Virtual Community Advisory Council Meeting

Wednesday, August 12, 2020
10:00 AM to 11:00 AM EDT

It is our top priority to continue to serve Philadelphian's by providing the most up to date information on PGW's programs and services. Please join us for our Virtual Community Advisory Council Virtual Meeting to discuss topics such as;

• How to Apply for Utility Assistance Grants

• Payment Options during COVID-19

• Residential Service Safety Program

• Upcoming Pipeline Improvement Projects

• New Customer Bill Design

Zoom link will be sent to all registrants prior to the event. Register Now!

I can't make it

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health has released the "Coronavirus Interim Racial Equity Plan".

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health has released an interim plan to address the racial inequities posed by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The plan was developed by a diverse group of stakeholders representing the City, health care institutions, academic centers, and nonprofits. It is divided into eight areas of concern: Access to COVID-19 Testing, Surveillance Data, Community Outreach, Chronic Health Conditions, Protecting Essential Workers, Community Spread, Spread in Congregate Settings, and Case Investigation and Contact Tracing. Each section acknowledges existing disparities in the community, highlights what the City and Health Department are currently doing to address those disparities, and plans for further addressing them.

We Are Philadelphia's Covid-19 Contact Tracing Team.

Please, Answer The Call

Hi Philly! We are members of the Philadelphia Department of Health Covid-19 contact tracing team. Contact tracing is an important tool that health departments use to fight diseases. In general, contact tracing involves identifying people who have an infectious disease and their “contacts” (people who may have been exposed) and working with them to stop the spread of the disease. Right now, contact tracing is one of the best ways we have to stop the spread of COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus.

Click here for How does contact tracing work for COVID-19?

Contract Tracing: Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley introduced the Department of Public Health’s contact tracing program. The Department has posted a webpage on this new contact tracing program.

Bills piling up? Get the latest on assistance programs

We’re still here to help with your water bill.

More than 20,000 Philadelphia households are now paying lower water bills, and so can you. We offer assistance to:

• Anyone experiencing a special hardship making it difficult to pay water bills.

• Seniors

• Low income customers

Request your application. We delayed shutoff during the City's response to COVID-19. But shutoff for nonpayment will eventually resume. Apply, and you'll be protected from shutoff while we process your application. Learn More

Don’t qualify for assistance? Try a payment agreement
Can’t afford the full amount, or have a large bill? Set up a payment agreement.

Start Today

Questions about these options? Email wrbhelpdesk@phila.gov, or call (215) 685-6300

What happens when the City declares a Heat Health Emergency

Sarah Reyes Board of Health, Department of Public Health, Office of the Mayor, Office of Emergency Management

During very hot weather, the City will declare a Heat Health Emergency. When we declare a Heat Health Emergency, we activate several City services to ensure our residents stay safe.
During a Heat Health Emergency it’s important to check on loved ones, neighbors, and pets and look out for each other. When daytime temperatures reach the 90s or triple digits and are accompanied by high humidity for two or more days, dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke can happen. If you think someone is having a medical emergency, call 911.
Remember, during hot weather, NEVER leave children and pets unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Car interiors can reach lethal temperatures very quickly; It takes only two minutes for a car to reach unsafe temperatures.
Sign up for free text alerts by texting READYPHILA to 888-777

When a Heat Health Emergency is declared:

1. The Philadelphia Corporation for Aging’s Heatline—a special helpline number—is open for calls. Call the hotline at (215) 765-9040.
2. Cooling sites are available to the public.Remember, swimming in Philadelphia’s rivers, streams, and waterways is very dangerous and not allowed. Cool off safely at a sprayground instead.
3. The Office of Homeless Services increases their outreach. Call (215) 232-1984. Call 911 if there is a medical emergency.
4. Additional pet safety measures are enforced by Philadelphia’s Animal Care & Control Team. Owners can face a $500 fine (and can put their pets in grave danger) if they don’t follow ACCT Philly’s requirements.

To report a dog left outdoors in very hot weather, call (267) 385-3800.

More details here.

