On November 13, Esperanza’s Housing Counseling Executive Director, Maria Iannarelli was honored with the 2018 Humanitarian Award, granted by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA). This distinction is given to an agency or individual that shows a strong commitment to participating in activities that emphasize social responsibility in response to domestic and/or global disasters. Iannarelli…
Nuevo proyecto por parte de funcionarios de Filadelfia promete mejorar el estilo de vida y seguridad de una comunidad al norte de la ciudad.
In the life cycle of a building, a few years’ time can mean the difference between being at the center of a community and falling into disrepair and blight. That was the case with the towering former pantyhose factory that housed Roberto Clemente Middle School in Hunting Park. In 1994, the public school closed. In…
After a six-week-long contest, Esperanza concluded the Aetna Voices of Health campaign achieving third place. Although the $20K prize didn’t come home, we still feel like winners because of all the support our Esperanza family showed. But this is not the end of the road. Hunting Park, the neighborhood we serve in North Philadelphia, is one…
Esperanza welcomed the Honorable Nelson Díaz on Oct. 31, 2018, to speak with our students from the high school and college about his new autobiographical book, “Not from Here, Not from There.” Díaz visited as part of the Esperanza Speaker Series, an event series that brings leaders in areas like religion, politics, and entertainment to…
Chess coach Gabrielle Moshier of the Philadelphia Chess Society told CLO that the experience was particularly meaningful for her girls from Esperanza High School and Middle School in Philly, pictured above. The top finisher from her program, Daiana Espindola, placed fourth in the Under 18 and most of her students gained rating points.
When the news broke last month that Philadelphia’s poverty rate was stuck for another year at 25.7 percent, still the highest of America’s 10 largest cities, the collective response was one of frustration. Despite Philly’s many cross-sector collaborations, local government efforts and discussions — prepare yourself for this shocker — ending poverty isn’t easy, which is why it hasn’t happened yet….
The annual awards ceremony and celebration, hosted by the sustainable lifestyle blog Green Philly, includes environmentally and locally-conscious award categories such as “Climate Hero” and “Neighborhood Champion.” According to the SustainPHL organizers, the Activist of the Year honor serves to recognize a community leader who has demonstrated dedication to a sustainability cause through “increasing visibility…
From the desk of Alexis Duecker, Executive Director of EILS. Thank you for reading our newsletter and your interest in our work at EILS during this tumultuous time for our community. Now more than ever, EILS not only needs to support the underserved in our communities by representing clients, but we must also treat each…
Gentrification can be a scary word, and one often heard in Philadelphia. While neighborhood development projects often purport to benefit the communities where they’re taking place, the appearance of doing good doesn’t always equal the desired effect. Longtime residents can feel left out of these sometimes-huge projects concerning their neighborhoods when they don’t have much input into whatever is planned.
