A portion of Spruce Street will be closed on Tuesday, May 14 and Wednesday, May 15 as part of the annual Penn student move out. On these days, Spruce Street will be closed to vehicular traffic between 34th-40th Streets from 7 a.m.-6 p.m.

Bicyclists will also have to get off their bikes and walk through the closure area.

SEPTA buses that use Spruce Street will be on detour during the move-out. Check septa.org for more info.

In addition, here’s some useful info on how students who live off-campus can donate unwanted items, including furniture, this month:

• Resurrection Church (42nd and Pine) is accepting donations of clothing, kitchen, small furniture, non-perishable food and other items on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. through May 25. Donations should go to the Pine St. side of the building through the patio door. The full list of acceptable donations is available here.

• A Curbside Donation Drive, organized by Penn for Refugee Empowerment and the Philadelphia Furniture Bank, will take place on Saturday, May 18 between 40th and 43rd, Baltimore and Chestnut. Participants should fill out this form to request furniture pick-up. For more details, visit the Penn Sustainability website.

Today is #GivingTuesday, the day when we’re reminded to give back to the community we’re part of. As always on this day, we’ll be posting/sharing messages from local non-profit organizations in this post and on our social media. Please consider supporting a local cause today with your donation or volunteering. Also, please visit our Civic Life/Neighborhood Resources page where you can find information on many other West Philly non-profits.

This Giving Tuesday, if you are able, consider participating in my annual toy drive! pic.twitter.com/Pan8uI93Xo

— Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (@CouncilmemberJG) November 28, 2023

 

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A post shared by Friends of Clark Park (@friendsofclarkpark)

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The map of proposed improvements to Clark Park.

The Master Plan process for Clark Park, which began last year, has been recently completed and now The Friends of Clark Park group is working with the City on a final plan. This new plan will help expand the park’s impact on the community, proponents say. It includes nature-based playgrounds (see image below), a multi-height basketball hoop, a permanent bathroom, and many other improvements to the park (see more details and images here). By the way, this is the first Clark Park master plan approved by the City since 2006!

To help the plan move forward, The Friends of Clark Park is seeking community support and Giving Tuesday has kicked off their first fundraising drive. The all-volunteer group is hoping that community members will support the plan with their donations, “no matter how small.”

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Winter holidays are approaching fast, and residents have a chance to make them brighter for local kids by donating toys. One of local holiday toy drives is being hosted by the Office of Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District). There are two ways to donate:

First, toys can be purchased online from one of these toy registries: https://bit.ly/3rdDriveTarget or https://bit.ly/3rdDriveAmazon.

New, unwrapped toys can also be dropped off at the 3rd District Office at 606 S. 52nd Street on Mondays-Thursdays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Donations are accepted until Dec. 14. Toy giveaway will be held on Saturday, Dec. 16 from 12-3 p.m.

See the flyer for more details.

Stay tuned for information on more holiday drives in West Philly.

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.

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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