Fairmount: Block Captain Cleans Up The Neighborhood
Sam Holloschutz — born and raised in Philadelphia — is a board member at the Fairmount Civic Association and the chair of the FCA’s Neighborhood Improvement Committee. He’s also the block captain for the 800 block of N. 29th Street. Holloschutz is passionate about climate change and Fairmount, and he unites his passions in the […]
Kensington: Pastor Joshua Grace’s Impact Goes Beyond Church Walls
Joshua Grace has served as pastor at Circle of Hope Church since 2003. Grace leads efforts to unite his community through its thrift store, Circle Thrift, and events hosted by the church. He works with community organizations to mobilize resources and bring people together in a God-centered environment. Circle of Hope is associated with the […]
Kensington: “It’s Not Just A Gurney Street Thing.”
Prevention Point Philadelphia has opened a year-round respite at its center in Kensington as a direct response to the City of Philadelphia’s decision to close down and clean up encampments along the Gurney Street Corridor. The organization has been doing winter respite for the past three years, but as of July 31 its doors are […]
Education: “A grassroots attempt to deal with the problems of socio-economic segregation.”
Jeff Hornstein is the chair of Friends of Neighborhood Education (FONE), a coalition that organizes more than 40 “Friends of” groups, or collections of neighbors investing in their neighborhood schools. The organization serves as the education committee for the Philadelphia Crosstown Coalition, a federation of all civic associations in the city. He also served as […]
Education: “I don’t want to say having literacy is a panacea. It gives you access.”
Diane Inverso has been serving as the executive director of the Office of Adult Education (OAE) since 2016, after working for the recently renamed Mayor’s Commission on Literacy for more than 25 years. Though the OAE is not a direct services organization, the city government office develops partnerships and public policy, oversees the Philadelphia Adult […]
Arts & Entertainment: Laurel Raczka Brings Community, Artists And Scholars Together
Laurel Raczka is the executive director of the Painted Bride Art Center in Old City. The Painted Bride Art Center, founded in 1969, is an art venue that caters to artists of varying disciplines that works with independent artists to bring arts to the community. Although leadership of the Painted Bride has changed through the years, its mission […]
Logan Square: Peace Advocate Empowers Others To Protest Immigration Order
Kerri Kennedy is the associate general secretary for international programs at the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) located on Cherry Street in Logan Square. While AFSC does not normally stage protests, Kennedy and the agency organized the Philadelphia March for Humanity on Feb. 3 to express disapproval of President Donald Trump’s executive order banning travel to the U.S. for passport holders from seven Muslim-majority […]
Old City: Carriage Driver Turned Teacher
Kelly Filbert is a horse carriage driver in Old City. Being a horse carriage driver has made her find a love for history. She wants to pass her knowledge on to everyone who steps into her carriage. Can you explain the difference between this job and other jobs you have worked? This job is […]
Mayfair: Q&A with Jerry Bolzak, Executive Director of Northeast Victim Service
Jerry Bolzak, a Philadelphia native and executive director of the nonprofit Northeast Victim Service, has been helping victims of crime in Mayfair for the past 15 years. The organization, which originally launched in 1992 following the Victims of Crime Act of 1984, provides financial assistance with medical expenses, funeral costs and counseling services for victims and witnesses in Northeast Philadelphia. The […]
South Philadelphia: Local Resident Turns Community Leader In The Neighborhood He Loves
If there’s anyone who knows their community like the back of their hand, it’s Anton Moore. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Moore founded his own non-profit, Unity in the Community, as a way to give back to the neighborhood that he loves. With a strong team working alongside him to reach out to the underprivileged […]