Earlier this year,
Keep Philadelphia Beautiful (KPB)
announced a new micro-grant program to help local community organizations boost safety, walkability and commerce through resident-led clean-up programs. The first round of grantees included the
North 5th Street Revitalization Project, which received $1000. The dollars are already going a long way on a range of initiatives.
The North 5th Street Revitalization Project has been operating since 2008 with funding from the
Commerce Department. While their umbrella organization is the
Korean Community Development Services Center, they have their own branding and offices.
The initiative's service area covers about a mile and a half of the Olney neighborhood: It runs from Roosevelt Boulevard to Spencer Street, and then a block on each side of N. 5th Street. The organization runs a sidewalk cleaning program (including two staffers who work five days a week to keep litter off the streets), removes "bandit signs," logs and repairs dozens of 311 issues each month and leads neighborhood cleanups, like April 11's city-wide
Philly Spring Cleanup Day, which drew about sixty neighbors to volunteer.
The Project also focuses on public safety, holding twice-yearly meetings with police representatives and local merchants to discuss issues of crime and security, and helping participating businesses install security cameras through a dedicated city program. And it provides a wide range of business assistance, from helping locals get business permits or apply for eligible grant programs, to facilitating a business association and offering financing help.
"We have 340 active businesses on North 5th Street," says Program Director Philip Green. Most of them are small "mom and pop" stores, and many are "immigrant-owned and operated, so it’s really hard for them to obtain traditional bank loans."
Finally, the Project promotes the corridor in general through events such as open mic nights, community clean-ups and seasonal programming.
The KPB dollars funded a fun DIY photo-shoot for Philly Spring Cleanup Day volunteers, which the organization will share throughout the coming year, keeping the spirit of the clean-up alive and reminding people that maintaining the neighborhood is a year-round activity.
Leftover dollars will go to projects such as revamping the Project’s existing brochure on responsible homeownership and neighborhood maintenance, and translating it into multiple languages for Olney’s diverse community. Green also hopes the money will help buy more "Keep 5th Clean" tee-shirts -- like the ones teen clean-up crew captains wore on April 11 -- as well as decals for neighborhood recycling bins.
"Community clean-ups aren’t really about the trash ending up in a trash bag and going away to the dump," explains Green. "It’s really about the message that community residents cleaning up sends to other people."
Teenagers working in festive matching shirts are particularly motivating, he hopes.
"People will see that and realize that they have absolutely no excuse to litter, and no excuse not to take pride in their neighborhood."
Writer: Alaina Mabaso
Source: Philip Green, North 5th Street Revitalization Project