Annual Report 2023
Our Mission
We work to preserve, promote and revitalize East Parkside through building partnerships with businesses and institutions and creating programs that engage residents, increase opportunity, and help to grow a diverse, thriving community.
Our Leadership
The year 2023 gave us an opportunity to reflect on the foundations that have been laid in our East Parkside neighborhood and create opportunities for new leadership in our community.
This year we celebrated the long-term commitment of the founder and outgoing President of the East Parkside Residents Association, Ms. Callalily Cousar, and the many incredible contributions she has made to our neighborhood that laid the path for the work that we do. We also acknowledge our founder here at the Centennial Parkside CDC, Christopher Scott, who while stepping aside as President of our board in 2018, remains a trusted advisor to the organization, always encouraging us to continue to do the work of trust building that allows us to take the calculated risks that move our community forward. It is with the vision of these great founders in mind that we are deepening our partnership with the East Parkside Residents Association and creating pathways for new leadership starting with five new board members we welcomed in 2023. We are excited to announce that Radee Hammet, Julio Rodriguez, James Wright, Bethany Housemen, and Ryan Kuck all joined our board of trustees this year adding to the wealth of knowledge and can-do spirit needed to move our strategic plan forward. CPCDC also recognizes the original board of trustees who served tirelessly for almost 10 years: Nancy Boyd, Lorraine Gomez, Ronald Coleman and Joyce Smith. Their commitment and passion helped build the organization to what it is today.
The implementation of the first year of our new strategic plan in 2023 helped us to better anchor ourselves on the 40th Street Corridor where we are investing in commercial storefronts, cleaning and greening, artistic vibrancy, and ultimately building the critical pathway between our neighborhood and one of our greatest assets, Fairmount Park.
This year, we planted 25 trees on our commercial corridors of 40th street and Girard Avenue funded by the William Penn Foundation and in partnership with Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. We hosted a summer camp for our children and youth as well as our 3rd annual Black Man’s Conference at our recently opened Black Urban Theater both to celebrate the cultural assets in our community and invest in our future leaders. And 2023 saw great progress in our plans to create new a ordable and energy e cient housing in our neighborhood while preserving important green spaces to take a holistic approach to community development while prioritizing public health and climate resiliency. The physical pathways we are creating to better connect our community are symbolic of the pathways the people in our community have charted. Without their unwavering commitment to equity, we would never be able to experience the great successes highlighted in this annual report. We hope the stories you read on the following pages create the same level of excitement we feel every day for the great work happening in East Parkside.
We
neighborhood
Our Board
Our Board is a governing body made up of residents, neighborhood organizations, and subject area experts with a purpose to progress community development goals in addition to including new initiatives around healthy living, civic engagement and the arts.
In 2023 we welcomed five new board members:
Radee Hammett has been involved in our Black male empowerment work for several years and serves as the Executive Director and Founder of the Reawakening Agency, which provides resources for men and women reentering society after incarceration.
Bethany Housman joined us as a representative from the Philadelphia Zoo where she serves as the Director of School and Community Partnerships.
Julio Rodriguez brings his expertise in public policy strategy and community development where his work focuses on immigration advocacy.
James Wright is a community, economic, and real estate developer who has served in various leadership roles in community development throughout Philadelphia.
And Ryan Kuck, who joined us as Fox Board Fellow from Temple University, is serving as an advisory Board member through Spring of 2024.
As we enter our eighth year of service, we are preparing our future leaders to continue to build an equitable East Parkside.
As pictured from top left to bottom right: Joyce Smith President, Ronald Coleman Treasurer, Ryan Schumann Secretary, Nancy Boyd Greening Committee Chair, Lorraine Gomez Zoning Committee Chair, Asha-Le Davis Greening Committee Chair, Julio Rodriguez Resource Development Committee Chair, Radee Hammet, Bethany Housman, James Wright, Ryan Kuck.
Our Staff
We employ a diverse sta who all bring a passion for improving East Parkside through building deep relationships with the residents and implementing initiatives that advance the vision of the community.
