December 2020 – Page 2 – Broke in Philly

Ange Branca of Sate Kampar is opening a ‘chef incubator’ in the Bok

December 23, 2020

Kampar Kitchen will be a culinarily shape-shifting space where Branca and team will nurture up-and-coming cooks and aspiring restaurateurs. Based in South Philly’s Bok building, the venture will offer carryout options from a rotating roster of creators and cuisine concepts, allowing people to offer their brand of fare to the public without incurring high startup costs. | From: Billy Penn (Read more.)

Wolf Seeks $145M Fund Shift to Help Businesses With Pandemic

December 23, 2020

Wolf said he wants the money to go out in the form of grants to businesses that have been most harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic, among them restaurants, bars and gyms. | From: NBC10/Telemundo62 (Read more.)

Step Up to the Plate to offer Christmas meals in Kensington

December 23, 2020

On Christmas Day, a newly installed warming tent will be used to offer special hot meals for more than 500 people. The holiday affair will take place at 12:30 p.m. at Prevention Point Philadelphia’s site at Ruth and Clearfield streets in Kensington, where a 40-by-70-foot tent will allow for physical distancing. | From: WHYY (Read more.)

How to get your criminal record sealed or expunged in Pennsylvania

December 22, 2020

But depending on the charges or convictions on your record, and the length of time since your legal trouble began, you may be able to fully or partially clear your criminal record. But it’s not necessarily a straightforward process. Who is eligible, and how can you apply? Here is what you need to know. | From: The Inquirer (Read more.)

Local initiative helps returning citizens find jobs in the cannabis industry

December 22, 2020

A chain of local medical marijuana dispensaries has teamed up with the Urban League to secure rights—and jobs—for would-be workers denied employment due to previous cannabis-related convictions. | From: The Philadelphia Citizen (Read more.)

Philadelphia schools due for more than $400 million from COVID-19 relief

December 22, 2020

The Philadelphia school district is in line to get more than $400 million from the coronavirus relief legislation passed by Congress — but that doesn’t mean the system’s fiscal woes are over, Chief Financial Officer Uri Monson said Tuesday. | From: Chalkbeat Philadelphia (Read more.)

Why Philly shut down its homeless COVID hotels, and why advocates are furious

December 21, 2020

A private prison company runs one of the temporary sites where residents are being relocated. | From: Billy Penn (Read more.)

One-size-fits-all approach to rent relief leaves tenants and landlords without assistance

December 21, 2020

Landlords who didn’t participate in Philadelphia’s pandemic rental assistance program were dissuaded by bureaucratic red tape and uncertainty, concerns about the amount of money they could collect, and strained relationships with tenants, according to a report released Monday by the Housing Initiative at Penn and the Philadelphia-based redevelopment nonprofit Reinvestment Fund. | From: The Inquirer (Read more.)

Facing eviction, Chester County residents turn to a new program to keep their homes during COVID-19

December 20, 2020

In September, when a deluge of landlord-tenant disputes were filed as Gov. Tom Wolf lifted the state’s moratorium on evictions, the Friends Association began aiding struggling families that otherwise would have faced a housing crisis alone. | From: The Inquirer (Read more.)

A Lifeline During COVID 19

December 18, 2020

When the coronavirus shut down the world in March, Sara Lomax-Reese knew WURD Radio would be a lifeline for many of its listeners. And, since racism permeates all aspects of American life, including the health care system, she knew this crisis would hit Black people and businesses harder. The station stepped up in so many ways. In this episode, hosts Andrea Lawful Sanders and Solomon Jones talk about how they each understood their duty to keep the community informed and how COVID has personally impacted the WURD family. | From: WURD (Read more.)