Theatre Exile hosts summer camp
Theatre Exile’s inaugural summer camp, from Aug. 21-25, will focus on playwriting and scene study. After a week of theater games, dramatic world building, script-sculpting logistics and advanced-scene study, students will have an opportunity to display their creative storytelling skills in a community showcase to family and friends.
Camp is open to students in 6th-12th grade, and is free for Paper Wings alumni. Reach out to [email protected] to inquire about need-based scholarships. Camp is $350 and registration is required.
Whitman Council hosts back-to-school drive
Whitman Council is hosting a back-to-school drive through Aug. 25. New school supplies can be dropped off at the office at 3rd and Porter. All new school supplies are needed.
School supplies needed at Navy Yard
Courtyard by Marriott Philadelphia South at The Navy Yard is a participating collection site for The Navy Yard Philadelphia’s Annual Back-to-School Donation Drive. All collected supplies will be distributed to F. Amedee Bregy Elementary School and D. Newlin Fell School, both K-8 elementary schools located in South Philadelphia. Collections will take place through Aug. 25 at various locations throughout the Navy Yard campus.
Items needed are primary composition books, spiral one subject notebooks, Crayola crayons, Jumbo Crayola crayons, Crayola colored pencils, Clorox wipes, erasers, pencils, glue sticks, rulers, colored pocket folders, black EXPO markers, large bottles of hand sanitizer, plastic pencil cases, plastic shoe box with lid for supplies and school bags (large enough for folders and books).
WrestleMania 40 tickets on sale Friday
Tickets for WrestleMania 40 will go on sale to the general public on Aug. 18.
World Wrestling Entertainment’s signature event will be held next year at Lincoln Financial Field in South Philadelphia on April 6-7 and residents can purchase tickets via Ticketmaster by visiting https://www.wwe.com/wm40-presale beginning at 10 a.m. on Aug. 18.
Prior to the general ticket on-sale on Aug. 18, WWE has exclusive ticket packages available now for WrestleMania 40 via On Location. WrestleMania 40 Priority Passes offer fans the chance to be ringside, including premium seating, pre-show hospitality with WWE wrestler appearances, photo opportunities and exclusive merchandise.
Philly Future Track Program seeking applicants
City Councilman Kenyatta Johnson and Department of Streets Commissioner Carlton Williams announced the Philly Future Track program hiring at Concert Garden at 21st and Ellsworth streets in South Philadelphia.
The Philly Future Track program provides the job-skill training and real-world work experience needed for a potential full-time civil service job with the City of Philadelphia. It is a paid six- to 12-month program that will include working on a variety of cleaning and sanitation-related projects, such as improving neighborhood beautification and the city’s transportation network.
Participants will generally work 37½ hours a week during the day Mondays to Fridays at a rate of $17 per hour. Those interested must be eligible to work in the U.S., have a high school diploma or GED equivalent and be a Philadelphia resident to qualify.
Program participants will receive both on-the-job and classroom instruction to obtain skills, learn positive work attitudes and develop professional work habits and behaviors in order to prepare to succeed in today’s workforce environment. Participants who successfully complete this first part of the program will have an opportunity to apply for and be assigned to a specific occupational track performing either roadway maintenance, traffic investigations, construction inspection support or sanitation code compliance, based upon interest and ability.
Johnson was able to secure an additional $5 million to support the Philly Future Track program during the FY24 Budget. With these funds, the streets department anticipates hiring the largest contingent of Future Track program participants in the history of the program this fiscal year, with a target number of 200 hires. Individuals can get additional information regarding eligibility, requirements and expectations on the city’s jobs page at phila.gov/jobs.
To apply directly, visit https://www.smartrecruiters.com/CityofPhiladelphia/743999921673315-future-track-trainee.
New InterAct season begins this fall
InterAct Theatre Company, 302 S. Hicks St., will celebrate another year of new plays with its first season of all women playwrights. Each play will explore how larger world issues find their way into the most private and intimate moments of lives. Subscribers can pick and move their dates anytime. Single tickets are $37 and subscriptions are $110 for four flexible dates, visit www.interacttheatre.org. Discounts for students/industry and groups. Upcoming shows include Selling Kabul (regional premiere) by Sylvia Khoury Oct. 27-Nov. 19; Step Mom, Step Mom, Step Mom (world premiere) by Jahna Ferron-Smith Jan. 26-Feb. 18; The Last Yiddish Speaker (world premiere) by Deborah Zoe Laufer March 29-April 21; and The Climb (world premiere) by C.A. Johnson May 31-June 23.
