Spring 2019's Community Grant Award Recipients

Spring 2019’s Community Grant Award Recipients

Five 2019 Community Grant Award recipients were announced by QVNA President Eleanor Ingersoll at the May 15 Volunteer Celebration. A total of $10,000 was awarded.

Treasurer Liz Mester accepts the grant on behalf of the group.

Pat Bigley, John and Maureen Weir, John Koger, and Tim Graham accept the grant on behalf of the group.

Principal Daniel Peou accepts the grant award on behalf of the school.

Horace F. Furness High School, Queen Village’s public high school, was awarded $3,500 to help develop a multimedia center for students and a Parent/Community Resource Center.

Director Jessica Noel and children accept the grant award on behalf of the theatre.

Philly PACK theatre & dance company was awarded $2,100 to provide three tuitions to its two-week Summer Theatre Production Intensive for Nebinger Elementary students.

Treasurer Liz Mester accepts the grant on behalf of the group.

Shot Tower Advisory Council was awarded $2,000 to provide two eightweek summer camp tuitions and to defray camp expenses.

Chair Dan Gibbon accepts the grant on behalf of the Tree Tenders.

Queen Village Tree Tenders was awarded $1,500 to remove hazardous dead trees and old stumps from tree pits.

Pat Bigley, John and Maureen Weir, John Koger, and Tim Graham accept the grant on behalf of the group.

Friends of Moyamensing Point was awarded $900 for supplies and expenses related to park maintenance, planting materials, and use of the park area, including the group’s annual Phestivus event.

QVNA’s Community Grant Program provides funding to help improve neighborhood quality of life. Grant requests can include a wide range of projects and programs, such as enhancing parks, gardens, playgrounds, and historic preservation. QVNA also accepts grant applications for academic and/or learning enrichment programs during the school year and the summer.

QVNA’s Grants Committee reviewed all applications before making funding recommendations to the Board of Directors. Thank you, Grant Committee Chair Kathy Dilonardo, and committee members Mike McPhilmy and Nancy Morgenstern for your volunteer service. ■

Thank you for your service

Walt Yuska shared his building expertise with our community during his more than 10 years of volunteer service on the QVNA Zoning Committee!

Justin Fishman shared his expertise as a private equity investment professional. He served as board treasurer since 2018, as a director since 2016, and as a Youth and School Committee member since 2015. Justin is also a U.S. Navy Reserve commanding officer who was mobilized to active duty. We look forward to Justin’s safe return in 2020.

Melissa Donnelly, who joined the board in 2016, shared a breadth of skills with QVNA. An expert in sustainability, Melissa began volunteering more than seven years ago and chaired the Clean and Green Committee. In 2018, she was elected executive vice president and appointed chair of the Board Nominating Committee. She was instrumental in the development of QVNA’s new Fiscal Sponsorship Program.

Dahvia Dalton joined the board as a director in 2018, and also volunteered with the Summer at Courtyard program. During her tenure, Dahvia served on the Board Nominating Committee and as Board Liaison to QVNA’s seven fiscally sponsored groups. In this latter role, she brought important insights to shape the development of QVNA’s new Fiscal Sponsorship Program.

Elizabeth Grimaldi served since 2016 as a board director and in 2018 became board secretary. In 2017, Liz’s nonprofit management experience proved invaluable at a time when QVNA faced several administrative challenges. In addition to professional insights, Liz provided hands-on skills when it was time to reopen the office, and QVNA has benefited greatly from her service. ■

Queen Village Foodie and 'Best of Philly' Alert!

Cilantro has opened in Queen Village at 613 S. 4th St., adding to the already bustling restaurant scene on Fabric Row. The owners are originally from Egypt, and their food focuses on authentic Mediterranean cuisine, including a pasta bar and a “meat lovers salad bar,” which offers dishes such as charcoal-grilled kofta. Vegetarians take heart: Homemade hummus, grilled pita and veggies, and trusty falafel are here for you, too. If you’re looking for authentic, homestyle meals with a fastcasual feel, Cilantro should be on your radar. It should also be on your list of latenight spots and lunch go-tos. They open daily at 11, and they’re always open until at least midnight. On Saturdays and Sundays Cilantro is open until 2 a.m.

If you’re craving freshly made meals but want to enjoy them at home, a new food delivery program offers the neighborhood a local option for prepared meal delivery: “Food by Us.”

Owner Hester Struben, originally from the Netherlands, wants to parlay her catering experience into bringing fresh food to dinner tables in Queen Village, Bella Vista, and Central Philadelphia. “I love to cook and want to help my community, so I decided to put both together and make weekday meals for them,” says Struben. Sustainability principles are at play in Struben’s business plan: She uses minimal, recyclable packaging for the meals and focuses on local and seasonal procurement when possible. Three sizes of meals are available to order one week ahead; the meals can be picked up or delivered on Tuesdays and Thursdays; pickup locations include Shot Tower Coffee and Philadelphia Java Co.

Finally, two Queen Village businesses were honored with Best of Philly awards this season. If you haven’t yet tried out Fiore at 757 S. Front St., you’re missing out on elevated Italian cuisine for dinner that includes hand-rolled pasta and wood-fired meats and vegetables. Wednesday through Saturday they also offer a café menu from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. that features a selection of fresh house-made Italian pastries, sandwiches, and pizzas. For the wine enthusiasts out there, you can check out their list online; the bar, which specializes in amaro, offers a 5–7 happy hour.

If all these food options aren’t enough of a treat, you can also indulge in a trip to Sanctuary on 2nd, another Best of Philly winner at 752 S 2nd Street. Housed in a Victorian storefront that used to be a millinery shop, Sanctuary on 2nd offers custom massages as well as special add-ons (try out the seasonally scented face treatments). Couples massage, massage for kids under 12, and pregnancy massages are all part of their attempt to ensure that every body gets individual attention from its therapists.

Congratulations to all of these businesses serving Queen Village! ■