ON THE GROUND

The Camden Health and Athletic Association received a $1 million grant to promote and organize sporting events for youths in the City of Camden. Supported by the Cooper Foundation, AmeriHealth New Jersey, and the Norcross Foundation, this project aims to assist existing youth athletic clubs/teams and improve organizations by providing extracurricular opportunities to children and families.  Apart from bringing the community together through sports, common health issues such as obesity are addressed through health screenings to those participating.  The athletic plan will help to aid in eliminating costs for uniforms and equipment so that this opportunity is able to reach out to challenged families.  

Join The Philadelphia Orchard Project, East Revitalization Alliance, and Historic Strawberry Mansion this Saturday, June 4th for the 8th Annual Strawberry Festival! Featuring food, crafts, games, and other family activities this is a weekend event you won't want to miss!

How does a neighborhood offer social services for the homeless without hindering its relationships within the community? With its mission firmly planted in "creating community through the power of art", Gayle Isa, Executive Director of Asian Arts Initiative, reached out to the Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission to give the Sunday Breakfast Dining Hall a makeover. In Collaboration with Cecil Baker + Partners, Asian Arts Initiative, and Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission created a space accessible for those in need.

Need plans for tomorrow night? Head on over to Camden for their Connect the Lots Event from 7-10pm! Learn how the City of Camden is activating their city through community driven initiatives within the city and help engage the city's residents in the transformation of their city.

It's no surprise that after-school programs help students stay out of crime and the same can be said for high schooler within the Camden section of New Jersey. Surrounded by the promise of development, these students are showcasing their love for the game of baseball. However, it's hard to keep players as Tom Hanson, a local baseball coach notes, "A lot of these kids, they turn 16, they go out and get jobs to help out at home. It's a tough sport. You need practice time, you need to work on your skills, you need to develop the consistency."

Last Wednesday residents of the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood gathered in Fairmount Park for a day filled with activities surrounding physical, mental, and emotional health. Presented in part by the Philadelphia Community Integrated Recovery Collaborative, Stephanie Cameron discussed the importance of residents embracing their overall health 365 days a year.

Internet access is not an easy task for low-income communities within Philadephia. Betsy Baxter, a supervisor at the local Germantown library, recognizes the digital divide and attributes it to a lack of computers and internet services at home. Comcast is taking the step forward into helping out with this issue through their new program called “Internet Essentials” by providing affordable internet services for only $9.95 a month.  This program also provides access to free Wi-Fi in recreation centers and restaurants.

Community members within Germantown agree that having the basic digital literacy skills can take people a long way into getting jobs, writing resumes, aid in homework, and is as important as heat and water utilities.

May 16-23, 2016 is Infrastructure week for the City of Camden, NJ.  In collaboration with American Water and the Value of Water Coalition, Infrastructure Week presents the “Local Innovators Tour” to raise awareness of various infrastructure initiatives within the Camden community.

“Water is our most precious resource, and aging water infrastructure poses a unique risk to the nation because water is so essential to everything we do. To secure our water future, we need to invest in our pipes and treatment plants, and focus on the innovative partnerships that are driving the next era of water management and delivery. I’m thrilled to be here in Camden for Infrastructure Week 2016 to celebrate a bright spot of water infrastructure investment,” said Radhika Fox, CEO of the US Water Alliance.  Infrastructure Week aims to provide suggestions, advice, and solutions in addressing such issues facing Camden.

It's an undeniable fact that food deserts exist within Philadelphia. For example, take Southwest Philadelphia - surrounded by innovation hubs like University City and picturesque rowhomes within West Philadelphia, food deserts still occur. So what's stopping residents from growing produce themselves? That's where programs like the Community Farm and Food Resource Center comes in.

The program is creating available space for young people to get dirt on their hands and produce into their cupboards.

3-D printers have become a staple in the tech community over the last year. Utilizing digital drawings these machines create physical structures with the push of a button. Last week, Comcast announced a $105,000 donation of 3-D printers throughout rec centers across Philadelphia.

“Philadelphia is the now the only municipality in the nation to have three 3-D printers in publicly accessible computing centers. This is a game changer for education, workforce development and hands–on technology training in the City of Philadelphia.” The Kingsessing Recreation Center in Southwest Philly housed the announcement and their very own 3-D printer!

Tiny WPA is a nonprofit organization that engages youth and communities through design thinking and design building. Through The Building Hero Project, youth and adults are empowered to make positive changes to their neighborhoods and communities through community design. They are trained in design, collaboration, leadership, fabrication, and entrepreneurship.

Recent Tiny WPA projects include: Play Spaces, The Picnic Table Project, Schools and Vacant Lots.

During our first season of On The Ground we were in the northwest neighborhood of Germantown. Did you know Germantown is one of Philadelphia's oldest neighborhoods withing the city limits? Experience the culture and history this Saturday, May 14th from 11am to 5pm at the Second Saturday festival throughout Germantown!

Join our friends at Asian Arts Initiative for their Spring Poetry Night: Exploring the Intersections of Wellness, Womanhood, and World Economies this Friday, May 13th starting at 7pm! Featuring three award-winning local poets: Dilruba Ahmed, Sham-e-Ali Nayeem, and Cynthia Dewi Oka - you won't want to miss it!

How do communities come together to fight violence? Community members in the Frankford neighborhood of Philadelphia are coming together to fight acts of violence that have been occurring in their neighborhood. With help from local churches to groups like Philadelphia Ceasefire, Philadelphia Neighborhoods recently published a piece on how all parties involved are combatting violence. 

Back in 2014, East Parkside neighbors took part in a community paint day hosted by City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program for what would become North Star: The Journey to Freedom, a mural painted by Delia King. The mural, located at 41st and Poplar Streets in the Parkside section of Philadelphia, was painted during the 2014 Wawa Welcome America! Festival. Mural co-sponsors included Philadelphia LISC and Wells Fargo. 

North Star references African American quilts, which would often hold directions for those escaping slavery on how to reach the free states and Canada. The North Star was a common motif to aid with navigation. This design also celebrates the bond of the Union as a whole. If it weren't for the internal revolution that occurred in the 19th century that insisted that the words of the Declaration of Independence about equality be taken at face value, the United States of America would not exist today as a place where civil rights for all were fought for and eventually won.

Now, after two years, North Star is finally dedicated! We celebrated with the community and a lineup of speakers, including Philadelphia Zoo’s Kenneth Woodson, speaking about the mural’s meaning in the video below.

Elder Ruby Davis, emcee & Pastor Ramona Gaines, opening prayer 

Harvin Thurman, original member of East Parkside Residents Association 

Ronald Coleman, East Parkside Residents Association Treasurer

Vanessa Lowery Brown, PA House Representative

Representative Brown presents East Parkside Residents Association President, Calla Cousar, with flowers to thank her for all the great work she does in the East Parkside community.

Andrew Frishkoff, Executive Director of Philadelphia LISC

Cathy Harris, Director of Community Murals for City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program

Delia King, mural artist

Euell Neilsen, historical reenactment actor & Julia Diggs, singer with Elder Ruby Davis

Meet Jerry Fokas, owner and operator of Spiro's Bar and Restaurant has witnessed the evolution of Parkside since the late 60's when his father opened the restaurant. His father was a firm believer in the restoration of Parkside and instilled that belief in Jerry - who hasn't left the neighborhood since. When discussing the future of Parkside, Fokas revealed his idea to open the neighborhood to Syrian refugees to help repopulate the once booming neighborhood.