Community leaders throughout Philadelphia came together Wednesday, Aug. 10 to promote positive change in the East Division, North Philadelphia section at Fairhill Square Park.
As a part of Philadelphia’s Let’s Read! Let’s Move! initiative, family oriented activities were provided throughout the late afternoon to encourage community unity. Event organizers like the Youth Leadership Group at the Lighthouse stressed the importance of the continued support to communities hit hard by drugs and crime.
“You start with something positive and it attracts more positive things,” said Catie Wolfgang, Philadelphia‘s first Chief Service Officer and Temple alumna. “We’ve been meeting maybe once or twice a month since early in the spring to say what can we do together and we really decided this park was the place we wanted to organize around.”
Volunteers served light refreshments and helped facilitate the activities. Children participated in face painting, water balloon tosses, and kick ball. Parents had access to resourceful information like the Philly Food Bucks program, which provides coupons that help ACCESS card/food stamps recipients save on fruits and vegetables at local famers’ markets.
In addition, the Free Library of Philadelphia Lillian Marrero Branch promoted their Friends of the Free Library of Philadelphia program which they hope will unite the community together to form relationships with other agencies, plan community oriented activities and fundraise for the library. Children were also encouraged to sign up for library cards and participate in the summer reading program.
A young dance group, Dollar Boyz, entertained the audience as they put on a brief show that featured some of their best moves.
This is one of the many events that will take place at Fairhill Square Park. For more information about future activities refer to Fairhill Square Park’s facebook page or contact The Lighthouse at 215-425-7800.
Kierra Bussey can be reached at kierrajb@temple.edu.
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