UPDATED 8/20/13 at 9 a.m.: Last Friday, NBC Philadelphia reported that Indiegogo reinstated Meyers‘ campaign as it “is indeed in compliance with Indiegogo’s terms of service,” according to a statement issued to the media outlet. According to Meyers, the crowdsourcing site only returned donations made through PayPal to both campaigns, totaling about $1,500, and waived all fees associated with the fundraiser. “I’m happy, but frustrated, it took them 20 days to respond and I do not get all the donations I lost,” she told West Philly Local.

7/29/13: A week ago, Jessica Meyers went from squatter to homeowner.

The 28-year-old Syracuse native landed the winning bid for her makeshift West Philly home at 52^nd and Funston Streets during Philadelphia Housing Authority’s July 16 auction. The legally abandoned PHA-owned site was one of 196 properties the housing authority was selling off at First District Plaza, 3801 Market Street, and there was no way she’d let possible ownership slip through the cracks. After all, Meyers has squatted in that house for eight years, and has spent countless time and energy refurbishing it into a livable space shared with friends and traveling punks.  Continue Reading

Attention neighborhood joggers, dog walkers and anyone who was planning to visit The Woodlands Cemetery and Mansion (40th & Woodland) this Wednesday: The gates to the cemetery will be closed for tree maintenance. The grounds will reopen as usual at dawn on Thursday.

If you’d like to support the work The Woodlands does to make this space open to the public, please consider donating here: http://woodlandsphila.org/support/.

Photo via neighborhoodbikeworks.org.

Neighborhood Bike Works, a wonderful local program that provides educational, recreational, and career-building opportunities for urban youth through bicycling, is inviting young West Philadelphians to join their Ride Club this September. Ride club is a new four-week free after-school program for youth ages 8-18. The club will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. at the Neighborhood Bike Works location at 3916 Locust Walk and program participants will go on fun routes to explore this part of the city and will also get lessons in mechanics, health, and fitness.

All Ride Club participants should know how to ride a bike and must be able to ride 20 minutes without a break. Neighborhood Bike Works can provide youth with a bike and helmet to use during rides.

For more information and to download a registration form, visit: http://www.neighborhoodbikeworks.org/programs/ride_club/

We recently published information about two school supply drives in West Philadelphia to help local families in need get ready for the new school year. Here’s information on two other back-to-school drives and fundraising efforts happening in the area.

The Nehemiah Davis Foundation (NDF), is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that works hard to serve our city through efforts such as the Back-to-school Book Bag Giveaway, annual Thanksgiving dinners for veterans, seniors and homeless, an annual Christmas toy drive for youth, and more. On Sept. 1, 2013, NDF will be holding its Fifth Annual “Back-to-School Book Bag Giveaway” at Malcolm X Park (51st and Pine). Community volunteers will help to distribute donated book bags filled with schools supplies and clothing to over 300 local children.

During the event, NDF will also provide entertainment, free food and haircuts for all of the families who attend (see flyer for more information).

NDF would appreciate donations of school supplies, book bags, or clothes for the giveaway. Book bags are especially wanted so if you can donate one it would be greatly appreciated. Donations can be dropped off at Myra Herbal Wellness, 666 N. 52nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19131. Monetary donations are also accepted at: www.gofundme/neodaviso.

Families Forward, a local organization that assists homeless families and runs 75 transitional and permanent family residential units in West Philadelphia, is working hard on preparing their children for school as the school bells ring in 2013-2014. In the past, the School District of Philadelphia provided school uniforms vouchers to homeless children and children in transitional housing, but this year they have cut that funding dramatically, according to Families Forward’s Director of Fund Development Grace Hightower. Children K-8 will only receive $20 (previously it was $50) and students 9-12 will only receive $30 (previously it was $75).

Gifts of $50 can help Families Forward purchase two uniform pants, two shirts and a pair of shoes to help a child have a great start to the school year. Gift cards to Forman Mills are also a great way to help with purchasing school uniforms.

Typically, used items are accepted at Families Forward, but this is not the case with back to school. Donors are asked to collect NEW:

• Backpacks (youth and teen)
• Black and white composition books (MEAD)
• Plastic scissors
• Crayons (basic colors)
• Markers (erasable)
• Glue sticks
• Pencils and pencil cases
• Ink pens (Blue or Black)
• Highlighters
• Rulers
• 3 Ring Binders and dividers
• Loose leaf paper
• Folders (with side pockets)
• Index Cards/poster board
• Flash Drives
• Calculators
• Dictionary and Thesaurus
• Tissues/Hand sanitizer

If you would like to organize a drive or have any questions please contact Grace Hightower by phone at 215-240-4828 or email at: ghightower@taphilly.org. Donations can be delivered until August 30, 2013 to 111 N. 49th Street; Philadelphia, PA 19139. Gifts can also be made at www.familiesforwardphilly.org.

No Child … curators (from left) Walter DeShields, LaNeshe L. White and Carlo Campbell at Malcolm X. Park (Photo from Facebook page).

This might be the most timely theater performance of the year. On Sunday, Aug. 18, “Theatre in the X” debuts at Malcolm X. Park (51st and Pine) and the first performance is the off-broadway piece No Child ..., which gives a first-hand account of what it’s like to teach and learn in inner-city schools.

Click to enlarge.

Originally performed as a one-woman show, the play is based on playwright and actress Nilaja Sun‘s experience teaching art in the New York public school system. The Theatre in the X version will feature a multi-general cast to play the teacher, students and school personnel who provide a glimpse into a school classroom.

The performance comes as the public school system Philadelphia is making national headlines for its financial difficulties.

Andre G. Brown will direct the play and Walter DeShields, LaNeshe L White and Carlo Campbell are the curators. The Leeway Corporation provided a grant for the performance.

The curtain opens at 6 p.m. and admission is free.

Theater in the X will continue the following Sunday, Aug. 25, with a production of Black Mass.

Many folks are probably curious about the construction that’s happening over at Walnut Hill Community Farm on Market between 46th and S. Farragut Streets. It turns out that a community park is being built on the site and is expected to open mid to late-September.

The park is the latest element to come to the small homestead at 4610 Market Street since it opened in 2010 as initiative between the Walnut hill Community Association and local residents. According to Allison Blansfield, program manager of West Philly Foods (which oversees the farm’s CSA, apprenticeship program, and farmstand), the space was designed as a sitting park for residents to use as a place of relaxation. Tables and chairs will be place throughout the park, which will coexist with the already-established community garden and production farm, with native trees and perennial florae planted on the grounds.

Photos by Mike Lyons/West Philly Local.

In addition to providing tranquility, the park will add a level of safety and security to Walnut Hill Community Farm, said Blansfield. Solar-powered streetlights that turn on at a certain level of dimness will be installed on the site, which barely receives any illumination currently, she stated. According to the program manager, the crew was also able to stabilize a “severely eroded” part of the land during construction and build a retaining wall restoring “the integrity of the alleyway.” This wall, she said, is another added safety feature for the residents whose backyards face the farm.

A small greenhouse is also being assembled and will open the same time as the park. The greenhouse will allow Walnut Hill Community Farm to grow its own vegetable starts and flower starts for community residents, and increase production on the farm, said Blansfield. A water capture system was also recently built in partnership with Septa that collects rainwater running off the roof of the 46th Street El Station and irrigates the farm.

The Walnut Hill Community Farm produce stand is open every Thursday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. until October. The farm itself, however, is open all day to the public.

–Annamarya Scaccia