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Inauguration Day in West Philly

January 18, 2017

If you’re looking for ways to cope with the upcoming presidential inauguration (we’re in West Philly, right?), check out these local events on Friday, Jan. 20. There will be an opportunity to have a conversation with other community members, to relax with some free acupuncture treatments, and dine at a local restaurant in support of refugees.

West Philly Community Solidarity Gathering

Calvary Center for Culture and Community (48th and Baltimore)

5:30 – 8 p.m.

Join your West Philly neighbors for an evening of solidarity, connection, conversation, song and food. Everyone is welcome, including young people accompanied by parents or caregivers. The schedule includes: Gathering and Interfaith Service at 5:30 p.m; Dinner and discussion groups at 6:30 p.m.; Singing and more conversation at 7:30 p.m.

Free-will donations at the door will be collected to cover expenses and to benefit the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). Suggested donation range is $5-25, and no one will be turned away due to financial restrictions. 

The event is sponsored and hosted by: Kol Tzedek Synagogue, West Philly Coalition Against Islamophobia, West Philly Mennonite Fellowship, Camp Sojourner, Calvary United Methodist Church, and JVP Philly Network Against Islamophobia. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.

Free Treatments at West Philly Community Acupuncture (4636 Woodland Ave.)

9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

West Philly Community Acupuncture is opening its doors on Friday, Jan. 20 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. to offer free treatments to those feeling stressed out about the inauguration to have a place to go and relax. New and returning patients are welcome. Schedule your visit online at www.pocapoint.com/pp/wpca. Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are preferred since space is limited.

Dining for Refugees at Renata’s Kitchen (4533 Baltimore Ave.)

8 a.m. – 10 p.m.

On Friday, instead of watching the Inauguration, Renata’s Kitchen will be partnering with West Philly-based non-profit Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture to “do all the good we can, in one of the ways we can.” For every meal they serve, they will match with a meal donated to incoming Syrian refugee families at a special event hosted by Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture on January 28th (read more about Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture sponsored events for Syrian and Iraqi refugees in this Philadelphia Weekly article). Join Renata’s Kitchen co-owners Kate and Yasser Aiq and their staff for brunch or dinner any time on Friday to show that #lovetrumpshate in West Philly. You can RSVP on the event’s Facebook page.

17 Comments For This Post

  1. Daniel, K Says:

    We (wife kids and me of course!) are new to West Philly, moved up from Delaware. We both work for UPenn. I just bought a house in University City. I can’t say how happy we are to be here around so many beautiful neighbors and new friends. We just caught the tail end of summer English garden season and have started compost/soilwork and winter gardening and tending. Of course we have been extremely saddened and unnerved by the recent political tide. We have had discussions with Arabella and Guster about tolerance for all people. I truly understand that sense of disempowerment that has sort of made its way into our homes, but we have spoken to our friends and neighbors and know that there is so much love and support in our community to stand up to injustice that we (all of us) may face in the next four years and in that way, we cannot be broken. Peace, Dharma.

  2. Lauren G Says:

    Tabernacle United Church at 37th and Chestnut will be holding: “Black Joy as Resistance”, a multi media presentation of African American Spirituals and Arts Songs by Langston Hughes/ Ricky Ian Gordan

    Presented and sung by soprano Asha Lindsey.

    Come. Be strengthened by the music, engage in conversation, and ACT!

    Admission is FREE with Reception to follow.

    Facebook event below:

    https://www.facebook.com/events/359370751102214/

    This event kicks off the church’s #100daysofresistance

  3. WP Says:

    Is this event also for people who do not need to “cope with the upcoming presidential inauguration” and are not “feeling stressed out about the inauguration”? Don’t get me wrong. I am not celebrating Trump’s election and won’t be watching the inauguration. Neither am I joining the #lovetrumpshate fests. I didn’t vote for Obama in 2008 or 2012. I disagree with many of his positions and am happy that Clinton won’t be in the White House to continue his agenda and executive overreach or appoint someone to the Supreme Court. But Obama was my president, the President of the United States of America. Now Trump is the president. Repeat after me: “He is my president.” There, it wasn’t that hard. You don’t have to like him, agree with him, or support him. You can march, meet, and moan.But it’s time to find some common ground. If there is none then people can continue to whine and stress for four years.

  4. KN Says:

    @WP, no, it’s not for you. Stay home. And there is no common ground. People will continue to whine and stress and fight until Trump is no longer president, and they will continue after that, too, as they should.