The Digital Academy

School District of Philadelphia

100% Digital Learning Option for K-12 students currently enrolled in District-led schools.
The Digital Academy is a five-day per week instructional program that offers students in Kindergarten through 12th grade the option to engage in learning digitally 100% of the time while also staying connected to their assigned home school.

Digital Academy Program Overview, click here.

Interested in Digital Academy? Let us know by Aug. 4 by clicking here to start the Application Process

STAY COOL

To stay cool during a Heat Health Emergency, visit cooling centers, pools and spraygrounds. You can also call the Heatline at (215) 765-9040 for advice on staying cool or information on emergency services.

Cooling Center:

• Kensington High School For Creative And Performing Arts,
  1901 N Front St

Tips to stay cool, click here. { guide pdf}

Announcing New Webinar Series

We're pleased to announce the next segment of our online webinar series: From Making to Selling. This series is for all the makers, artists, entrepreneurs and contract freelancers, who are looking for some actionable advice for building an online presence for their business, product and/or brand. For this series, we'll be focusing on marketing, online sales, social media, and branding to stand out from your online competition. By the end of this series, you will be able to understand how to brand your business/product, how to speak to your "ideal customer" and audience, how to create a content marketing strategy and how to photograph product shots. To view our last segment of From Making to Selling webinars, click here.

Upcoming Webinars

• Defining your "Ideal Customer" for Online Sales and Social Media
  Thursday, July 30th at 1pm EST
  Register Here.

• Defining your Brand for Online Marketing and Sales
  Thursday, August 6th at 1pm EST
  Register Here.

• Product Photography and Descriptions for Online Marketing and Sales
  Thursday, August 13th at 1pm EST
  Register Here.

• Generating Content for Social Media and your Website
  Thursday, August 20th at 1pm EST
  Register Here.

GARDEN work @ La Esquina

NEED HELP?

SKCP's NAC Coordinator will be holding in-person office hours.

They will be held on Wednesdays and Fridays from 12pm to 4pm. You MUST make an appointment before visiting.
To select a slot for an appointment, please CLICK HERE and find the next available slot.
If you have any questions, or may need help outside of these hours, please contact me at rdavis@southkensingtoncommunity.org
or call (215) 427-3463.

The following is a list of different types of assistance programs:

• COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program

• COVID-19 RELIEF PA STATEWIDE SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE

• Homeowners' Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program

• Pandemic Mortgage Assistance Program (PMAP)

• Rent Relief Program

• Eviction Prevention

• Foreclosure Prevention

• SNAP Benefits may help pay for food.

SKCP Virtual Community Meeting

This meeting will happen next Wednesday, July 29 at 1pm-2pm.

You can RSVP for the event by clicking HERE. The meeting link and call-in numbers are included on the RSVP page.

***If you are a community partner who would like to be added to the agenda, respond to this email (davis@southkensingtoncommunity.org) with a small description of what you would like to discuss at the meeting.***

Please feel free to share this information with others and ask me any questions, if necessary at the above email..

STREETS DEPARTMENT ALERT

Week of July 20th, Trash & Recycling Delayed One to Two Days.

The Following is an Update on the Streets Department Trash and Recycling Schedule for the Week of July 20, 2020. Streets Department Updates Residents on Delays in Trash and Recycling Collections Due to the Pandemic.
The Streets Department will expand the operating hours of the Sanitation Convenience Centers to seven days a week beginning Monday July 20th to allow residents to bring their trash and recycling material anytime during the week. Drop-off centers will allow residents to dispose of their trash without delays and will help the Streets Department return to a normal collection schedule. To find out the locations and operating hours of the Sanitation Convenience Centers click here.

Details here.

Spotted Lanternfly: PennState Extension

Spotted lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive insect that has spread throughout Pennsylvania since its discovery in Berks County in 2014. SLF feeds on the plant sap of many different plants including grapevines, maples, black walnut, and other important plants in PA. Read more here.

If you see SLF, help us stop it in its tracks!

To report a sighting, use our reporting tool
or call our hotline at 1-888-422-3359.

