Month: July 2022

Civic and Community Engagement

Spanish-speaking families struggled to sign up for Parks and Rec summer camps. They organized to demand change.

July 14, 2022

Spanish-speaking families brought the issue of language accessibility to an April meeting with Parks and Rec and other stakeholders. Zamacona recounted how she went to a recreation center in person after the calls led to a dead end. Staff instructed her to call the main office because no one on site spoke Spanish or knew how to access interpreters the city makes available by phone — an experience that made her feel unwelcome. | From: The Inquirer (Read more.)

Civic and Community Engagement

Deeply Rooted aims to bring trees and gardens to four Philly neighborhoods

July 12, 2022

Decades later, he’s one of the community leaders in a project to bring trees, gardens, and greenery — and the health benefits they engender — to four Philadelphia neighborhoods. Deeply Rooted is a three-year, $6 million project funded by Penn Medicine and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Healthier Together Initiative. It’s led by the Penn Urban Health Lab, along with 13 other community and faith-based organizations. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society will provide the greening expertise for improvements in Philadelphia’s Mill Creek, Cobbs Creek, Haddington, and Kingsessing neighborhoods. | From: The Inquirer (Read more.)

Civic and Community Engagement

PlayStreets are back in Philly, with safety training in place

July 11, 2022

It’s the active shooter equivalent of “stop, drop and roll,” and it’s a crucial piece of knowledge for the crew of teenagers helping with Philadelphia’s “PlayStreets” program this summer. They started work this Monday, hoping to create a safe and educational environment despite the city’s ongoing gun violence crisis and a Fourth of July weekend disrupted by gunfire. | From: WHYY (Read more.)