Voice of VU-PHL: Anna Selfridge, Friends of Clark Park

Looking forward to our March event with Friends of Clark Park? Check out our Q&A with Anna Selfridge, a board member at Friends of Clark Park to learn more about this awesome organization.

Tell us about Friends of Clark Park.

Friends of Clark Park is a non-profit corporation of 100% volunteers founded in 1974 to help maintain and improve University City’s largest public green space. Our mission is to be stewards of Clark Park for the West Philly community to ensure it can be enjoyed by families, friends, and neighbors today and for generations to come." Learn about what we do by watching this short video. 

Who do you aim to serve in the Philadelphia area?

All Clark Park visitors and neighbors.

How did you become involved in Friends of Clark Park?

I joined the Friends because I got tired of my little kid's picking up litter at the park, seeing and smelling overflowing trash cans and I wanted to help solve the problem. With the Friends of Clark Park, we created a Clean Park program that keeps Clark Park clean and green over the peak season. We work closely with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation (PPR) to ensure the park is fully supplied with ongoing services. In addition, Friends of Clark Park partners with University City District to provide supplemental coverage and holds monthly volunteer work days to ensure the park is as pristine as possible. For more details check out our website: Cleaning Clark Park.

What is your favorite part about working at The Friends of Clark Park?

Seeing park visitors enjoy a clean and beautiful park after working hard with volunteers.

What advice do you have for young Philadelphians looking to get more involved in volunteering?

If you want to give back, find a positive mission that you care about and then look for ways to get involved by connecting with people with similar interests. Talking about a problem is one thing, but to make a change it takes action on your part.