City Councilmember, Jamie Gauthier’s office is hosting its first 3rd District Back-to-School Drive for local families. Donations of backpacks and school supplies can be dropped off through August 25th at the 3rd District Office located at 606 S. 52nd Street, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Families with school-age children are asked to register if they want to receive school supplies. Please click here to fill out an online registration form. Additional info is below.

For more than 200 years, the 3500 block of Lancaster Avenue has been home to community centers, art spaces, theaters, and residences. The area includes evidence of some of the earliest houses built in West Philadelphia during the 1850s, and a new community archeology project aims to recover forgotten stories of the residents of the historic Black Bottom neighborhood before they were displaced in the 1960s when their homes were demolished to make way for what would become “University City.”

The “Heritage West: The West Philadelphia Community Archaeology Project” is a partnership between several community organizations and institutions, including HopePHL, the Black Bottom Tribe Association, the Community Education Center (CEC), University City Arts League, University of Pennsylvania, and Penn Museum. Using archaeological investigation, archival research, oral histories, and state-of-the-art technology, Heritage West team members are working together to unearth and preserve untold—or erased—histories dating from the 19th century to the present.

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Although summer is in full swing, West Philadelphia community-based non-profit, ACHIEVEability, is preparing for the upcoming school year and gearing up to give away school supplies to 650 students. From now through August 4th, donated backpacks and school supplies will be accepted at the organization’s office at 5901 Market St.

The list of suggested donation items is below.

ACHIEVEability is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The organization was founded in 1981 by the Sisters of Mercy and known as Philadelphians Concerned About Housing (PCAH). The non-profit has grown exponentially since its launch and now serves West Philadelphia neighborhoods that are beyond the resurgence of University City and experience a 34.5 percent poverty rate.

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While gun violence and other incidents involving youth remain a serious problem in Philadelphia, the nonprofit Philly Truce is bringing back its Peace Patrol to city neighborhoods, including West Philly. Beginning at 2 p.m. this Thursday, Philly Truce will deploy its first patrol of the season from Charles Durham Library at the corner 34th & Haverford Avenue in Mantua. The launch coincides with the 84th birthday of the late Herman Wrice, a community organizer who resided and worked for decades in the same section of West Philly.

Philly Truce and partner Life Outside the Streets have unveiled its community outreach and visible deterrence schedule for what they are calling Safe City Summer. It’s robust. Beginning on Thursday the group will tour 10 neighborhoods using Free Library branches as bases. Three days per week they will hold space for communities across the city to be trained and join a peace patrol on the spot.

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The area that will be covered by the “Spruce Hill Historic District.”

UPDATE: The meeting was postponed from June 7 to June 27 due to the smoke pollution in Philadelphia caused by the Canadian wildfires. 

Community members are invited to learn more about the Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) proposal to make a large part of its neighborhood, from roughly Ludlow Street in the north to Woodland Avenue in the south and 46th Street in the west to 40th in the east, a historic district recognized by the city. A panel discussion and Q and A will take place on Tuesday, June 27 starting at 7 p.m. at Resurrection Church (42nd and Pine).

The “Spruce Hill Historic District” would provide an added layer of protection of historic structures amid a building boom in the area. Designation could also regulate exterior changes to existing buildings like masonry and window replacement.

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The West Philly Tool Library, which boasts a massive selection of tools for house and yard/garden maintenance, is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a party for the whole community! This fundraising event will be held on Saturday, May 20 from 4-7 p.m. and will include food, drinks, games for all ages, raffles with prizes, and more.

To mark the anniversary, the Tool Library is also inviting its past and present members to share their favorite or impressive projects that were done using tools from the library. The most interesting or most community-minded projects will receive special awards, such as free Tool Library memberships, T-shirts, and more. Submissions are accepted until Thursday, May 18, at 12 p.m. Go here for more information and to fill out a submission form. Continue Reading