2021 in Review:
What QVNA did for
A
s 2021 brought ever-changing conditions throughout the city, QVNA remained steadfast in our mission to help improve quality of life for residents. We addressed issues of importance to neighbors. We also continued to provide the programs and services that neighbors have come to expect. Neighbors brought hundreds of unwanted electronics to QVNA's Spring eCycling event.
Advocating for Quality of Life As spring’s warm weather brought neighbors outside, it also led to an ever-increasing number of ATVs, dirt bikes and motorcycles. In response to this escalating safety issue, QVNA sponsored two multi-community town halls with city leaders. We invited city council members and enforcement agency officials to address the issue, answer questions and most importantly, take action to help solve this urgent problem. More than two thousand neighbors attended these meetings, adding their voices to our challenge for accountability from City Hall. After our first meeting, new legislation was signed into law, making driving dirt bikes illegal on city streets.
Keeping Neighbors in the Know QVNA community meetings provide timely information on topics of importance to neighbors. In 2021, we addressed street repaving in Queen Village; received updates on legislative issues in Harrisburg; and learned about a pilot program to open South Street for dining and pedestrians only. Our meetings shared progress reports on two long-standing projects: the I-95 cap and the Bethel Burying Ground Memorial—to let neighbors hear from and ask questions of the professionals working closest to these projects. Equally important, we discussed health in the time of COVID. Twice we hosted a distinguished immunologist and medical researcher of rare diseases for question and answer sessions about COVID variants, vaccines and boosters. And as always, we shared community happenings via eNews on topics of note such as new city programs, free
food giveaways, emergent matters and volunteer events.
Getting Cleaner. Being Greener. In 2021, QVNA: Removed 12 tons of litter from Queen Village’s curbs n
Erased graffiti throughout the neighborhood n
Recruited and organized volunteers for clean and green events n
Helped Queen Village Tree Tenders plant 20 new trees n
In addition, we hosted two electronic recycling events that kept hundreds of pounds of toxic waste from polluting the environment. And thanks to neighbors who shredded their unneeded documents, we provided 18 trees' worth of paper—ready to be recycled into new consumer paper products.
Supporting the Work of Volunteers As community organizations, schools and volunteers continued to plan for the future, QVNA helped fund their projects and programs with $20,000 in Community Grants. In addition, we fiscally sponsored volunteer groups dedicated to supporting QVNA’s mission of service. In 2021, we sponsored: n
Courtyard Mentor Network
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Friends of Beck Park
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Friends of Moyamensing Point
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Friends of Weccacoe Playground
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QVK9 (for Mario Lanza Dog Park)
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Statue of Peace Plaza Committee
Our Sources of Funding QVNA is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit. For more than 50 years, our programs and services have been paid for through fundraising. Our current funding sources include parking lot rentals, advertising, sponsorships, donations, and our most important—association memberships.
Please Renew your Membership or Join QVNA We depend on neighbors like you, not only as volunteers, but also as QVNA members. Our work is made possible in part through the generosity of tax-deductible memberships. You can renew your membership or join us online at QVNA.org/ join—or use the envelope in this magazine. Every membership in QVNA collectively supports our community in a meaningful way: Donation
$40 $60 $120 $250 $500 $1,000
What Your Membership Supports 50 leaf and yard bags One month of QVNA eNews Two truckloads of tree mulch One month of graffiti removal 50 blocks of litter removal One modest community grant
At QVNA "it takes a village" because all that we do depends on neighbors like you.
QVNA loves volunteers.
Community Service:
The Heart of Our Mission Queen Village Neighbors Association cares about and for our community. Neighbors like you decide everything we do. As volunteers, our Board of Directors determines the programs and services we provide. QVNA’s committee members volunteer their skills and experience in other important areas of community service. And QVNA’s “Friends Group'' volunteers clean and green our parks and maintain Weccacoe Playground. As volunteers working together, QVNA lives our mission: QVNA provides community stewardship, advocacy and service to help improve quality of life for Queen Village residents.
Always at Your Service Community Stewardship. Advocacy. Service. 705 S. 5th Street n 215.339.0975 QVNA.org/join n QVNA.org/volunteer Subscribe to eNews: bit.ly/Subscribe2eNews Watch community meetings: YouTube.com/queenvillage
Do you have questions about Queen Village or city services? Do you know why downloading the free Philly311 app to your phone is important? Just ask. We're available by email, phone and text. In 2021, QVNA once again moved to a new office. But this time, we're here to stay at 709 S. 5th Street. See you there!