“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” —Margaret Mead The City of Philadelphia has a progressive sustainability goal of Zero Waste by 2035. Even with that goal set, the city has many obstacles to overcome when it comes to…
*Correction: Esperanza is not affiliated with Esperanza Health Center and has not taken any part into the construction of its new campus.* What does asset-based community development look like? While some groups opt to focus on bricks and mortar, as scholars like John “Jody” Kretzmann and John McKnighthave argued for decades, strong asset-based development really comes…
Esperanza, the local nonprofit serving the North Philadelphia neighborhood’s Hispanic community, renovated and officially reopened the former school’s building in November after it sat vacant for more than a decade. Now dubbed the Roberto Clemente Homes, it contains 38 affordable housing units and 5,000 square feet of commercial space. The $18 million project is a marker of the…
On December 18th Teatro Esperanza presented “Christmas in the Barrio,” a free performance featuring the Esperanza Academy Dance Ensemble, Esperanza Academy Choir, AMLA Vocal Ensemble and Bell Choir, Esperanza Elementary students, and singers Jessica Nuñez and Arturo Alejandro. Local pastors also participated in the event and offered up prayers for the new theater. “The act…
By M. Thomas Ridington ’78, MA ’81, PhD The national conversation on poverty identifies place as a powerful determinant for accessing the American dream. A zip code is a key factor in establishing the opportunities available for most people and portends their futures. It’s not surprising then that academic, business and nonprofit leaders are coalescing around mobility as a…
2018 was a great year for Esperanza and its fight to protect and enhance Hunting Park’s environment. In April, we hosted the first-ever bilingual (English/Spanish) PHS Tree Tenders training with the participation of 45 people, mostly community residents. This year alone, we planted 54 street trees and plan to plant many more in years to…
Wish Rev. Luis Cortés Feliz Cumpleaños! It’s our beloved Reverend Luis Cortés’ birthday—and it’s a birthday bash here at Esperanza! We think there’s no better way to honor the “Rev”, as we affectionately call him than to make a gift to Esperanza. Under his inspirational leadership, Esperanza has been working to transform the lives of…
Esperanza’s Housing and Economic Development division received a scale-tipping $450,000 renewal grant from Wells Fargo last week. The money will help support resident-driven community development projects and initiatives in Hunting Park, in addition to beautifying the North Philadelphia area. The grant builds on previous 2012 funding and will help Esperanza complete its Hunting Park 2022…
Did you know your online shopping can help transform someone’s life this Christmas? If you shop for gifts on Amazon, you’re already halfway there. Just sign up for AmazonSmile, select Esperanza as your charity, and 0.5 percent of your eligible purchases will go directly toward providing hope and opportunities to our community. It’s easy to sign up: Visit smile.amazon.com and…
On behalf of Beaker, Esperanza College‘s new mascot! …… My name is Beaker, and I’m the Eastern University mascot. I usually hang out at Eastern’s main campus, but I recently received a text asking me to come to Esperanza College, and how could I say no? So, this Fall, I’m going to be joining the Esperanza familia! That’s right,…
