Covid-19 Testing @ Norris Square

For appointments please call 267-436.312

SEPTA Survey to Help to Improve Their Service

SEPTA is redesigning the signage for its “Rail Transit” network to make sure riders have consistent information where and when they need it. You may not know what we mean by rail transit, and that’s something we want to fix. It refers to the Market-Frankford Line, Broad Street Line, City Trolleys, Media-Sharon Hill Lines, and Norristown High Speed Line.
We’re still early in the process, so right now we’re focused on collecting as much information as possible about current signage and communications on the Rail Transit Network.

Please take this survey (also in Spanish) to share your perspective and sign up for updates

Plan, Prepare, Protect

To connect to Plan, Prepare, Protect Virtual Tour use the Zoom information provided below.

The Tangled Title Fund (TTF)is a grant program to help preserve affordable housing, prevent homelessness, and strengthen communities.

More details here.

OSL Green: La Esquina Community Garden

Funny you should ask. Here are some recent photographs to give a hint of what’s still to come! Plus a few things that are coming into their own, at the tail end of the summer growing season.
A couple of first-year (think freshmen?! :-) fruit bushes were planted in the spring: a fig and some blackberry and raspberry bushes. They both are doing extremely well, which is exciting to think about for next year and coming years. And each of them produced one fruit. So cute, so amazing. I didn't get a photo of the little fig, but here's one of the little raspberry.

Click here to view the news.

Voting: Important deadlines

October 19 is the last day to register to vote.

October 27 last day to request a mail in ballot, but USPS recommends no later than Oct. 19.

DO. NOT. WAIT.

Visit a satellite election office location where you can go to register to vote, request a mail-in ballot, receive your ballot, vote, and return it, all in one visit.

Online/Absentee Ballot Tracking, click here.

Procrastinator’s guide to the 2020 general election in Philadelphia
Max Marin, Michaela Winberg, Layla A. Jones, and Mikyhial Clarke, BillyPenn.
A cheat sheet for what you need to know to cast your vote.
More here.

REGISTE TO VOTE @ SKCP

For more information contact

rdavis@southkensingtoncommunity.org

Your Last Chance for the Next 10 Years

If you regularly open this email, hopefully your household has already completed the Census. And maybe you are a little tired of reading about it week after week? Or maybe enumerators have come to your door repeatedly. During dinner. The good news then is that these pleas will end soon, once the Final Deadline of OCTOBER 31st is reached. The bad news is that, as of this week, less than 54% of households in many parts of Old/South Kensington have responded. This response is nearly 10% lower than 2010 numbers. The result will be less funding and less representation for our neighborhood and our city at a really critical time in history. So please complete your census and consider taking the time to make sure your friends and neighbors have done the same. Especially if you live in an apartment or condo building where enumerators have not been able to knock on doors.

Join Us For A Volunteer Shift This Weekend!

As we continue our urgent work towards a complete and accurate count in Philadelphia, we want to make sure that you’re signed up and ready to volunteer with us this weekend!
We will be out all weekend to distribute census materials and help people complete the census at early voting sites throughout the city. Morning shifts from 9:30am - 12:30pm and afternoon shifts from 12:30 - 3:30pm are still available!

Weekend Volunteer Opportunities

• Saturday, October 10th

Volunteer to help residents fill out their 2020 census!
Early Voting Site
9:30 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. (3 hour shift)
Register here!

• Sunday, October 11th

Volunteer to help residents fill out their 2020 census!
Early Voting Site
9:30 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. (3 hour shift)
Register here!

Do you know of any places we should consider in our engagement schedule? Use this link to submit a location. We will work to assign Philly Counts staff, volunteers, or a Census Bureau representative to attend to help folks complete the 2020 Census.

FREE FOOD PICKUP

FREE Boxes of Food every Saturday in October
1501 Germantown Avenue
(Parking Lot of Al Aqsa Islamic Academy)
Starting at 4 pm

No ID or proof of income is needed. Distribution is "first come first serve" so it is best to arrive as close to 4 pm as possible. One allotment per family but you can pick up for an elder or neighbor. Offerings vary by week but can include fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, bread, chicken, and eggs. Masks are required and we ask that you maintain social distancing to protect yourself, our neighbors and volunteers.