As pictured from top left to bottom right: Chris Spahr Executive Director, Tashia Rayon Director of Community Cultural Programming, DaShaun Smith Youth Coordinator, Sandra Calhoun Director of Sanitation and Environmental Programming, Jessi Ray Koch Equitable Development Project Manager, Willie Doe Jr. Clean and Green Team Supervisor, Jamar Butts Clean and Green Team Ambassador, Lloyd Backus Clean and Green Ambassador, Anthony Farmer Clean and Green Ambassador, Marvin Green Clean and Green Ambassador.
1,000+ Hours of Cleaning Streets, Sidewalks, and Park Spaces
4,500+ Bags of Trash Collected
750+ Bill Postings Removed
25 Trees Planted
Environmental Justice
Clean streets, attractive open spaces, and wellmaintained buildings and roads all contribute to a high quality of life and allow East Parkside to thrive.
The Centennial Parkside CDC Clean and Green Team supplements city services by sweeping sidewalks, pulling weeds, removing bill postings, and maintaining vacant lots. Through partnerships with the Philadelphia Department of Commerce, the Philadelphia Water Department, the Fairmount Park Conservancy, and the Philadelphia Zoo, the primary areas of focus for our Clean and Green Team include the edge of Fairmount Park, 34th Street, and our commercial corridors of 40th Street and Girard Avenue. Our Ambassadors are trained in park and rain garden maintenance creating new opportunities to advance their skills for a changing economy. Through a partnership with the Philadelphia Department of Commerce Taking Care of Business Program, our Cleaning Ambassadors have also been undergoing OSHA 10 training.
In 2023, we launched our “Bitter Litter” campaign that hopes to bring resources to our residents to help maintain clean streets and combat blight and short dumping in East Parkside.
Community Cultural Programming
Our annual six-week creative arts summer camp focuses on teens between the ages of 13 and 17. This year the theme primarily centered around theater art. In partnership with the Work Ready Program and supported by Philadelphia ReCAST , all participants worked on public speaking, answering prompts, and the technical aspects of stage production such as operating lights, cameras, microphones, and speakers. Participants also contributed to the beautification of our creative arts space, the Black Urban Theater. Using chalk walls they created inspiring and colorful messages throughout the theater. Much of this work was reported over social media through a regular news style program called the “Fatima Report” named after one of our participants. In addition to our work with teens we welcomed some of the younger neighborhood children to the theater to produce a play inspired by the book “You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce! The Storied Life of Folk Artist Elijah Pierce” by Carmela Van Vleet and Chiquita Mullins Lee. The creative work of our young people including a video they produced was shared at our Black Man’s Conference held on September 30.
The Black Urban THeater
The Centennial Parkside CDC Annual Black Man’s Conference Brunch 2023 entitled “MOVEMENT BEYOND TITLES” was held on Saturday, September 29th at the new Black Urban Theater located at 1130 N. 40th Street. Men and women from across the city gathered for fellowship, discussion, and planning for ideas, doable missions, and action items that could be implemented throughout the remainder of the season and 2024. The afternoon was filled with passionate conversations about the positive direction and the elevation of Black Men. The talks were centered around health and well-being.
Invited panel speakers from organizations such as Oak Street Health, IDAAY, Ebony Suns Enterprises, Centennial Parkside CDC, East Parkside Residents’ Association, BNB Realty Management, and The Parkside Journal sat with members of the community to share their expertise and o er services to our guests. Host and moderator Coach Shay did a magnificent job of facilitating the yearly event. Women of the
Parkside Community o ered uplifting words of Love on the Queen’s Speak video documentary. Sensitive empathic suggestions were made by active participants about the transformation of certain energies, balance, elevation, and much needed support for Black Men of all ages. The outcome was a vibrant list of ideas, all of which will be considered for follow-up and organized by community leaders of the Parkside and surrounding areas. Cultural entertainment was provided by Drummer Karen Smith and Trumpeter Leon Jordan, Jr. A beautiful lunch spread of a variety of healthy foods (including LOBSTER) was catered by Ms. Carmelita Wallace and her team of chefs. This gathering was sponsored in part by Brandywine Realty Trust, The Philadelphia Zoo, the Please Touch Museum, Jamie Gauthier, the Fairmount Park Conservancy, the Philadelphia Activities Fund, ReCAST Philadelphia and Drexel University O ce of University and Community Partnerships. Special thanks go out to Witty Gritty event management for helping to provide all things needed for an unforgettable experience.
