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Community members are invited to come by Malcolm X Park (51st and Pine) from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 22 to help paint a mural-in-progress by artists James Burns and Eric Okdeh and to explore the mental health services available to all Philadelphians.

The invitation is part of The City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program Painting a Healthy City, an event from the behavioral health and wellness department, Porch Light.

Painting a Healthy City is a public paint day plus a behavioral health resource fair (inclusive of legal, employment, housing, trauma, counseling, and food insecurity resources), achieving Porch Light’s mission to connect communities in Philadelphia to health and wellness resources in low-stigma environments.

Featured murals this year come from Kirkbride Center and Girard Medical Center’s Goldman Clinic, where Okdeh and Burns have been hosting workshops since October. The artists’ designs draw from participant artwork and stories to create a vibrant picture of recovery, resilience, and hope.

Come Celebrate 229 Years of Prison Reform

For more event details and online ticket purchasing, please use the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pennsylvania-prison-society-229th-annual-meeting-and-fundraiser-tickets-24524362027

Philly Cuts owner Darryl Thomas (center) and his employees and supporters in front of his barbershop at 44th and Chestnut (Darryl Thomas Facebook photo)

The barbershop on 44th and Chestnut Streets in West Philadelphia seems to have only two floors: the ground floor for men’s haircuts, and the second floor for women’s haircuts. But there’s also third floor, a room plastered with maps and signs, with people taking calls and typing messages: A campaign office.

Philly Cuts has been in operation for 18 years, and this year its 43-year-old owner Darryl Thomas is running for political office for the first time. Thomas, a Democrat, is running for State Representative of the 190th District in the primary election on Tuesday, April 26th. This legislative district includes Belmont, Carroll Park, Cathedral Park, Mill Creek, Haddington, East Parkside,West Powelton, Strawberry Mansion, Allegheny West and Lehigh West. This is the district that Thomas grew up in and left for college—but eventually came back to.

Thomas said the barbershop is like a “watering hole”— a natural place for the community to come together, and a good place to reach them. Over the years, that barbershop has morphed into a community crossroads, a place where people can come for one service — a haircut — and find information and access to other services, like healthcare, education, and job opportunities.  Continue Reading

In response to Mayor Jim Kenney’s proposal to tax sugar-sweetened beverages, Repair The World: Philadelphia (https://www.facebook.com/RepairTheWorldPhiladelphia/) is hosting Repair The World Presents: What’s The Soda Tax? This free community event will take place on May 9th from 6:00 – 8:00 PM at our offices located at 4029 Market St. The event will feature a communal sit-down dinner with conversation on issues surrounding the tax and a panel discussion led by experts familiar with key aspects of the proposal. The panel will include: Cheryl Bettigole, Division Director for Chronic Disease Prevention with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health; Dwayne Wharton, Director of External Affairs with The Food Trust; Otis Hackney, Philadelphia’s Chief Education Officer; and Marc Stier, Director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center.

Seating is limited, so we ask that those interested in attending RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/repair-the-world-presents-whats-the-soda-tax-tickets-24634371067

Any questions about the event can be directed to Kevin Beck (kevin.beck@werepair.org) or Sarah Horwitz (sarah.horwitz@werepair.org).

Background on the proposal:

This March, Mayor Jim Kenney introduced his spending plan for the city of Philadelphia’s 2016 – 2017 budget, which includes a proposal to tax sugar-sweetened beverages (such as soda, sports drinks containing sugar, and sweetened teas) at three cents per ounce. The revenue generated by the tax would fund the establishment of quality universal pre-k education, the creation of 25 community schools over the next four years, investment in the city’s pension plan as well as other initiatives. The budget is currently being reviewed by city council leading up to the beginning of the city’s fiscal year on July 1st.

It’s hard to imagine West Philly’s Clark Park without Uhuru Flea Markets. After a six-month break the popular event is returning on Sunday, April 24 (postponed from Saturday, Apr 23 due to rain). The Uhuru Health Festival & Flea Market will kick off the 2016 Flea Market season, with the powerful theme of Black Health Matters. The festival will feature local health practitioners, fitness workshops, free health screenings, live entertainment, and two important keynote speakers: APEDF President Ona Zene Yeshitela, and John Thomas, Manager of the Tyron Lewis Community Gym.

The Uhuru Health Festival & Flea Market is an economic development project of the African People’s Education and Defense Fund (APEDF). As a national non-profit organization, APEDF is dedicated to raising resources and developing programming to overturn the grave disparities in health, education, and economic development within the African community. The Health Festival is only one part of the important work to carry out APEDF’s mission of developing self-determination for Africans and all oppressed peoples.

Little Marrakesh Bazaar will be there, too! (Facebook photo)

The festival will also feature free health resources and information from a large number of local health and wellness organizations, including Philadelphia FIGHT, Refugee Health Partners, music by Coco Sol & the Chillettes, and much more.

The festival will be held from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. at 43rd and Chester.

This year, Uhuru Flea Markets are scheduled for April 23 (Facebook page), May 21, June 18, Aug. 20, Sept. 24 (Book Fair), and Oct. 22. Visit uhuruhealthfest.blogspot.com for more information.

The Philadelphia Streets Department is conducting street improvement work, including road surfacing, in some parts of West Philadelphia this week. Residents are asked to move their cars from the work sites when temporary “No Parking” signs are posted so that vehicles are not towed. If your car has been towed, please contact your local Police District to determine its location.

The work scheduled for this week will be mainly conducted on streets north of Market Street – in Powelton Village, Mantua, West Powelton and Mill Creek neighborhoods. Click here to see if your street or block is scheduled to be resurfaced (weather or special events in the area may alter the resurfacing schedule).

Residents are urged to plan ahead and use alternative routes when traveling in these areas. 

The entire list of streets being paved for the 2016 season has not been completed yet. We’ll post more information as soon as it becomes available.
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