We are able to do some local deliveries (19122/23): Please leave a message at 215-427-3463.

THANK YOU to the City of Philadelphia and the Share Food Program and our partners The Arab American CDC. Much appreciation to neighborhood businesses Al Amana Grocery, Lost Bread, and Punch Buggy for their generous donations of time, space and product.

Poll Workers Needed!!

Poll workers are key to any efficient election and we need your help recruiting people to be poll workers.

• What: Sign up to be a poll worker on election day.

• Who: Anyone who is 18 years old and registered to vote can be a poll worker.

• When: Tuesday, November 3rd from 6:00am until the ballots are picked up at the end of the night.

• Where: Polling locations will be assigned by the City Commissioners office

• Why: Poll workers are essential to an efficient election. You can help make sure everyone can vote quickly and easily on election day.

• How: Sign up online and share on social media.

Poll workers receive a stipend for their time. Training is available online and in person.

TALLER is an Access Center

If your child needs supervision and access to the the internert,
Taller can help. Please select Taller Puertorriqueño at "El Corazon Cultural", 2600 North 5th Street as your child's access center.

As an access center Taller offers your child:

• Supervision during digital learning time.

• Meals

• Run activities

Access Centers are:

• Designed to serve our most vulnerable children.

• Available by registration only. Access Centers are not drop-in sites.

• Free of charge.

• Open to Philadelphia students entering kindergarten through sixth grade.

Learn more about Access Centers here. Space is still available!

Register

Centers in the neighborhood (this finder can help you find an Access Center in Philadelphia):

• John F Street Center 1100 Poplar Street.

• Ramonita G. de Rodriguez 600 W. Girard Ave.

• R.W. Brown Community Center 1701 North 8th Street.

• Norris Square Community Alliance (Main Office) 2014 North Mascher Street.

The new COVID-19 app: the promises and the tradeoffs

As we wait for scientists to produce a COVID-19 vaccine, contract tracing is one of the most reliable ways to stop the spread. Now, Pennsylvania and Delaware have also released a new “exposure notification app” to let users know if they’ve been near someone who’s tested positive for the virus. New Jersey is piloting its app on college campuses.
WHYY health and science reporter Alan Yu explains this could help reach people traditional contact tracing isn’t — but there’s a tradeoff: The privacy protections put in place to convince more people to download the app could make it much more difficult to know how effective it is.

Hear the whole story on The Why.

Contact Tracing Update (Week Ending 9/26): Of 664 cases reported and not managed by partner organizations: 64 percent were reached and agreed to participate; 7 percent did not have a phone; 21 percent were unable to be reached; 3 percent refused; and 5 percent of cases were closed because of a long delay from test to initial report. Of the contacts named, 74 percent were reached & agreed to quarantine

Town Hall: Covid Outreach Series

Tenants rights guide: What if your landlord is selling your rental?

Nick Vadala, Philadelphia Inquirer

For many renters, it’s among the worst-case scenarios: Your landlord notifies you that the property you’re renting has been put up for sale. Of course, landlords have the right to sell their property. But just because your house or apartment is going on the market doesn’t necessarily mean you’re out on the street right away. As with other landlord-tenant issues, it’s a process. So, what happens when your landlord sells your rental, and what does that mean for your lease?

Here is what you need to know.

Mail voting works, but what if you applied for a ballot and now want to vote in person?

Michaela Winberg. BillyPenn

If you ballot got lost, didn’t arrive, or you just prefer to head to the polls, here are your options.
If you applied for a mail ballot but decided you want to vote in person instead, you’re not alone.
To be very clear: the mail voting system is legit. This is the first general election with no-excuse mail ballots in Pennsylvania, but vote-by-mail has been around for years in many U.S. states, and went off without a hitch before the coronavirus was a twinkle in 2020’s eye. Nationwide, there is almost no evidence of mail voting fraud. In Pa., just gotta make sure your ballot isn’t naked — aka that it’s sealed in the secrecy envelope and the outer postal envelope — and then sign the back, and everything should work just fine. Even this late in the game, Pennsylvanians who were planning to cast ballots remotely can switch to doing it in person, if that makes you feel more comfortable.

Here’s what you need to know.

