PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphia nonprofit that started as a crime prevention association is preparing to open a new location in West Philadelphia, as it celebrates its 90th anniversary.
The Caring People Alliance is hosting a community resource fair Thursday at their new location in the Cobbs Creek area.
The CPA, a member organization of the Boys and Girls Club, already has locations in North and South Philly where they offer child care, afterschool programs, summer programs and senior services and more to the community.
These programs are meant to serve so many young people dealing with today’s unique set of challenges including the city’s current gun violence crisis.
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“We're there trying to help fill that void. People in the community need to have a place that they trust, that they can go to,” said Senior Director of Programs and Service Delivery Branon Gilmore.
“We are that entity in the communities that we're in now. We strongly feel that we could be that presence in the Cobbs Creek area.”
Their West Philly location is moving to South 59th and Catharine streets, with their Haverford Avenue location closing at the end of the school year.
“We plan to open our teen program at the West Philadelphia Center, like we have in our North Philadelphia Center,” said Gilmore. “With that, we'll have extended hours in the evening, once again, to keep people off the streets.”
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Gilmore said their goal is to go where they can have an impact and reduce poverty and violence.
“We said it would be a great place to come and provide the services that we have for families, which include a free preschool program and the after school program where we serve a hot meal,” he said. “We're also going to provide services for seniors.”
They're hoping to get to know the community and how they can best be of service at their upcoming resource fair on Thursday. They’ll also be offering COVID-19 vaccinations.
“They can come in, they can meet the director of the center, they can meet me, and our CEO (Jerry McDonald) will be there,” said Gilmore.
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Gilmore said it will be a small preview for what residents can expect when their club fully opens in the fall.
“It's our mission that when the school doors are closed, we are open,” said Gilmore. “We feed nutritionally balanced meals to all of our programs during the school year and during the summertime. But really, people should just come out to get to know us.”
“We will have our HR hiring team, because we're going to be offering jobs where people can actually work in the building or for other departments within our agency,” he added.
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“Here, again, another way of supporting families. We have very good paying jobs in the organization, and it's another way that people can become part of our family, besides just being program participants.”
The Founders Day Community Fair will take place this Thursday, April 21 at the 59th and Catherine location from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Click here for more information.
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Related podcast: How youth can play a role in stemming the gun violence crisis.
