly […]
5th Street: South Kensington Community Partners Greening Project
South Kensington has experienced a high influx of new homeowners, renters and sustainable construction. The new people live amongst the longtime residents. The pattern of gentrification has increased the need for community smoothing through outreach and activism. La Finquita (The Little Farm), an urban community garden space located at 438 W. Master Street, is an […]