  5. WP Says:

    @kn Okay I will. The intolerance of the supposedly inclusive left demonstrates such hypocrisy. Or is it just you? Agree or you’re out. So the event is not really for eveyone, just everyone who has bought into the “progressive” narrative. No wonder Clinton lost.

  6. Dextertracy Says:

    WP, somewhere between 86 and 95 percent of west philly voters voted for Hillary Clinton in the presidential election. That is a lot of disappointment for an otherwise quite diverse neighborhood to manage. I’m happy for you that not having the candidate you supported, whoever that may have been, does not seem to have any lasting effect on you, so clearly you are not in need of solace this week. Enjoy the spring-like weather and the inauguration, and leave the worrying and the hand-wringing to the rest of us. West Philly Local knows its constituency well.

  7. watchcat Says:

    Bill Clinton’s racist crime legislation is largely responsible for the disproportionate no. of Black men in prison. Hillary did not distance herself from this or denounce it. She is responsible for unspeakable war crimes in the Middle East. And yet the same people who treat the coming of Trump as though the apocalypse were imminent would have been cheering the election of this racist war criminal.

    As a true leftist I (not a liberal) I consider this to be the ultimate in hypocrisy. It is both predictable and pathetic. I will not attend any anti-Trump demonstrations or events predicated on a desire for Clinton to be the figurehead instead.

  8. 67'd then some Says:

    WP did a fab job of Billy Joeling the comment board. *lips smacking fingers* Mwwaahh, the old slag.

  9. 67'd then some Says:

    Radical! Everyone has an opinion. No wonder it stinks in here.

  10. ES Says:

    The Council for Relationships is offering a free discussion group on Saturday, 1/21, from 11-12. It is facilitated by one of the staff therapists and is an opportunity to reflect on and share about reactions to current events. It’s held at their West Philly office, 4025 Chestnut St. Details can be found on the website!

  11. watchcat Says:

    Yeah, let’s make this a “mental health” issue, so liberals can go deeper into denial…maybe y’all will wake up in time for 2020.

  12. 67'd then some Says:

    watchat you are pathetic. Truly a loser. Miserable. You think you are some kind of cyverbully going after ES for posting a discussion group – probably one of the only comments relevant to this article, which is an article notifying users about future discussion groups. You are nasty and pathetic. Hey, nobody cares about your beliefs. Nobody. Loser. Stupid cyberbully. Real tough at 12:42 AM. Real tough fat little typing fingers. Pathetic. I dare you, brother, so help me God, I dare you to say something nasty about the mentally ill. I dare you, MF!

  13. 67'd then some Says:

    Hey I’m sorry for going off but you are truly disrespectful that’s all I have to say. Just disrespectful going after someone simply for posting a listing for a meet up.

  14. real 46er Says:

    Speaking of hypocrites, where was all this call for tolerance when Barak was accused of being a secret Muslim and the First Lady a monkey?

  15. watchcat Says:

    To “67” — Why would a so-called “therapist” be needed to host a political discussion? “Mental illness” is a fraudulent and demeaning label to put on anyone. So be as nasty as you want, you still can’t back up your rant with anything factual.

  16. Righthouse Says:

    I agree with WP and also watchat. The election is OVER. The more you protest, the more you just show your true colors: sour grapes. Believe me, I did not like Donald Trump, I did not vote for Obama but I understand now that we have a new president, like my dad says, you must accept it. You must accept him. You must respect it. You must respect him. Donald Trump even said himself that he doesn’t mind protesting but I know that what he really means is protest then go home and get over it. The liberals have run amok of the country for eight years and have turned this country into a big cry baby sin bin. Crime, drugs, no border patrolling, soft lefty SCOTUS, whining about bathrooms and you know the rest. So, yeah, let’s all take a deep breath and shut up and listen to our president. He isn’t as ‘dumb’ as the dishonest media says.

  17. Hello! Says:

    @Righthouse: People are protesting policies, not election results. How is it sour grapes to vocally object to government policies?

    You want to talk sour grapes? Remember that time Donald Trump spent years trying to pretend that Barack Obama wasn’t eligible to be president based on a made up (and racist) claim that he wasn’t born in the U.S.? Was that protesting policy or trying to delegitimize the president and the presidency? Were you message boards then reciting your father’s sage wisdom?

    And the fact that you’re parroting Trump talking points makes me suspect you’re more of a Trump fan that you claim to be.

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