Newsroom - Achieveability
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Adopt-A-Student
Although summer is just beginning, it’s never too early to start thinking about the upcoming school year. This year, why not make a difference by shopping for school supplies for those in need? Through ACHIEVEability’s Adopt-A-Student Donation Drive, we make sure students of all ages have book bags and school supplies so they can be prepared in the classroom. You can help us by sponsoring a single parent family with a back pack full of supplies. Is shopping not your favorite activity? Consider making a donation to fund our youth summer enrichment program.
ACHIEVEability Receives over $1 Million in Affordable Housing Support
ACHIEVEability is honored to accept an award of approximately $1.1 million on Thursday, April 8th, from Mayor Michael Nutter.
The Mayor’s office allocated $18.4 Million housing support to create over 850 housing opportunities in 24 affordable housing developments throughout Philadelphia. This initiative will additionally generate over $80 million, as well as create hundreds of jobs in the city. Of the 24 projects awarded funds from the $18.4 Million, ACHIEVEability received the second highest amount for the Aspen and Cherry Tree Housing Projects.
Philly Spring Clean Up - "Keep up the Sweep up"
On Saturday, April 10th, ACHIEVEability staff, participants, and community members volunteered to clean streets in the West, and Southwest areas of the city as part of the City of Philadelphia Spring Cleanup initiative.
Spring is in Bloom!
ACHIEVEability would like to thank everyone who came out to commence our garden on the beautiful Saturday of April 3rd at our 60th and Arch Street location.
This is the second year that ACHIEVEability has convened at our Computer Learning Center to create a beautiful garden. Program participants, staff, and many children from our enrichment program came out to enjoy the sunshine and beautify the community. We put our green thumbs to good use as we turned over the soil, added compost, and planted healthy vegetables such as cucumbers, zucchini, lettuce, bell peppers, hot peppers, radishes, carrots, and onions. Various herbs, shrubs, and flowers were also planted.
There were many spectators, including West Philly native Ukee Washington of CBS3 who took notice of our efforts, and asked several questions about our garden initiative.
If you have not yet seen the garden, we invite you to stop by, and watch as our seedlings grow into healthy plants and vegetables! For a tour of ACHIEVEability (including a walk by the garden) call Sue Jacquette at 215-748-8830 or email sue.jacquette@achieveability.org. For more information about ACHIEVEability, please visit our website at www.achieveability.org.
Spring Break Extravaganza
ACHIEVEability children, along with youngsters from the community celebrated spring break with three spectacular days of fun as they visited the Philadelphia International Airport, Fort Mifflin, Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty, and Riverbend Environmental Education Center.
A Night in Marrakech: A Special Night to Benefit ACHIEVEability
Thank you to everyone who attended our gala on March 13, 2010 at URBN at the Navy Yard. To see pictures from the event click here.
Tutors Needed
This Spring, ACHIEVEability is looking for tutors to help single-parents with GED preparation and college assignments. All subject specialties are welcomed, including, homework help for children. Volunteers must complete a volunteer application and attend a tutoring training session, which will be held once a month.
Please note that we ask all volunteers to submit a Pennsylvania State Criminal Record Check and Child Abuse Clearance (for those working with children) to ensure the safety of our clients and staff.
For more information, please contact Stephani Peters at 215-748-8804 or stephani.peters@achieveability.org.
A Special Ribbon Cutting for PROJECT PHOENIX
[Photo Tiger Productions, courtesy Philadelphia OHCD]
Friends, neigbors and supporters came out to participate in a dedication ceremony for Project Phoenix, a joint venture between ACHIEVEability, Urban Outfitters and a coalition of area churches including Mt. Carmel Baptist Church to increase the supply of affordable housing while improving housing stock in West Philadelphia.
Completely rehabilitated homes that were once blights in the neigborhood as abandoned homes, are now targeted to low- to moderate-income Philadelphians as first time homebuyers. These three-bedroom homes listed for sale at $60,000 to $119,000 feature central air, hardwood floors, new windows and modern kitchens with ceramic tile. One of the homes also has a garage.
"We are proud to introduce four new affordable homes into our community," said Marcus Allen, CEO, ACHIEVEability. “Since our inception ACHIEVEability has developed hundreds of units of affordable housing. The creation of Project Phoenix enables us to continue helping Philadelphia families break the cycle of poverty and achieve upward mobility and self-sufficiency.”
Project Phoenix is the first of the three-phase West Philadelphia Urban Housing Project. The second phase will provide 10 more affordable homes in 2010 and the third will result in a 24-unit-affordable-housing development by 2012. The project was funded by a combination of federal and private funds.
Wyeth Employees go above and beyond for ACHIEVEability
Wyeth’s Meeting Planning & Travel Team started a relationship with ACHIEVEability by painting the inside of an ACHIEVEability home. When Wyeth painters learned that the homes were furnished through donations, they immediately volunteered to collect items. While their goal was to furnish only one room, they were able to collect items for every room on the ACHIEVEability checklist (click here to download checklist). The team presented the items to a new ACHIEVEability homeowner, Michele Wesley, and her three daughters on August 12, 2009.
ACHIEVEability families have a day they won't soon forget
Some of our ACHIEVEability client families attended World Team Tennis in King of Prussia on Monday, July 20th to watch some tennis and meet tennis great Billie Jean King. Thanks to Fidelity Investments King of Prussia Investor Center, each child recieved a new tennis racket, which will come in handy when the ACHIEVEability youth tennis camp starts up next week! Kids aged 5 to 18 will be participating in a week long camp to learn, practice and play tennis.