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coronavirus

Philly college students are struggling to afford food, housing

March 31, 2021

In 2020, 195,000 students from more than 200 colleges and universities across the country responded to the survey — including students attending schools in Pennsylvania and Philadelphia — and provides one view on the impact of the pandemic on students’ lives. The most common obstacle respondents faced this year was not being able to afford rent, mortgage, or utility bills. The number of students who said they experienced housing insecurity in 2020 rose by almost 10% from 2019. | From: WHYY (Read more.)

coronavirus

Los residentes dicen que no había que llegar a esto, si la ciudad hubiera invertido en la comunidad de Kensington cuatro años antes.

March 29, 2021

As recently as late February, the five Philly ZIP codes with the lowest median income were also the least vaccinated. As of March 22, that’s no longer the case, according to a Billy Penn analysis of city data. The change shows progress in the concerted effort to address under-vaccination in certain pockets. | From: Billy Penn (Read more.)

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‘Unacceptable’: Kensington residents protest closing of SEPTA’s Somerset Station after one week notice

March 29, 2021

SEPTA closed the Market-Frankford Line’s Somerset Station in Kensington on Sunday, March 21, to repair two elevators, citing public urination and trash disposal for the damage. The elevators will take months to repair, and those 800 average riders every weekday — 40% of pre-COVID’s average — are met with several dilemmas in transportation, ranging from inaccessibility, safety, and the solidifying sense that the city isn’t paying attention to the real problems in Kensington, and refuses to meet them with real action. | From: AL DÍA (Read more.)

Income and Wages

Susu as a Vehicle to Advance Economic Mobility

March 28, 2021

The term Susu evolved from the Yoruba term ‘esusu’, which is used to represent the financial institution. It involves a group of people periodically contributing a specified amount of money into a fund, with each person taking turns getting the lump sum contributed weekly, monthly or so forth, until the cycle ends. This community banking method is based on trust. | From: Fun Times (Read more.)

Income and Wages

Lisa Taylor, Director at Fresh Grocer, Leads and Strategically Serves the Community During a Crisis

March 28, 2021

A shining characteristic of an exceptional leader is the ability to continue strategic processes, even in the midst of a crisis. Lisa Taylor is the Director at Fresh Grocer on Monument Road. After climbing the corporate ladder, she joined the ShopRite team, which is operated by Brown’s Super Stores Inc.. Here, she has faced and conquered many COVID-related work challenges. | From: Fun Times (Read more.)