West Philly resident Jay Sand has big, big plans to expand his popular world music program for youths that began out of his Pine Street living room. Sand’s goal is “to create the opportunity for every child to meet the world through music.”

Jay Sand

Sand, who has taught more than 1,000 classes to neighborhood kids, has launched an ambitious campaign to crowdfund this expansion. Last spring he took his program, which combines music and cultural exploration, into the public schools. His curriculum includes some 300 songs from more than 100 countries.

Now he wants to make it even more accessible to kids throughout the city regardless of income. Part of that plan is to create a series of CDs (and digital music) with all kinds of performers. He has already released one – All Around this World: Latin America – this fall. And two more, which will include music from Africa, are currently in post production. You can see some of the studio recordings in the video below.

So far he has self-financed these efforts, but now he is offering a chance for you to get involved through tax-deductible contributions (and get a special gift such as a CD or a “musical map” or even a free private concert for you and your family and friends).

To help promote his expansion, Sand is also putting on 24 straight one-hour webcast classes on December 7-8. You and yours can attend the free classes in person if you RSVP here. The classes start at 9 a.m. on Dec. 7 and Sand says the only song he will repeat during all of the classes is the Ugandan song “We Are Happy,” which he uses to mark the beginning of each class. Here is the schedule.

After Black Friday and Cyber Monday a national day of giving, #GivingTuesday, is being celebrated today. It’s a chance for thousands of people and businesses to participate in charitable activities. You can show support for your local non-profit organizations who work hard daily helping many children, adults and pets and keeping our neighborhoods safe, green and clean.

West Philadelphia is home to many great non-profits and it’s hard for us to pick out any particular ones, so we encourage you to visit our “Civic Life” page for the list of such organizations and support them with your donation. But we’d like to mention a few organizations who reached out to us to tell us about their participation in the #GivingTuesday campaign and the importance of their work. Here they are: Bartram’s Garden, University City District, ACHIEVEability, Red Cross Philadelphia, Rock to the Future.

Thanksgiving is a great time to give back, so if you’re looking for some local causes to help this week you might want to consider donating to local food growers and distributors. Check out these two fundraising campaigns currently underway in the area.

‘Bring in the Harvest with Mill Creek Farm’ fundraising campaign

Photo via Indiegogo.com.

Mill Creek Farm, and urban educational farm operating at 49th and Brown in West Philly, is dedicated to improving access to fresh produce and building a healthy community. The farm underwent a lot of transition this year, bringing a new farmer, acting director and board of directors, and is trying to stay afloat through the end of this season and into the winter. The current fundraising goal is $13,400 and there are still 12 days to go. Here’s what your money will go toward, according to the project’s Indiegogo page:

• keep our farmers employed through the farmers market season
• continue offering affordable, fresh, vegetables at 2 weekly farm stands
• offer educational tours for students from pre-schoolers to undergrads

For more information and to donate go to: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bring-in-the-harvest-with-mill-creek-farm

The Fresh Food Hub Mobile Grocery Store expansion project

Photo from The Fresh Food Hub’s Facebook page.

The Fresh Food Hub, a mobile grocery store and farmers’ market bringing fresh and healthy food to Powelton, Mantua and Belmont neighborhoods, is raising funds for its expansion into other parts of Philadelphia. The project launched in Spring 2012 and as of August 2013 The Fresh Food Hub has distributed over 15 tons of fresh fruits and vegetables and served over 1,500 West Philadelphia families.

The Fresh Food Hub fundraising campaign in on Kickstarter (some of you have probably seen it in the sidebar widget on West Philly Local) and there are still 11 days left to help. As of Monday, Nov. 25, 1:30 p.m., $8,555 has already been raised toward the $9,773 goal. To read more about The Fresh Food Hub and to donate, click here.

There’s still a chance to support GATE 13:14, a monthly concert series presented by Bowerbird Concerts at The Rotunda. A Kickstarter fundraising campaign is underway, which would allow this free community program to continue. As of 11 a.m., $8,694 has been pledged and the project will be funded only if at least $10,000 is pledged by 11 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct 30.

From the Bowerbird project page on Kickstarter:

“Since 2006, Bowerbird has presented nearly 400 of events – concerts, workshops, small concerts, community art projects, and huge festivals. 

We believe that Philadelphia is hungry for something more than “just another gig.” We believe that there are wonderful artists living right in our own community and that some of the greatest historical work deserves more attention.  And most importantly, we believe in your curiosity.”

GATE 13:14 is a monthly series of concerts that aims to bring “experimental, outsider, avant, unknown, forgotten, futuristic, and rediscovered types of music” to the community. It also “strives to build a space for conversation and discovery, an incubator for new ideas and an opportunity to explore extraordinary ones, and a place to cultivate new audiences and communities around this work.”

To learn more about this project and to donate, click here.

Halloween is just around the corner and many families are starting preparations – stocking up on candy, purchasing or making costumes and decorating their homes. Some less fortunate families, including the homeless families assisted by local nonprofit Families Forward (FFP), will need help creating memories for their children this October that will last a lifetime.

FFP is organizing an annual Halloween Party and expect to have over 100 children in attendance. You can help make it a memorable event by donating the following items:

• New or gently used costumes (clean and in good condition)
• Snacks (chips, pretzels, juice, and cookies)
• Candy
• Halloween decorations
• Toys or stickers
• Toothpaste, toothbrushes and dental floss

If you have friends, family members, co-workers or neighbors who may have old costumes lying around, ask them to donate them to the children at FFP. With your contribution these children will be able to dress up in their costumes just like other kids for the Halloween party on October 31.

You may drop off donations at FFP’s emergency shelter located at 111 N. 49th Street any day of the week before 7:00 p.m.

To coordinate a drive or donate any of these items above contact Grace Hightower, Director of Fund Development at 215-240-4828 or ghightower@familiesforwardphilly.org.

My Task Master, a West Philadelphia based professional organizing business that helps others achieve peaceful and efficient environments for home, work, and play, is holding a suit drive this week to benefit Dress for Success of Philadelphia. They are accepting women’s clothing items for donation that are like new, clean, and current (not more than 3 years old). If the item is something you’d wear for a job interview, they’ll accept it.

The drive will also accept interview appropriate fall and winter blouses, slacks, skirts, shoes, scarves, jewelry, and bags. Special need exists for clothing sized 00-2 and 14+ as well as shoes size 8.5+. All donations are tax-deductible.

The mission of Dress for Success Philadelphia is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support, and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Over 10,000 women in the greater Philadelphia area have been referred to Dress for Success Philadelphia since 2008 to receive clothing, confidence, and career boosts.

Donations will be accepted through Thursday, Sept. 12. Please email Emily Anderson at: emily@mytaskmaster.net to schedule a drop-off or to request more information. Please include “suit drive” in the subject line. You may also drop off your donations to My Task Master’s table during the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll on Thursday. Their table will be located near 47th Street on Baltimore Avenue.