Cedar Park map (click to enlarge)

Now through June 15, the 2018-2019 Cedar Park Neighbors Gary Bronson Memorial Scholarship application is open for young adults pursuing higher education. Applicants must live within the stated boundaries of Cedar Park (see map) and be attending a regionally accredited post-secondary school in the fall to be considered for the scholarship.

Since 1988, the Cedar Park Neighbors Scholarship Committee has been providing young people with both mentorship and financial support to help them be successful in their post-secondary endeavors. In 2017, over $11,000 was raised and nine students were funded with cash scholarships to help defray some of the incidental costs of attendance. During the school year, the committee reaches out to the students via calls, emails and care packages at finals.  Continue Reading

Dinner in Three Acts is a fun and delicious way to support educational programs at Curio Theatre.

Curio Theatre Company, the community theater at 48th and Baltimore, is starting an exciting new fundraising tradition. On Sunday, May 20, the company will be “producing” a Dinner in Three Acts – a three-course dinner at selected West Philadelphia homes. This is how it works:

Act One – 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. – Guests will start with registration and appetizers at one home.
Act Two – 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. – For their entree, guests will choose one style of cuisine from a varied selection served for groups of 10 to 15 people.
Act Three – 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. – Guests will return to the theater for dessert with coffee and tea.  Continue Reading

Do you want to support early childhood education and have a great night out? Would you bid on a Cape May vacation or some original artwork? How about a birthday party package to University Family Fun Center or a new bike? These are some of over 100 items featured at the 14th annual Saint Mary’s Nursery School (SMNS) annual fundraiser:

Spring For Our School Silent Auction & Party

Saturday, April 21 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Harnwell College House Rooftop Lounge
3820 Locust Walk
Tickets: $45 (adults only) at www.stmarysnursery.org/sfos

Who is Saint Mary’s Nursery School? SMNS is a diverse, non-denominational school with a 54-year history in West Philadelphia, home to 150 children between 18 mo – 10 yrs and involve many active family members in our co-op program.  Continue Reading

Photo from Kol Tzedek Facebook page.

Community members have a chance this Friday to show their support for our Muslim neighbors outside of a local mosque, the site of last week’s anti-Muslim protest. The event, titled “Stand with Muslims”, is organized by Kol Tzedek synagogue and the West Philly Coalition Against Islamophobia. It will take place from noon to 1 p.m. at 43rd and Walnut where Masjid al-Jamia mosque is located.

“Last week there was a small but very disturbing Islamophobic protest outside Masjid Al-Jamia, the mosque at 43rd and Walnut, during Friday prayers,” reads a Facebook post by Kol Tzedek dedicated to the event. “Please join Kol Tzedek and the West Philly Coalition Against Islamophobia to show our support for our Muslim neighbors and stand in solidarity with them.”  Continue Reading

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is on Monday, Jan. 15. Here’s a list of events and Day of Service opportunities for local residents. Visit mlkdayofservice.org/volunteer for more volunteer opportunities in Philadelphia.

• MLK Events at Penn

Penn’s MLK Day of Service activities begin with a breakfast for volunteers, and includes a college fair, sprucing up various locations around West Philadelphia, recording audio books to promote literacy and more. It concludes with a candlelight vigil. More details can be found here.

The Day of Service kicks off Penn’s Annual MLK Symposium for Social Change, two weeks worth of events and activities (from panel discussions to film screenings to performances and lectures) that are centered around social justice. For more information, go here.  Continue Reading

On New Year’s Eve (Sunday, Dec. 31), neighbors and guests are invited to the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral (38th and Chestnut) for “Watch Night for Racial Justice” – an evening of jazz that will benefit interfaith organization P.O.W.E.R. (Philadelphians Organized to Witness, Empower, and Rebuild).

The event is in response to the alarming increase in racist violence and injustice over the past year. It celebrates the tradition of “Watch Night” which began on New Year’s Eve 1863 in black churches throughout the nation awaiting the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1864.  Continue Reading