West/Southwest PhilaNAC Quarterly August 2011

Brought to you by: The Partnership CDC

Want a Healthy Home? The West/Southwest Philadelphia NAC Can Help

The Partnership CDC has been working in order to perfect a self-sustaining ur-ban food source that would produce both vegetables and fish to the community. Aquaponics is rapidly becoming a better-known and safer way to provide food on a local level. The term aquaponics comes from the combination of fish-culture and plant-culture into one cohesive ecosys-tem. The aquaponic system works like a natural pond. Tilapia fish create nutrient-rich waters that feed the plants, and the plants filter the water so that the fish stay healthy.

In its current stages the project is re-ferred to as the Urban Food Lab. A small greenhouse used for the development of prototypes and methods that will eventu-ally be implemented into a large-scale indoor farming operation. By observing how the Urban Food Lab operates on a small scale we plan to ease the transition to a larger production system, an eigh-teen-hundred square foot site located on 60th Street. It is predicted that this new site could produce the equivalent of a 2.5 acre farm annually.

The project is seen as an educational gateway, one that brings together the fields of science, math, technology and engineering. Many educational opportu-nities will arise from the Urban Food Lab. Working together with Cheney University we have been able to further advance our efforts. Cheney has acted as an im-portant resource for our work and we are excited about extending this partnership into the future.

As a part of The Partnership CDC’s mission to rebuild West and Southwest Philadelphia, the indoor farm will work to stimulate the economic engine of our local community. The farm would cre-ate green jobs at every level of educa-tion, while also attracting other income levels to the area. This kind of positive economic development is yet another benefit indoor urban farming could bring to Philadelphia. Not only does the urban farm combine aspects of health and edu-cation, but it could lead to greater eco-nomic stability and the revitalization of our commercial corridors.

Nature + Engineering = Food SustainabilityUrban Food Lab Success in West Philadelphia

The Healthy Homes Workshop is a series of free workshops that teach community residents and elementary school age children important methods of keeping their homes safe and healthy. This program is a part of The Partnership CDC’s Green and Healthy Neighborhood Pro-grams and available to all residents of west and southwest Philadel-phia. Families will be offered prevention and intervention methods to combat unhealthy conditions and seminars in their homes. Workshops include asthma awareness/triggers, lead prevention, water quality, al-ternative pest management, monoxide/radon hazards and fire safety.

A rare look inside of The Partnership CDC’s Urban Food Lab. 2011

Meshelle Johnson, a West Philadelphia resident who attended the 2010 Winter Healthy Home Workshop stated “The workshops have helped me in a lot of ways, such as how to eat and feed my kids healthier. It gave me information on different types of chemicals I was using in my house, and how to lower my energy bills. I learned a lot about things that I thought didn’t concern me.

Community members who participate in Healthy Homes may also be eligible for the Green or Cool Roof Program. As part of the training, participates will learn that a buildings with a green roof uses up to 50 percent less energy to cool and up to 20 percent less energy to heat a standard roof, which saves considerable amount of money in the long-term. They are low maintenance investments good for any homeowner hoping to conserve and save money. A green and cool roof also last two to five times longer than the standard roof. Eligible residents will also be required to participate in The Partnership CDC’s financial counseling programs.

Another objective of the Healthy Homes Workshops is to help people implement healthy changes in their daily lives. After families complete the program, they will be offered an in home follow-up with one of the program educators. Follow ups provide a way for residents to gauge how much healthier their lives have become since attending the Healthy Homes Workshops. During the follow-up we assess con-ditions such as lead and water quality. As well as attempt to measure our impact on residents’ day to day activities. In this way we hope to reinforce that with access to the right resources and information people can make their lives healthier in the long run.

For more information on how to enroll for FREE Healthy Home Workshops, contact The Partnership CDC NAC at 215.662.1612 ext. 27

Local youth participating in the Healthy Homes Program

Learn more about The Partnership CDC and the West/Southwest NAC at THEPARTNERSHIPCDC.ORG

The Partnership CDC’s Green Professional Training program focuses on teaching local indi-viduals to install Green Roofs and Cool roofs on homes here in West Philadelphia. Green roofs consist of sedum plants that can grow on rooftops and act as an insulator to keep homes cool in the summer and warmer in the winter, saving on energy costs. A cool roof features a thick, light colored coating that reflects the heat of the sun in order to keep homes cooler in the summer. This also saves on energy bills.