3 South Philly natives win Hometown Media Awards
Three South Philadelphians have won the Hometown Media Award for their work at PhillyCAM, the community media center that trains Philadelphians in media production and airs original content on Philadelphia’s public access TV and WPPM 106.5 FM.
South Philly husband and wife Rusty Crowell and Jan Alba won the Local Performance Community Radio Award for Philly Folk Scene. The acoustic guitar and flute duo has been together for more than 20 years and they play a variety of styles of music including folk, Americana and classical. Their show features the best in Philly Folk music, interviews with local artists and information on folk events in the area.
South Philly’s Lance Haver was part of a team that won for Democracy in Action Community Radio Award for Hall Monitor. Haver, Larry McGlynn and Denise Clay-Murray give their analysis on political news and city government issues including administrative, legislative and public affairs to inform listeners about proposed city initiatives and City Council resolutions and bills.
English classes for Ukrainians
Holy Family University’s English as a Second Language initiative for newly arrived Ukrainian adults is accepting new applicants. The classes are free and open to members of the community who are at least 18 years old. Classes are online (through Aug. 24, Tuesday and Thursday, 6-7 p.m.). Since last fall, more than 100 newly arrived Ukrainians have attended classes at no cost to help them improve their English proficiency and become familiar with the Philadelphia community. Interested applicants can register at holyfamily.edu/ukraine-esl. ••
Farm stand at Jeanes
Temple University Hospital – Jeanes Campus, 7600 Central Ave., has a farm stand that is open Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. through October. The stand is located next to parking lot C of Jeanes Campus and the Fox Chase Cancer Center Campus. Call 215-728-4861 or email [email protected]. ••
Parkinson’s support group
Temple University Hospital – Jeanes Campus is offering a Parkinson’s disease support group for those who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and their families. The group will meet on the second Wednesday of every other month from 6-7 p.m. at the Cheltenham Friends Meetinghouse, 7604 Central Ave. The schedule is Oct. 11, Dec. 13 (holiday party) and Feb. 14. The group is led by nurse practitioner June Ro, and will include guest speakers. To register, contact Ro at 215-707-2619 or [email protected]. ••
Day cruise
The Bristol Cultural and Historical Foundation is sponsoring a day trip on Tuesday, Aug. 22, that includes a narrated luncheon cruise on the “River Lady” paddlewheel out of Toms River, cruising on the Toms River and Barnegat Bay and free time on the Asbury Park boardwalk. All-inclusive cost is $118. Call 215-788-9408. ••
Third Thursday at Glen Foerd
Glen Foerd, Philadelphia’s public park and nonprofit cultural site along the Delaware River, presents the final free Third Thursday Summer Series event on Aug. 17, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. There will be live music, food, family-fun activities and art. The public is invited to bring a blanket or chairs, enjoy lawn games, roam Glen Foerd’s grounds and explore its Gilded Age mansion, which will be open for free self-guided tours. Donations are appreciated but not required, and attendees are asked to register in advance by visiting Glen Foerd’s events page at www.glenfoerd.org/events. For more information on the Third Thursday Summer Series, visit www.glenfoerd.org or call 215-632-5330. ••
Support for small nonprofits
A Little Better Company, an agency focused on making the world a little better, announces the launch of its inaugural Unless Project, a grant-meets-accelerator program providing $150,000 in marketing and capacity-building services to small organizations with big ideas but limited resources.
Up to four U.S.-based nonprofits will be selected to participate in the Unless Project to turn their transformational ideas into impact.
Simon Rogers, founder of ALBC, said: “In our experience, organizations with truly new and novel ideas struggle to get the resources and buy-in they need to bring their ideas to life. Today, the ability to communicate in the right way can make or break their success, and that gap between idea and impact is where the Unless Project comes in.”
The Unless Project seeks applications from nonprofits that are working on new, novel, provable, scalable and sustainable solutions to challenges in one of ALBC’s four focus areas:
• Environmental Sustainability
• Human Health and Wellness
• Social Progress and Advocacy
• Artistic Activism
The short application process includes a five-question eligibility quiz (yes/no answers only), a short application (written or video submissions) and, for finalists, a 30- to 45-minute Zoom discussion with the selection committee.
The eligibility quiz is available now, and applications are open through Oct. 15. Awardees will be notified on Dec. 15, and then be guided through a six-month process to transform their brand, tapping into all of ALBC’s capabilities and expertise.