Your Last Chance for the Next 10 Years

If you regularly open this blog, hopefully your household has already completed the Census. And maybe you are a little tired of reading about it week after week? Or maybe enumerators have come to your door repeatedly. During dinner. The good news then is that these pleas will end soon, once the final deadline is reached. The bad news is that, as of this week, less than 54% of households in Old/South Kensington have responded. This response is nearly 10% lower than 2010 numbers. The result will be less funding and less representation for our neighborhood and our city at a really critical time in history. So please complete your census and consider taking the time to make sure your friends and neighbors have done the same. Especially if you live in an apartment or condo building where enumerators have not been able to knock on doors.There are 3 days left.

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More than 40% of Philadelphians still need to be counted in the #2020Census. One of our seats in Congress are on the line.
Fill it out now: my2020census.gov #PhillyCounts.

Take part in the action! click here for options you can sign in.

DA's Virtual Town Hall Meeting

INVITATION: DA's Office September 29th (11am) Virtual Town Hall - Services to Seniors

On behalf of G. Lamar Stewart, Chief of Community Engagement at the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office, I am pleased to invite you to our next Virtual Community Stakeholders Town Hall. The Virtual Town Hall for community leaders and stakeholders in Philadelphia's East, Northeast and Northwest Police Divisions will be taking place via Zoom next Tuesday (September 29th) from 11:00am - 12:30pm.

The topic of this month's Virtual Town Hall is "Services and Support for Seniors." First Assistant District Attorney Carolyn Temin, Supervisors from the Elder Justice and Private Criminal Complaint Units, and subject-matter experts from partner agencies will serve as panelists at this month's Virtual Town Hall. They will be sharing information about how the DA's Office seeks to protect and support Philadelphia's senior citizens, and will provide information about various resources and services available to Philadelphia seniors. They are also looking forward to answering questions submitted by attendees in advance of next Tuesday's Virtual Town Hall.

Please RSVP via e-mail (Seth.Myers@phila.gov) if you are interested and able to participate in next Tuesday's Virtual Community Stakeholders Town Hall. We are asking that all attendees submit one question for our panelists to respond to during the call. Please submit your question to me via e-mail at your earliest convenience.

Pennsylvania launches new state-based health insurance marketplace, Pennie

Pennie replaces Healthcare.Gov and will improve access to coverage and increase affordability

Pennsylvanians can begin shopping for health and dental coverage through Pennie at the start of Open Enrollment on November 1, 2020. This year, Pennie extended the 2021 Open Enrollment Period which will run from November 1, 2020 through January 15, 2021. Pennsylvanians currently enrolled through HealthCare.gov will be transitioned to Pennie for their 2021 coverage. Pennie’s goal is to make it easier for Pennsylvanians to access coverage through education, assistance, and improved customer service.
Pennie will work closely with insurers to foster a competitive marketplace; with the Department of Human Services to support Pennsylvanians transitioning between Medical Assistance, CHIP and the marketplace; and with community and local leadership to promote and educate the public about the transition. Pennie has also significantly enhanced the state’s network of Exchange Assisters who provide multilingual support, in-person or by online appointment, across the Commonwealth. Pennie has also kicked off a streamlined, Pennsylvania-specific training for thousands of producers who will sell coverage as Pennie-Certified Producers during the 2021 Open Enrollment Period.

More details here.

Philadelphia Rent & Eviction Programs

CITY OF PHILADELPHIA'S COVID-19
EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMCity Increases Phase 2 COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance

The City of Philadelphia has made a significant change to the amount of rental assistance funding that is available for Phase 2 of the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program. Now, RENT CAN BE PAID UP TO $1500.00!. This increase will automatically apply to tenants that have already applied for Phase 2 funding, as well as all new applicants.

IF YOU KNOW A LANDLORD THAT DID NOT WANT TO PARTICIPATE BECAUSE OF THE PREVIOUS ASSISTANCE LIMIT, PLEASE TELL THEM WORK WITH THEIR TENANT TO APPLY TODAY!!!!

Please visit https://phlrentassist.org/ for more information [pdf].

We are taking applications until September 30, 2020.

