East Kensington: Community Center Helps Adults Strengthen Literacy Skills
In a small classroom on the second floor of Community Center at Visitation, which refers to itself as “A Beacon of Hope in Kensington,” a group of eager students sit ready for the day’s lesson. These aren’t just regular school students, however. They are adults from the United States and countries beyond set on improving […]
Passyunk Square: Father Vincent Farhat Pays Homage To His Family With Unconditional Love In And Out Of Church
Vincent Farhat (pictured above), pastor at St. Maron’s Catholic Church located at 1013 Ellsworth St., has taken the guidance from his upbringing to provide love and compassion to all people. Farhat’s relationship with his family has led him to dedicate his life to his church and to his faith. The 53-year-old Lebanese American was born […]
South Philadelphia: Buy Nothing Group Fosters Community And Helps Neighbors Via Facebook
One similarity between Bainbridge Island, WA and Philadelphia is an experimental gift economy. Hyperlocal groups are based on the concept of helping neighbors by giving items one person no longer finds useful to others who do. These groups are forming in communities all over the country. No bartering, trading or illegal activity are allowed. Philadelphia started with one […]
Hunting Park: Esperanza Aims to Improve Neighborhood Conditions
Esperanza is a faith-based community development corporation and nonprofit organization. It was founded in 1986 by the Hispanic clergy of Philadelphia. At the time, the Hispanic clergy wanted to address some of the larger problems that the community faced – access to affordable housing, access to jobs, safe communities and an education. Philip Dawson, 29, […]
University City: Building Champions of Character
The Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative – established in 2009 – is a collaborative of member organizations, which provide support for non-traditional youth sports-based programs in the city. The organizations offer physical development and life skills though sports such as cycling, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, martial arts, riding, rowing, running, soccer, squash, and tennis. PYSC’s mission is to […]
Chestnut Hill: Minister Seeks to Welcome Community
The Rev. Cynthia A. Jarvis has been the minister of the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill since 1996. She has been a leader within her ministry changing the way people in Chestnut Hill view the church, and the way the church views Chestnut Hill. “It took me a while to fall in love with Philadelphia,” she […]
Waterfront: Artist Jody Pinto Restoring Pier Through Art
Artist Jody Pinto envisioned her ancestors traveling to Philadelphia by ship, staring out at the land ahead. With that, she came up with the idea for the Washington Avenue Pier sculpture Land Buoy. The sculpture honors a part of the Delaware River Waterfront somewhat unrecognized for its storied past. This is an area Philadelphians are finally starting […]
Casinos: Five People On The Front Lines
Given the size of most gaming operations, it’s often difficult to put a “face” to any particular organization (besides Donald Trump, and he’s largely famous for his other endeavors). Despite this, there’s still a fair number of important people – some within the industry, some who would like to destroy the industry and some who feel […]
Chestnut Hill: Nature in Unexpected Places
A cool breeze caresses you as you walk through a tree-lined path. The sounds of birds, cicadas and the flow of water are the only sounds able to be heard. No one would ever imagine being enveloped by nature and only be 30 minutes outside of Center City Philadelphia. A hidden gem like the Wissahickon […]
Kensington: Cast Your Cares Lends a Hand to All
[vimeo 68184718] On a humid Tuesday afternoon at the intersection of Kensington Avenue and Hagart Street in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, residents and passersby stopped by the Cast Your Cares Ministry to receive an assembly of midday snacks such as canned fruit, Tastykakes and ice water. This sight is common to the neighborhood for every […]