Greetings,
I pray that you are keeping safe and healthy! It has now been about a month since the stay-at-home order went into effect in Pennsylvania. As many cope with a new reality in our community, The Common Place and our partnering congregation Salt and Light (the recently unified congregation of New Spirit Community Church and Grace Christian Fellowship) have quickly mobilized to assess and meet the needs of our neighbors. Together, we’ve learned a lot about the resources that our community lacks and how that lack has created a vacuum resulting from the COVID-19 health crisis. It has been by the grace of our Creator and the generous support of our donors that we have provided over 400 meals to families in Southwest Philadelphia to date. While we expect this number will continue to climb, we remain in awe of God’s providential care.
Food Pantry
Last week, I shared that The Common Place has become a “Grab N’ Go Meals” site for the City of Philadelphia. Many parents who are laid-off, furloughed, or now unemployed with school-age children at home, have struggled to provide additional meals due to a lack of income. Today, we received our first delivery of meals from the Nutritional Development Service (a subsidiary organization of the Catholic Social Services). After volunteers from the church unloaded 8 heavy boxes of breakfast, lunch, and milk, parents made their way to TCP to pick up meals for their children. We are extremely grateful to have provided about 280 meals to families today.
Hunger in our community is of great need, but it’s certainly not the only concern unveiled by COVID-19’s presence. The staff at TCP continues to seek creative and innovative methods in which to provide social-emotional and educational services to our youth. Many schools in Pennsylvania have moved to a digital format by now and have already begun distance learning. The Philadelphia School district, upon raising $11 million in March, has bought 50,000 laptops to help their students stay connected and current on school work. Over the last 2 weeks, the district has reached out to parents and provided the majority of their students with a laptop. Instruction for Philly school kids resumes next week.
After School Program
As a way to support parents during this time, our afterschool program (The Scholars Afterschool Enrichment Program) has also moved to a digital format. Scholars’ staff have set up Google Classrooms and video conferencing software to interact with students and their parents; as well as providing homework help and fun activities during the day. Understanding the financial constraints of families during this time, the services we are providing are available at no cost to families.
Access to Technology
While most students are now able to complete their school work, interact with peers, teachers, and afterschool staff, we have learned of about 12 students who are not covered by the school district’s $11 million windfall and are in danger of falling behind. Upon speaking with teachers and parents, we’ve learned that some families do not have access to a computer or internet. In an attempt to keep these students current with the curriculum, teachers and other concerned staffers have been mailing assignments to students. This has proven to be an inefficient method as these technology deficient homes isolate children from peers and teachers, creating a lapse in accountability and supervision. Also, some students live with elderly guardians who are unfamiliar with internet technology often lack the capacity, time, and patience to learn about it. This dire circumstance presents a unique challenge for students and concerned educators, who without the proper means, cannot effectively communicate with these students. This poses a very real chance that students may begin to struggle, fall behind, and fail their classes. Unfortunately, these children have fallen through the cracks of a changing educational system.
Students should not have to worry about failing because of a societal change that is beyond their control, even if that change is a necessary one. Compared to their peers, these children are now at a disadvantage. However, we have been in discussion with concerned partners to better understand how we can best bridge the digital divide affecting this small group of students. Simply put, these students need laptops and an internet connection. We seek to raise $2,500.00 to buy 12 Chromebooks so these students can continue their schooling.
The Chromebook laptops are internet-based and come with the applications schools are using for instruction (Google Classroom and Meet, Zoom, Google Docs, etc). In addition, Comcast is offering free Wifi internet in Philadelphia during the health crisis. Furthermore, once the social distancing guidelines have been lifted, families may sign up for Comcast Essentials which is an internet plan available to low-income households for $10/month. Our staff is available and prepared to help students with any setup needed to get them re-engaged with their school, peers, and their teachers.
Emulating The Example Jesus Sets Forth
What we are doing through our food program and educational efforts does more than just satisfy physical hunger and access to technology, but our work provides a sense of peace in a chaotic time and support to families who are experiencing financial hardship right now. More importantly, our work in Southwest Philly tries to model the example Jesus expects for us to emulate in Matthew 25:37-41:
“‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’”
We need your help!
Please consider joining with us in this great work. We can not do this alone and it has been with your help that we have already done so much. I am not afraid or ashamed to repeat to you that all of us are in the same boat here. We are in this together; and as Jesus constantly reminds us, we are called to help each other in times of crisis and otherwise. We are committed to our neighbors in Southwest Philly. We continue to work closely with Salt and Light to assess and meet the needs of the community. While needs continue to evolve, we are doing our best to stay ahead of them and provide assistance as we are able.
Although there is much activity, our facility remains closed and our income has been significantly reduced. We ask for your help to provide any donations possible to help us to continue our support of the Southwest Philadelphia community.
