January 2018 event! MLK Day of Service with NSC and Phila Parks & Rec and City Taphouse Logan Square
For our January event, we started the new year on a new day of the week - Monday! Why no second Saturday, you ask? Philadelphia plays a central role in the National Day of Service - we host the largest event in the country each year at Girard College where Dr. King spoke in 1965 to reinforce the call for racial integration of the school. The Day of Service honors the legacy of a great man, and helped us all connect with members of our community that we don't normally see at our usual day and time!
Nationalities Service Center
You may remember NSC from our very cool (and very timely) September event. But this excellent agency has many facets, and this month we got to help out in a different but very important way. Our task was to assemble welcome and move-in kits for new immigrants and refugees who arrive in Philadelphia. We were boxing up pots and pans, blankets and towels, and sponges and shampoo - all to support the smooth transition of this group to their new home.
We also met some awesome new friends who were alumni (or friends of alumni) of PeaceCorps! It was great serving alongside them and hearing about the amazing experience of a service commitment like theirs.
If you'd like to volunteer with NSC, please visit their website for more information!
Philadelphia Parks & Rec - Francisville Rec Center
The crew was hard at work cleaning, painting, and beautifying the computer lab and common areas in the Francisville Recreation Center. This project is super important as the Rec Center plays a critical role in the neighborhood providing services that range from after school programs to the pool to yoga and pottery classes! Oh, and Lil Uzi Vert hosts his now annual thanksgiving charity event there!! Needless to say, the building gets plenty of use and so freshening it up will benefit many residents who consider it vital to their community.
You can learn more about volunteering at Francisville Rec or at your local rec center on the Parks & Rec website.
City Taphouse Logan Square
An #Afterjawn? On a Monday? That's right y'all. We were super fortunate that the great folks at City Taphouse happened to be roughly in the center of our two volunteer events! We enjoyed some ice cold craft beers and lots of delicious snacks - like whipped ricotta, pork sliders, and hummus!
City Taphouse Logan Square has great happy hour specials and plenty of TVs for watching the Sixers, Eagles, Flyers, and (yes, it will be spring again someday) Phillies! Check their website for menus and follow them on Instagram for specials and updates!