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To Schedule a Mediation

The City of Philadelphia’s Eviction Diversion Program enables landlords and tenants to arrive at an agreement that works for both parties, without having to go to Court. This program is required for all landlords with tenants who have had difficulty paying rent due to a COVID-19 related hardship. Benefits of diversion and mediation include helping tenants avoid an eviction, while also helping landlords avoid vacancies and unit turnover costs.
To schedule a mediation, landlords must first submit an application through the web portal (link below). Once it is confirmed that the application is complete, the landlord and tenant will be scheduled for a mediation within 30 days.

Apply Now!

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Everything you need to know if you’re facing eviction in Pennsylvania (full guide)
Charlotte Keith, Spotlight PA

The deadline to apply is currently Sep. 30, but state lawmakers are considering giving people more time to apply, as well as changing some of the program’s rules.
There’s a lot of confusion about where things stand with evictions in Pennsylvania. At the beginning of September, the state’s ban on evictions expired and a new federal one went into effect until the end of the year.
Because so much is changing, Spotlight PA has put together this brief guide to help you understand your options (or share with others). We’ve made this information available in a printable infographic that you can share with your neighbors, local organizations, places of worship, and anyone else who needs this information.


More here.

NEED HELP??

ELECTION LATEST NEWS!!

Prepare (and brace yourself) for Election Week
The 2020 election is about to begin. Be prepared…
Committee of Seventy (C70)

=First, make sure you’re registered: Check your registration, and if you need to register, do so online. The deadline is Oct. 19.

=Request a mail-in ballot: Apply online by October 27, but don’t delay—and return your ballot as soon as possible after you receive it.

=BYOBallot: Build your own ballot with C70’s nonpartisan PA Voter Guide. Type in your address and you’ll find information about all the candidates and questions on your ballot. Select your choices, print it out and bring it with you to the polls.

=If you’re going to the polls: The Philadelphia City Commissioners updated their polling place list last week. They have now assigned locations to 880 divisions, more than half of the city’s total of 1703. Almost all (94%) are the same as in 2019. They promise a complete list 20 days before the election. PA voters outside Philly can find their polling places (and find demonstration videos of their new voting machines) at VotesPA.com.

=Questions? We have answers in our Voting & Election Myths + FAQs. And find out everything you need to know about voting in 2020 with C70s’ WeVote site.

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VIDEO: Everything you need to know about voting by mail in Pennsylvania
Kristen Balderas, Raishad Hardnett, Lauren Schneiderman, Astrid Rodrigues, Philadelphia Inquirer.

In the 2020 presidential election, Pennsylvanians can vote by mail for the first time. Our data and democracy reporter, Jonathan Lai, can help you through it. And check out our How To Vote guide for everything you need to know about voting in Pennsylvania in 2020.

View video here.

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PA Supreme Court decision allowing drop boxes and a postmark deadline for accepting mail-in ballots also confirmed the requirement that voters enclose those ballots in the “secrecy envelope” provided in the ballot packets they receive.

Philly elections chief warns of ‘electoral chaos’ from Pa. Supreme Court ruling on ‘naked ballots’
Jonathan Lai, Philadelphia Inquirer
The state Supreme Court ordered elections officials to throw out what’s known as “naked ballots” — mail ballots that arrive without inner “secrecy envelopes.”
Read here.

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Pennsylvania: Mail ballots can’t be discarded over signature
Marc Levy, APNews.
With concerns rising in Pennsylvania that tens of thousands of mail-in ballots will be discarded in the presidential election over technicalities, officials in the presidential battleground told counties they aren’t allowed to reject a ballot solely because an election official believes a signature doesn’t match the one in the voter’s file.
Read here.

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Poll Workers Wanted!

Poll workers are key to any efficient election and we need your help recruiting people to be poll workers.
[#PhillyCounts]

• What: Sign up to be a poll worker on election day.

• Who: Anyone who is 18 years old and registered to vote can be a poll worker.

• When: Tuesday, November 3rd from 6:00am until the ballots are picked up at the end of the night.

• Where: Polling locations will be assigned by the City Commissioners office

• Why: Poll workers are essential to an efficient election. You can help make sure everyone can vote quickly and easily on election day.

• How: Sign up online and share on social media.

Poll workers receive a stipend for their time. Training is available online and in person.