In Philadelphia, thousands of children and youth are eligible for free or reduced price breakfast and lunch during the school year.  The city and the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger are partnering to also offer free meals when school is out. This food is accessible at more than 1,000 sites throughout the City, including recreation centers, parks, churches, and neighborhood blocks.

These sites serve free meals and snacks to children and teens age 18 and younger in Philadelphia, and there are dozens of such places in West Philadelphia. This map shows the currently available sites, and more sites are still being added.

There are no income requirements, ID, or registration needed in qualifying areas. For more information, visit: http://www.hungercoalition.org/summermeals or call 1-855-252-6325.

All SEPTA modes of transportation will operate on a Sunday schedule on Tuesday, July 4, but additional service will be added to subway and trolleys at night to accommodate those who are planning to watch the fireworks on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The following information may be helpful to West Philly residents:

Market-Frankford Line: A total of ten extra trains will be dispatched starting at 4:30 p.m. to provide service every five minutes. These extra trips will run until 12:30 a.m. to help customers get home after the event. Market-Frankford Line Night Owl buses will replace trains at 12:30 a.m. SEPTA’s 15th Street Station provides riders access to and from the Parkway festivities.

Trolleys: Additional trips will be added on Routes 10, 11, 13, 34 and 36 after the fireworks.

More information can be found at septa.org.

Click here for more information about July 4th events and activities in the city (Independence Day Parade, Free Museum Day, Party on the Parkway and more).

Ten artists were selected by local community members this Spring to create a series of public art pieces and installations to be on display through September along Lancaster Avenue. Each piece of art will explore progress, change, and invisibility.

                Photos courtesy of LoLa 38.

The work of four installation artists is currently on display at the former United Bank building at 38th and Lancaster and on the fence surrounding the site of the former University City High School (UCHS).

Melanie Booth, whose work can be seen on the fence, is a visiting exchange student at Drexel University from Sydney, Australia. Her piece is a Nylon 5’x8’ American Flag with embroidery titled #notmypresident (pictured above). Oluwafemi’s pen and digital print piece, Collective Conscious, is in the Bank’s parking lot windows and is best seen at night.  Continue Reading

Here’s a reminder that SEPTA fare increases will go into effect on Saturday, July 1, 2017, the start of the new fiscal year. Fares will increase across all modes of transportation and methods of payment.

SEPTA cash fare will go up to $2.50 from $2.25; single rides with a token/SEPTA Key Travel Wallet will increase to $2.00 from $1.80. Transfers will remain at $1. Here’s a summary of changes to some of the most widely used fare payment methods. The full details are available on the SEPTA website.

• Cash Fare/Quick Trip: Increase from $2.25 to $2.50
• Discounted single ride with SEPTA Key Travel Wallet/Token: From $1.80 to $2
• Disabled Fare: From $1 to $1.25
• Paratransit/Shared Ride: $4 to $4.25
• Weekly TransPass: From $24 to $25.50 (up to 56 trips for one customer)  Continue Reading

The much anticipated construction of Trolley Portal Gardens, the project that will include a remodeled 40th Street Trolley portal, a public space and a restaurant, has begun. Philadelphia general contractor Domus will begin excavating the building foundation as early as the end of this week, according to Chris Richman, Communication Manager for University City District.

The work will spread to a larger area, called “the apron,” after the Trolley Tunnel Blitz concludes in mid-July.

The groundbreaking ceremony for Trolley Portal Gardens was held in December 2016, but it took some time to obtain necessary building permits. The last remaining permits were finalized earlier this month, according to the project website.  Continue Reading

Community members are invited to celebrate the 52nd Street corridor’s historic legacy and to support Black owned and operated businesses at the Marketplace “Seeds of Sovereignty” Festival. The festival will be held on Sunday, June 25, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. (the event has been rescheduled due to rain in the forecast for Saturday), between Walnut and Spruce Streets and will feature vendors, a children’s village, performances, food, fashion shows, and workshops.

One of the goals of the festival, organized in collaboration with the African Cultural Art Forum (ACAF), Philadelphia Assembled Collaborative, Philadelphia Association of CDC’s and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, is to set the stage for collaborations that will promote a sovereign society and to engage sustainable economic development opportunities in West Philadelphia and around the world.  Continue Reading