Here is a letter we received from Alice Wells from Friends of Walnut Street West Library on the importance of supporting our local libraries.

Dear Library Friends, Community Members, Neighbors, Readers, Parents, Students and all who use and love our city’s libraries:

Philadelphia’s public libraries are STILL in dire straits. What budget and staff increases we began to see before the pandemic have been lost. Federal funds recently pumped into the City were not used to restore library funding! In short, unless we fight for them we will continue to see neighborhood libraries closed more than open because of continued understaffing. Continue Reading

Walnut Street West Library, one of the oldest Free Library of Philadelphia branches, has reopened its doors to the public after last week’s fire in an electrical transformer located under the sidewalk on 40th Street, in front of the library.

“Walnut West [head] librarian Bruce [Siebers] arrived at work early last Thursday morning, January 20, before anyone else. When he turned on the lights, they flickered, then suddenly there was a WHOOSH and black smoke billowed into the rooms,” writes Alice Wells, a member of volunteer group The Friends of Walnut West Library. “He ran outside – smoke was visible from the street too. In moments the block was filled with fire trucks, police cars, an ambulance and PECO and PGW trucks.” Continue Reading

The 2022 tax season will officially begin on Monday, Jan. 24 with community-based tax preparation and filing sites opening again across Philadelphia, including several locations in West Philly. The sites are run by The Campaign for Working Families (CWF), a non-profit organization that provides free tax preparation to working families and individuals and helps connect them with valuable tax credits, such as child tax credits, EITC, childcare credits, and more.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, all sites will operate by appointment only. All appointments are for a brief visit so that individuals can drop off their documents for CWF tax experts to prepare. Click here for more information and to schedule an appointment. Continue Reading

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is this Monday, Jan. 17 and many events celebrating his legacy have been scheduled around the city, virtually and in-person. Here’s a list of some events and volunteer opportunities happening in West and Southwest Philadelphia and on-line. Also, check out the list compiled by the Office of Councilmember Jamie Gauthier.

To explore additional MLK Day volunteer opportunities in Philadelphia, click here.

Thursday, Jan. 13 & Friday, Jan. 14:

Sam Pollard Film Screenings – Virtual Event

Scribe Video Center is hosting an online screening of two films by acclaimed filmmaker Sam Pollard. On Thursday, Jan. 13 at 7:00 p.m., join Scribe for a presentation of MLK/FBI, and on Friday, Jan. 14 at 7:00 p.m. there will be a presentation of Two Trains Runnin’, followed by a conversation with Sam Pollard. The screenings and conversation will be presented through the Crowdcast platform. Click here for more information and to register. Continue Reading

PEC staff member James Wright at a pop-up food distribution event (Photo courtesy of PEC)

People’s Emergency Center (PEC) staff are distributing free food and hosting the Penn Medicine COVID-19 mobile testing unit at 39th and Baring Streets on Thursdays this month (Jan. 13, Jan. 20, and Jan. 27).

Neighborhood residents are welcome to come by for a fresh box of produce and testing. The events are part of PEC’s work with the community to improve health outcomes for everyone. To learn more about the Penn Medicine mobile testing unit, run by Dr. Antonio Dávila Jr., click here.

Food distribution begins at 10 a.m. and continues while supplies last. The mobile testing unit will be onsite from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

UC Green, the West Philly community greening organization, is again hosting holiday tree recycling events in two West Philly parks – Clark Park and Malcolm X Park. Both events will be held Saturday, Jan. 8 (check out the flier below for more details). Suggested donation is $5-$20 per tree. Recycled trees will be mulched and used in local parks.

If you can’t bring your tree to any of these events, check out the Christmas Tree Recycling program run by the city this month. Continue Reading