West Philadelphia: Philadelphia’s Poet Laureate Helps Puerto Rico’s LGBTQ+ Community
When Hurricane Irma struck Puerto Rico in October 2017, Raquel Salas Rivera, Philadelphia’s poet laureate for 2018-19, wanted to help. “I’m very close to the trans community in Puerto Rico,” Salas Rivera said. “Many went without access to medicine or their hormones after the hurricane. Some are safe now, but there are still a lot […]
Comedy: Former Ohio Comics Now Contributing To Local Communities
Dorian Vasquez and Setoiyo Ekpo are both Philadelphia-based comedians by way of Columbus, Ohio. Each giving back to North Philadelphia residents in their own way, they just happen — by coincidence — to be helping people on different ends of the age spectrum. Vasquez is as a career specialist, helping find jobs for graduates at […]
West Philadelphia: Libraries “Plant A Seed” That Brings Success And Literacy For West Philly Children
Out of the 339 schools within the Philadelphia School District, only eight have full-time paid certified librarians. Louis Lozzi, a Philadelphia native and teacher said that the lack of library funding in the school system has been an issue since he began his teaching career 15 years ago. “I’m used to being in schools without […]
Kingsessing: In Changing Neighborhood, ‘Play Terrains’ Project Opens Dialogue
Meghan Talarowski thinks play can bring anyone together. “There’s no race, there’s no economic status related to play,” Talarowski said. “Everybody plays. That’s what we do. It’s like a basic human nature.” Talarowski, a landscape architect, developed such a passion for play that she made it her career. Almost three years ago, she founded Studio […]
West Philadelphia: Local organizations tackle food insecurity
Every Tuesday and Saturday, Kinji Ridley parks his car and unloads boxes of groceries from the trunk, handing them over to volunteers who set them up on benches and picnic tables. A line of dozens of West Philadelphia residents forms and they each pick out bags of food, assembly-line style, before dispersing and going their separate […]
Cobbs Creek: Food Pantry Serves As A Staple At St. Cyprian Church
Several years ago, April Robinson needed groceries— so she turned to the St. Cyprian Church for a meal. “A bag of chicken, some canned goods and some noodles, and juice,” Robinson said. She still remembers the groceries she received in the church’s basement, which has served as a food pantry for well over a decade. […]
Kingsessing: Developing Adult Literacy Provides Opportunities
Eight years ago, Darrow Lyons’ wife encouraged him to join Never 2 Late, an adult literacy program offered through the Center for Literacy, an organization that provides programs to adult learners. The 63-year-old South Philly resident has been attending classes ever since. The program is held at the Kingsessing Branch of the Free Library every […]
Belmont: Entrepreneur Jennell Moody Hopes To Inspire City’s Youth
When she was 14 years old, Jennell Moody (above) started braiding her neighbors’ hair on the front steps of her mother’s North Philadelphia home. Word of her skills spread through word of mouth, and Moody eventually turned her hairstyling into a small business, charging $10 for the neighborhood girls to come get their hair done. […]
Kingsessing: Seniors Find Creative Outlet At Open Mic
Poems about New York and chapters from a romance novel echoed through the Kingsessing Library’s sunlit basement. On Sept. 28, the library hosted an open mic poetry night for older adults— the first of many, Rachel Hayes hopes. “I think it’s important for the community,” Kingsessing Library Supervisor Hayes said. “Anything positive, anything that builds […]
Spruce Hill: Neighbors in Little Osage Come Together for Disaster Relief
Carlos Pérez Sámano wasn’t sure why his phone kept losing service on Sept. 19, but when he returned home from Center City and connected to the wifi, he was bombarded with text messages. “Everyone was saying, ‘I’m OK. I’m OK. I’m OK,’” Pérez Sámano said. “And I was like, what happened?” There had been a […]