black man’s conference
Equitable Development
The year 2023 was a year that opened so many opportunities for future implementation of our strategic plan goals. It was a year of growth specifically in the strengthening of partnerships. This year we were honored to be awarded the Buildings Upgrade Prize focused on a resident led initiative to upgrade row homes. This project will implement an innovative model for energy e cient renovations to East Parkside existing buildings that includes deep community engagement as well as opportunities for local and minority small contractors to build skills around green building design and construction. This prize is a team e ort with our partners at New Ecology, Kieran Timberlake and Youthbuild Charter Philadelphia. We’re excited to move into Phase 2 of Buildings Upgrade which is the creation of our implementation plan. Look out for opportunities to engage with the project and both learn about and benefit from energy e cient technologies.
We also strengthened our ongoing partnership with Brandywine Realty Trust who has been working with both Centennial Parkside CDC and the East Parkside Community Development Board to analyze potential use of 150 properties that are currently held by the Philadelphia Land Bank as part of our resident centered analysis project. We hosted a webinar series and a workshop leading to a third opportunity for more community members to engage with the community wide public land planning project in Spring of 2024. Additionally, we were awarded a Neighborhood Assistance Program Grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development sponsored by Mid-Penn Bank to increase Centennial Parkside CDC’s capacity to connect with our community. Look out for many more opportunities to engage with us in the coming year and be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to learn about opportunities to engage in community planning and development review activities.
Photo courtesy of Albert Lee
By the Numbers
As pictured from top left to bottom right: Clean and Green Team Planting Trees, Youth Participating in Summer Camp Program, Team Members Bagging Trash, Attendees Participate at the Black Men’s Conference, Team Cleaning up Girard Avenue, Roundtable at Equitable Development Workship, Group Photo with Community Leader Callalily Cousar as Callalily Bulbs are Sold
Photo courtesy of Tashia Rayon and Albert Lee
= 100 bags of trash collected = youth served through summer camp = attendees at the black man’s conference = trees planted = 100 hours spent cleaning streets = callalily bulbs sold = equitable development workshops held
Income
$400,000+
National Renewable Energy Lab
$100,000+
Brandywine Realty Trust
Philadelphia Department of Commerce
$20,000+
Fairmount Park Conservancy
Life Sciences Cares
Sea Change Foundation
$10,000+
The National Audubon Society
Temple University/ReCAST Program
$5,000 – $9,999
Philadelphia Water Department
Philadelphia Zoo
Christopher Scott
$1,000 – $4,999
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Drexel University O ce of University and Community Partnerships
Please Touch Museum
The National Audubon Society
People’s Solar Energy Fund
Philadelphia Activities Fund
Crownstone Real Estate, LLC
Darren Devoe
$50 – $999
Kimberly Andrews
Lis Bass
Nancy Boyd
Richard Brickman
Tamra Dann
Alan Greenberger
Anne Marie Frohnmayer
Asha-Le Davis
Lorraine Gomez
Alexandra McFadden
Carol and William Spahr
Parry and Sandee Spahr
Debra McCarty
Julio Rodriguez
Rebekah Sterbin
Jamie for West Philly
Joyce Smith
Nancy Boyd
Thomas Spahr
Tracey Wingold
In Kind Donations
Pella Windows
Brandywine Realty Trust
Get Involved
Volunteer
Help with Neighborhood Cleanups
Help with Tree Planting Days
Participate
Attend monthly community meetings
Attend zoning meetings
Join a Committee
Greening Committee
Programming Committee
Community Development Board
Donate
As a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, we depend on the generous donations of our supporters to continue the work we are doing. We have grown significantly since our founding in 2015 but there is much more work to do. Remember that by making a tax-deductible donation to Centennial Parkside Community Development Corporation you are making an investment in your neighborhood. It’s easy to donate. Please go to our website www. centennialparkside.org and select the “DONATE” tab or mail a check to:
Centennial Parkside CDC P.O. Box 28050 Philadelphia, PA 19131
Or select the QR code below:
Your tax-deductible contribution of $5, $10, $15, $20, $25 and more will be appreciated. Please support today!
Thank You
Clayborn and Lewis Recreation Center
Councilwoman Jamie Gauthier
Representative Amen Brown Representative Donna Bullock
Senator Vincent Hughes
Equitable Innovations
Money Talks EDU
Parkside Journal
Viola Street Residents Association
