On Saturday, Sept. 30, community members are invited to visit the beautiful homes of the Garden Court neighborhood and dine on gourmet meals prepared by talented neighborhood chefs, while supporting the Cheryl Roebuck Scholarship Fund and community projects at the annual Garden Court Community Association (GCCA) Progressive Dinner.

The event will begin at 5:30 with registration followed by appetizers. Then, at 7 p.m., guests are invited to visit several pre-selected homes for dinner. Guests can choose from the following cuisines: classic Mexican, Belgian, Irish, Italian, Ethiopian, and more! It’s a really tasty way to get to know your neighbors. Dessert will be served at 8:30 p.m.  Continue Reading

Mariposa, the cooperative grocery store at 49th and Baltimore, has implemented two initiatives aimed at making a positive contribution to the neighborhood: On September 20, it announced a 10 percent discount program for qualifying low-income shoppers, and back in August it raised its minimum salary from $10.75 to $13 per hour.

The 10 percent discount emerged from a sense among Mariposa’s leadership that many of the store’s products aren’t accessible to all its neighbors. Hillary Wickline, Mariposa’s marketing coordinator, said the organization knows that even with government assistance, healthy food can be out of reach.

“We just want to make sure that we’re creating a welcoming space within this environment and not serving just a group of people with a steady income of, like, $50,000 a year or something like that,” Wickline said.  Continue Reading

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Prince may be gone, but this event at 50th and Baltimore will make sure that, at least in West Philly, he is not forgotten. Sheila E. and Morris Day and The Time – some of Prince’s closest collaborators – will headline a “Tribute to Prince,” a free concert on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 50th and Baltimore that will also include West Philly’s own DJ Questlove.

The annual Neighborhood-to-Neighborhood Street Festival kicks off at noon. Sheila E., Prince’s one-time fiancé who opened for him on the Purple Rain tour, is set to play at 2 p.m. Morris Day, who co-starred with Prince in the film Purple Rain, will be onstage with his band, The Time, at 7 p.m. In between, Questlove, rapper PnB Rock, comedian Skeet and a number of local artists will perform.  Continue Reading

Photo courtesy of Cedar Park Neighbors.

Philadelphia is on track to record 1,200 drug-overdose deaths this year, according to City health officials. All kinds of people – from police to librarians – are being trained to use Narcan kits to reverse overdoses.

On Monday, Sept. 18, Cedar Park Neighbors is hosting a training on how to reverse an opioid overdose. Prevention Point, a longtime community based organization that has worked with tens of thousands of community members struggling with the effects of opioid addiction, will conduct the training.

The training will include detailed information on how to obtain and administer Narcan™ (naloxone), a medication that, when administered promptly to individuals who are experiencing an overdose, can save their lives. Prevention Point will also provide information on how to obtain this medication.

The training will take place at the Calvary Center Chapel (48th and Baltimore), beginning at 6:30 p.m., and will take approximately 1.5 hours. No RSVP is required, but trainees are asked to be on time and remain for the full training.

The Philadelphia general election is on November 7, and here’s an opportunity for West Philly residents to meet some of the Democratic candidates, including Larry Krasner, Philadephia District Attorney. A Democratic Candidates’ Night, organized by the 27th Ward Democratic Committee, will be held Thursday, Sept. 14, at University of the Sciences (Rosenberger Hall, 600 S. 43rd St).  Continue Reading

This is a great example of neighbors helping neighbors. Senior residents of the Renaissance Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center located at 4712 Chester Avenue recently raised money to help one of the largest emergency family shelters in the area, Families Forward Philadelphia, get school supplies for their clients.

Renaissance residents and staff created a donation box crafted as a box of “Renaissance” Crayons. Staff, visitors, and family members dropped off items in the lobby, and a traveling store was made available for all residents interested in using bingo winnings to make donations.  Continue Reading