The annual Spruce Hill May Fair was cancelled last year due to the pandemic, but this year the organizers, Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA), are bringing back the popular community event. The May Fair will be held virtually on Saturday, May 8, 4-8 p.m.

Local vendors, artists and craftspeople are invited to participate in the event free of charge. Community groups and organizations seeking to do outreach are also invited to be part of this event. Space is limited and priority will be given to local community organizations and artisans. Continue Reading

The annual West Philly Porchfest, which was cancelled last year due to the COVID pandemic, is set to return in June!

Flyers in different colors have been posted around the neighborhood announcing that it will be held on Saturday, June 5, 2021 from 12 to 6 p.m.

The outdoor DIY music festival, which was first held in West Philly in 2016, gives an opportunity to local musicians to play and to West Philly residents and guests to enjoy free shows in various music genres. The Porchfest’s motto is that anyone can perform or host a show.

Folks who are interested in hosting a show on their porch can sign up here. The organizers have also created a Facebook group where porch hosts can connect with musicians looking for porches to perform on. Continue Reading

The Promise Zone’s Health and Wellness Committee is hosting a virtual panel discussion about the COVID-19 vaccines on Tuesday, March 9. If you have any questions about the vaccines and their distribution in the city, this is a great opportunity to ask them.

The panelists include:

• Dr. Claiborne Childs, Medical Director of Hospital Medicine Services, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center

• Yaya Diakite, Director of Security, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center

• Dr. Annette Gadegbeku, Assistant Dean of Community Health, Drexel University College of Medicine

• Alicia Williams, Registered nurse, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

• Kiara Benson, COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Coordinator, Philadelphia Department of Public Health

The event will begin at 6 p.m. Registration link: https://bit.ly/3upvza3. The event will also be live on Facebook on the Philadelphia Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity page. Questions can be submitted online here.

Rev. William Shaw, pastor of White Rock Baptist Church in West Philadelphia, at Saturday’s mass COVID vaccine clinic.

A mass COVID-19 vaccine clinic was held this past Saturday at the Church of Christian Compassion in West Philadelphia where 500 clergy and parishioners from the local faith community received the first dose of the vaccine. The clinic was organized by Penn Medicine and Mercy Catholic Medical Center – Mercy Philadelphia Campus, who have partnered with a coalition of religious and community leaders from Southwest Philadelphia.

The event was the first of three planned vaccination events in partnership with the local faith community.

Mercy Catholic Medical Center in Philadelphia, which is located at 54th and Cedar, is partnering with Penn Medicine and the local faith community to “bring vaccination opportunities directly to our West Philadelphia neighbors,” according to president Chris Cullom.  Continue Reading

A 2015 rally at the Martin Luther King Memorial at 40th and Lancaster Avenue (Photo courtesy of PEC)

The life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. is being celebrated this Monday, Jan. 18. While a lot of MLK Day events and activities will not be held this year because of Covid restrictions, folks are invited to participate in virtual events and outdoor socially-distanced events:

Monday, January 18, 12:30 p.m. at The Bank, 3750 Lancaster Avenue (corner of 38th and Lancaster Ave):

People’s Emergency Center (PEC) will be giving away food and other resources at the site of Rev. King’s Freedom Now tour speech on August 3, 1965 – at the intersection of 40th Street, Haverford Avenue, and Lancaster Avenue. The event will begin at Noon and last until the food has been distributed. The location is also a site on PEC’s Martin Luther King Scavenger Hunt, with a prize of a $100 gift card (go here for more information).  Continue Reading

  Woodlands Cemetery

The federal CARES Act permits taxpayers to deduct $300 in contributions to non-profit organizations in 2020. Several local non-profit and community organizations are holding year-end fundraisers, so there’s a chance to give back to your community by supporting neighborhood organizations with a tax-deductable donation.

Check out these messages from several local non-profits (to find more local non-profits, visit our Civic Life page):

The Woodlands Cemetery and Mansion (40th and Woodland):

“Outdoor spaces have become more critical than ever. Philadelphians seeking an escape this year became daily visitors. Give to The Woodlands and help us reach our $50,000 end of year fundraising goal and preserve this sacred space.”  Continue Reading