The training program features a combination of classroom train-ing and hands- on training. The classroom component is approxi-mately 16 weeks long, and the hands-on component is flexible in order to accommodate student schedules.

Now in its second year, the pro-gram is producing better and bet-ter results as time goes on. We maintain small class sizes in or-der to ensure the success of our students. This year, six passed the challenging Green Roofing Professional Certification Exam. We are proud of our students for all of their hard work and stud-ies. Their success keeps us ex-cited and motivated to continue to improve the program and help it grow.

We are looking forward to work-ing with our new partners on this project in the near future. Our founding trainer and dear friend Cory Suter will be pursuing his PhD in the coming fall, and we wish him the very best in all of his endeavors. Cory has selected a promising and dynamic group of people to continue his work with The Partnership CDC. We look forward to working with the folks from Urban Ecoforms as they instruct a new class of students and lead green roofing work-shops.

The Partnership CDC will begin the next round of training this fall, though start dates have not been set. This represents a change from previous years, when the program kicked off in the winter. We believe that this schedule change will ensure better weath-er for roof installations and pro-vide more time for the hands- on training component.

If you have any questions about the program, or about green roofing and cool roofing in gen-eral, please feel free to contact Alix Howard, the Green Initia-tives Coordinator at The Partner-ship CDC. Her email address is ahoward@thepartnershipcdc.org, and her phone number is (215) 662-1612 x 22.

Want to Be a Green Professional?

Recent graduates of the Green and Cool Roofing Program. Left to right: Michael, Alon, Damian, Jamaal, Walter, Cory, Marta, Rory (not pictured: Kia & Greg)

Recyclebank Reward applica-tions can now be picked up at The Partnership CDC/NAC of-fice. Recyclebank® is a rewards program that motivates people to engage in green behaviors, like recycling, by rewarding them with points. Recycle Bank members can use their points at Recycle-Bank.com for rewards like grocer-ies, merchandise and discounts at national retailers and local businesses. The office also has a number of recycle bins available to community residents.

A Recyclebank Partnership

The Partnership CDC, Director Steve Williams, with Recyclebank members Carla Castillo, Denise McVeigh and Allison Sands. 2011

Kamau Acey seen here taking advantage of the internet services at the Partnership CDC computer Lab. The Partnership CDC, PECO Financial Education Center was one of the selected sites where computers were donated for community use by Broadband Tech, The City of Philadelphia, People Emergency Center and Urban Af-fairs Coalition. Free computer training classes will start at the center in the fall of 2011. For more information call 215.307. 4912.

Computer Training Coming Soon

Learn more about The Partnership CDC and the West/Southwest NAC at THEPARTNERSHIPCDC.ORG

The Neighborhood Advisory Council’s (NAC) mission is to provide ser-vices and programs to make life better for community residents in West and Southwest Philadelphia. The program is housed at the Partnership CDC located at 4020 Market Street. The NAC office is committed to working on behalf of the community and giving a voice in the planning, implementing and assessing of activities occurring in the community.

We advocate for residents by providing foreclosure outreach, working to resolve zoning problems, neighborhood blight, vacant properties issues, organizing block captains, assisting residents with correspondence, and hosting community meetings. We also assist with the planning of com-munity events, providing referrals for city services and programs and assisting with community gardens.

The West/Southwest NAC would like to welcome Elizabeth Brown as its new Community Advisory Council Coordinator. For more information on our services call Leon Robinson Jr. Neighborhood Advisory Council Coordinator Assistant at 215.662.11612 ext. 27

More About The NAC

UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

The Partnership CDC Presents:

August 19, 10am - 3pm Spectrum Health Services 11th Annual Health Fair:FREE Entertainment, Music, Activities & Health ScreeningsLocation: Haddington Health Center at 5619 Vine Street

August 20, 9am - 2pm2nd Annual Community Day: Flea Market, FREE School Supplies, FREE Food. Location: Cedar Park, 4917 Baltimore Ave.

Various DatesThe Partnership CDC Home Buyers Club, Registration Now Open! Call Today to Learn More! 215.662.1612

For information call 215.665.1612