Philadelphia residents can now schedule doorstep pick-up of electronics and clothing

Francesca Furey, Grid Philly

Looking to dispose of old cell phone models that live in a drawer and collect dust? How about piles of outfits that no longer fit? The City of Philadelphia’s new partnership with Retrievr lets you do just that, all while abiding by social distancing guidelines. Retrievr is a pickup service that allows residents to safely and responsibly recycle unwanted clothing and electronics from the comfort of their own home. The initiative came about through the City of Philadelphia’s SmartCityPHL Roadmap program, designed to foster innovative solutions to city problems. On May 28, the partnership with Retrievr was announced via its Pitch & Pilot program, which encourages city workers and outside collaborators to brainstorm solutions to municipal challenges and test out various technologies.

Read more here.

SURVEYS: Childcare needs & Septa travel

Take the PHL Childcare Reopen Survey

Reinvestment Fund, the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Children and Families, Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), and United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey are conducting a city-wide survey to understand childcare needs as people head back to work and school.

Participants who complete the survey will be entered into a daily drawing for a $100 Visa gift card.

Take the survey today

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SEPTA Seeks Customer Feedback – COVID-19 Recovery Travel Survey

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, SEPTA has taken a purposeful approach to service, driven by employee and customer safety. As travel restrictions are lifted, and more customers return to SEPTA’s buses, trains and trolleys, our return-to-service plan remains focused on those same priorities.

To help SEPTA continue to respond to the region’s changing travel needs and adjust service as ridership increases, we have developed a customer survey seeking input from our customers on a host of topics, including: pre-COVID 19 SEPTA usage, current travel needs, anticipated future travel plans, factors influencing travel decisions, and feedback on the various health and safety measures SEPTA has implemented throughout the system.
Customer feedback is critical to helping SEPTA improve its services. We welcome input from all SEPTA customers and hope you will encourage the members of your organization to take the time to complete this brief SEPTA COVID-19 Recovery Survey:

• English – https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NX2VX5N

• Spanish – https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NX2VX5N?lang=es

• Chinese – https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NX2VX5N?lang=zh

QUICK. EASY. FREE OF RED TAPE. FORGIVABLE LOANS FOR PENNSYLVANIA SMALL BUSINESSES

Are you a Pennsylvania small business with 3 to 30 employees? The PA 30 Day Fund promises a quick and easy application with rapid processing time. Best of all, repayment is completely optional! Any dollars returned to the fund will be passed on to other businesses in need.

Additionally, PA 30 Day Fund is making $100,000 (via $3,000 forgivable loans) available to small businesses affected by property damage and looting. Please spread the word!

APPLY NOW

LIHEAP Ends August 31….Don’t miss out on up to $800!

ONLY 6 WEEKS LEFT: DON'T MISS OUT ON THE LIHEAP RECOVERY CRISIS PROGRAM

Low-income customers who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and have a past-due bill may be eligible for up to $800 through LIHEAP’s (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) Recovery Crisis Program. Visit pgworks.com/crisis
The LIHEAP Recovery Crisis Program is open to renters and homeowners through August 31, 2020, and does not have to be repaid.

Apply Online. Download an Application – English / Spanish

Open Garden Hours!! @ La Esquina

The Justice Journal monthly sign up

Sign up to receive Philadelphia DA monthly Justice Journal

Check out our July 2020 issue of The Justice Journal newsletter. You can also subscribe for monthly updates.

FREE COVID-19 TESTING

STEPHEN AND SANDRA SHELLER 11TH STREET FAMILY HEALTH SERVICES
850 N. 11th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123

Stephen and Sandra Sheller Family Health Service Center is offering free COVID-19 testing in North Philadelphia for anyone with or without symptoms. Registration is encouraged. This site is open Tuesdays every week from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and does not require any paperwork or appointments for walk-up or drive-thru testing.Tests will be administered until supply runs out. Results notification in 5-7 business days. Testing may be cancelled due to inclement weather. More here.

To make an Appointment-
Phone: 215.769.1100

For General Information-
Phone: 267.359.5929
Fax: 215.769.1119