Philadelphia, Pa -
January 14, 2010 -
More than 200 students and staff members of YouthBuild
Philadelphia Charter School will join 70,000 volunteers throughout the
greater Philadelphia area on Monday, Jan. 18, 2010 for the 15th
Annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service.
A select group of
YouthBuild Philadelphia students will participate in activities at Greater
Philadelphia's signature service site at Girard College. Students will
attend a workshop with students from
George School, a coed boarding and day school located in Bucks County,
presented by original members of the Cecil B. Moore Philadelphia Freedom
Fighters. The program entitled, "We Were There: A Point from the Past to
Better the Future," will include small-group discussions about social
justice topics.
In addition, YouthBuild
will provide volunteer services for various individuals and organizations at
locations around Philadelphia between 9 a.m. and noon. The major projects
include:
Rehabilitation of Penrose
Playground and Community Center (1101 W. Susquehanna Ave.)
In partnership with the
University Community Collaborative of Philadelphia, YouthBuild Students and
volunteers from Temple University will renovate Penrose Community Center. A
public community playground and pool, this center serves as a recreation
facility in a low-income neighborhood in North Philadelphia. The project
includes the installation of new bookshelves and French doors for a library,
painting walls, and installing plumbing for a kitchen.
YouthBuild GreenBuild
(4557 N Uber St.)
YouthBuild students,
staff, Board members and volunteers will work on the rehabilitation of a
home aimed at sustainable development. In partnership with Nicetown
Community Development Corporation (CDC), the home will be completely
transformed over the next year into an energy efficient home for a
low-income family.
Renovations for Diversified Community Services (1920 S. 20th
Street)
DCS is a family education and service organization in South Philadelphia
whose mission is to enable children and families to realize their full
potential and achieve self-reliance in safe neighborhoods. YouthBuild
students and staff members will complete renovations in DCS facilities
including painting and minor carpentry work.
Carpentry Workshops at the African American Museum (701 Arch
Street)
YouthBuild Philadelphia construction education instructor and several
students will teach homeless men and women about urban agriculture
carpentry. The workshop is part of a series designed to empower homeless men
and women in Philadelphia through urban agriculture for economic development
to improve healthy living.
Barrett Playground
Clean-up (641 Lindley Avenue)
YouthBuild students will
clean and paint this playground and community center that serves a
low-income community in North Philadelphia.
Computer Salvage and
Installation with Nicetown CDC (4300 Germantown Ave.)
Students from Youthbuild's
Information Technology program will help install new computers in Nicetown's
community center. They will also help to salvage old computers for donation
to low income families and schools.
# # #
YouthBuild Philadelphia
Charter School is
a not-for-profit organization that provides out-of-school youth in
Philadelphia the broadest range of tools, supports and opportunities
available to become self-sufficient, responsible and productive citizens.
YouthBuild Philadelphia offers an innovative program, which blends a
rigorous academic curriculum with community service learning through
on-the-job training. Students at YouthBuild Philadelphia earn their high
school diplomas and make successful transitions to full-time jobs and
post-secondary educational programs. For more information, visit
www.youthbuildphilly.org.
Press Resources:
Map of Service Project
Locations:
http://bit.ly/YouthBuildMLK10
Website:
http://www.youthbuildphilly.org
Online Media Kit:
http://www.youthbuildphilly.org/kit.html
Recent News and Events:
http://youthbuildphilly.wordpress.com
For event photos, contact:
kforbriger@youthbuildphilly.org