ALBC will cover all marketing-related expenditures along the way. Additionally, the grant will include a $2,500 stipend to cover unplanned out-of-pocket expenses.
Interested nonprofits can take the eligibility quiz at https://bit.ly/unless-quiz.
Or sign up for an information session: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_A14a76RyQImqfP1CS62XhA#/registration.
To learn more, become part of the ALBC collective or to partner with the Unless Project, visit https://www.alittlebetter.co/. ••
VFW looking for members
Bustleton-Somerton/CTR1 Michael J. Strange VFW Post 6617 meets on the third Wednesday of every month at American Legion Post 810, 9151 Old Newtown Road. Meetings start at 7:30 p.m. If you are a military veteran who served in a designated combat zone, you are eligible to join the VFW. Contact Commander Israel Wolmark at 215-725-0630 if you would like to join the post. ••
Broadway show
The Marlyn Chakov Fein Chapter, Fox Chase Cancer Center is running a bus trip to New York on Saturday, Sept. 30, to see the Broadway production of Some Like It Hot. The cost is $230, which includes orchestra seating and round-trip motor coach. Bus leaves from 604 Township Line Road, Cheltenham, at 9:15 a.m. Call Harriet at 215-969-8366 for tickets. The event supports cancer research and compassionate patient care at Fox Chase Cancer Center. ••
Upcoming cruise
The Bristol Cultural and Historical Foundation is sponsoring a fully escorted Holy Lands & Aegean Majesty cruise from Oct. 6-17, visiting Israel, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey and Italy. Rates, including airfare, range from $4,298 to $8,098 per person, double occupancy. Call 215-788-9408 for information and reservations. ••
Cruise the Mediterranean
Norwegian Cruise Line will host a Mediterranean cruise from Rome to Venice on Oct. 10-19. The trip is all inclusive with round-trip airfare, a beverage package, all meals, three specialty dinners, taxes, transfers and all gratuities. The cost for a balcony sea view cabin is $3,511 per person. For more information, contact Fillmore Travel’s Kevin Fries at 215-498-8294 or [email protected]. ••
Register for bike ride
The closed-road, non-competitive Philly Bike Ride will take place on Saturday, Oct. 14, starting at 7:30 a.m. at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 26th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Participants can choose from a 20-mile course or a shorter 7.6-mile version, with a finish line by the iconic setting of the art museum and the shadow of the famed Rocky steps. The event concludes with a post-ride festival, free and open to the public, that features live music, wellness activities and food trucks.
The cost starts at $35, with various add-ons available. There are two special ticket deals available.
The event supports the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. A portion of proceeds from the event will support the Bicycle Coalition Youth Cycling program.
Registration is open and more information is available at Phillybikeride.com. ••
Trip to Ohio, Kentucky
St. Jerome’s Senior Citizens Club invites the public to join them for a five-day trip (Oct. 15-19) to the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum, with a guided tour of Cincinnati, Ohio and Northern Kentucky. For reservations, questions or a brochure, call Diane McDowell at 267-496-2431. ••
Save at Boscov’s
The Marlyn Chakov Fein Chapter, Fox Chase Cancer Center is partnering with Boscov’s “Friends Helping Friends” on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at all Boscov’s locations, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. The group is selling a shopping pass for $5, which can represent savings of up to 25% off purchases. Call Shirley at 215-530-6637 to purchase shopping passes. The profits of the event will be donated to Fox Chase Cancer Center to support cancer research and compassionate patient care. ••
South Phila. HS class of ‘68 reunion
The South Philadelphia High School Class of 1968 will hold its 55th reunion on Saturday, Oct. 21, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Waterfall Room, 2015 S. Water St. Tickets cost $60 and include buffet dinner and open bar. For tickets and more information, call Arleen Liberi [609-922-2419], Maria Leati [856-287-3734] or Stephen Michielli [267-252-2740]. ••
Day dedicated to women
NBC 10 news anchor Tracy Davidson will present Lifting Your Voice, a day dedicated to women, on Sunday, Oct. 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at Philadelphia Country Club 1601 Spring Mill Road, in Gladwyne. The guest speaker will be Jen Croneberger, an author and former recipient of the Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry’s Female Business Leader of the Year. She holds a master’s degree in Sports and Performance Psychology and a Sustainable Business Strategy Certification from the Harvard Business School.
For tickets, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lifting-your-voice-fall-2023-tickets-522147375857?aff=erelexpmlt. ••