Civic and Community Engagement – Page 24

Philly Landlord Tenant Officer married to city judge

July 27, 2020

Like many valuable functionary positions orbiting city government, the current Landlord and Tenant Officer, lawyer Marisa Silberstein Shuter, has family ties: She is married to Municipal Court Judge David C. Shuter, who personally presides over certain eviction cases, and is the daughter of that court’s former President Judge, Alan K. Silberstein. Legal observers say the arrangement is reflective of a larger culture of nepotism within the courts and presents a serious conflict of interest. | From: PlanPhilly (Read more.)

V Street Closes Amid Workers’ Attempts to Organize

July 24, 2020

Kate Jacoby and Rich Landau have decided to close their more casual concept, V Street. This comes amid attempts from a coalition of former and current Vedge and V Street employees organizing for better working conditions ahead of a planned reopening. | From: Philadelphia Magazine (Read more.)

Strike for Black Lives in Philadelphia: Essential workers demand hazard pay, end to racial discrimination

July 22, 2020

The nationwide day of action, part of the broader Black Lives Matter uprisings sparked by the police killing of George Floyd, took place in more than two dozen cities nationwide. It aimed to link the Black Lives Matter struggle to the fight for workers’ rights, and call attention to the racial discrimination that Black workers face on the job, which workers say has only worsened during the current health crisis. | From: The Philadelphia Inquirer (Read more.)

In times of need, Brandywine and partners have stepped up

July 21, 2020

Brandywine—through their partnership with Mount Vernon Manor in Mantua and Centennial Parkside CDC and a few of their restaurant tenants—have been able to supply 12,770 meals and counting to underserved communities in Philadelphia. By the end of the summer, the program is aiming to serve a total of 13,600. | From: Metro Philly (Read more.)

Breonna Taylor death links urban development, racist policing

July 20, 2020

Examining connections between these types of “revitalization” efforts to gentrification, systemic racism, violence, and increased policing and criminalization isn’t outrageous, it is important and absolutely necessary if we are committed to thinking about racism systemically. | From: PlanPhilly (Read more.)

Only half of Philly residents have filled out 2020 census so far

July 17, 2020

Neighborhoods with the lowest response rates in the city — sections of West and North Philly — can expect to see “socially distant pop-up shops” with census workers equipped with tablets and official badges. | From: WHYY (Read more.)

Showdown looms over the Parkway homeless encampment

July 15, 2020

Years of perceived inaction on the part of Philly officials over affordable housing could come to a head this Friday, when the city plans to evict people living in an encampment along the Ben Franklin Parkway. | From: WHYY (Read more.)

$4 million in emergency arts dollars go to Philly cultural sector

July 15, 2020

An emergency relief fund launched during the coronavirus pandemic is paying out $4 million to hundreds of cultural organizations and more than 1,000 individual artists in the Philadelphia region. | From: WHYY (Read more.)

Unity Survival Program: ‘It’s very much about the community members taking care of each other, rather than just providing a service’

July 13, 2020

Following Philadelphia’s stay-at-home order to curb the spread of COVID-19, the program began to distribute boxes of fresh groceries, produce, and dry goods, every Tuesday. The group has given out upwards of 100,000 pounds of food as the program aims to help connect neighbors with resources. | From: Kensington Voice (Read more.)

How Philly’s decision to defund its cultural arts will affect community organizations

July 13, 2020

The abrupt changes to the Philadelphia Cultural Fund— from Mayor Jim Kenney completely defunding it to City Council bringing back about one-third of its usual budget — have left community organizations scrambling to figure out how their programming will survive next year. | From: Kensington Voice (Read more.)