COVID Alert PA App

COVID Alert PA is the official mobile app by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) that uses the Exposure Notification System (ENS) provided by Apple and Google.
You can now add your phone to the fight against COVID-19 by going to the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and downloading the free COVID Alert PA app to your smartphone. The app runs on iPhones that support iOS 13.5 and higher, and Android phones running Android 6.0 and higher. The app is not intended to be used by people under 18 years of age.
COVID Alert PA works in Pennsylvania, and when you travel to other locations in the United States including: Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Wyoming.
States piloting an exposure notification app with al limited population include: California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington.

Details about the App click here, and about COVID-19 Data for Pennsylvania click here.

Downloadable Resources

You, too, can join in the fight against COVID. We invite you to spread the word about the COVID Alert PA app with your friends, neighbors, colleagues, and employers.

You can find downloadable posters about the app, as well as, stickers, postcards, and social media graphics on the: Community resources webpage.

SKCP Fall 2020 Newsletter & Resource Guide

INSIDE: "Avoid Utility Shut-Offs During the Pandemic", "Struggling With Your Mortgage Payments? Save Your Home" , "Mutual Aid", and "Continuing to Combat COVID 19"

Click here to view pdf

Old/South Kensington Tree Tenders

If you or your neighbors would like to see trees planted on your block as early as Spring 2021, please fill out the form at

https://pg-cloud.com/phs/?openform=request-a-tree

or call 215-370-0099

or email greening@southkensingtoncommunity.org

Requests submitted mid November through April may be planted the following November.

SURVEYS

Online Survey on health effects of visiting green spaces.

You are invited to participate in a short survey that is being conducted by researchers at the Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health. Your responses will be used for a research study of the health effects of visiting green spaces, such as parks and gardens, during the Covid-19 pandemic. The survey should take you fewer than ten minutes to complete.
Participating in the survey is completely voluntary. You are welcome to skip any questions that you prefer not to answer, and you can stop participating at any time. Choosing to not participate will not be held against you. Your survey responses will be completely anonymous, and we will not collect any identifying or contact information from you. We will not contact you again after you participate in the survey. There are no risks or benefits to participating in this survey.

Click here to fill the survey.

Take the Voter Experience Survey.

November 3, 2020 Voter Experience Survey: In-person vs. mail-in voting.
Please take a few minutes to answer the following questions about your voting experience in this fall's 2020 General Election. The results of this survey are important to understanding what voters encounter during the voting process. The aggregate results will be publicly available after the election. No identifiable information is required.
The Committee of Seventy is a nonpartisan advocate for better government and elections. We invite voters from across Pennsylvania to participate. Thank you, in advance, for your help in improving elections.

Click here to take the survey.

Coronavirus FAQ: How Do I Clean My Mask

Washing Machine? Oven? Broccoli Steamer?
Sheila Mulrooney Eldred, NPR

Does putting a reusable mask in the oven for 30 minutes at 165 degrees Fahrenheit kill the virus that causes COVID-19 and other pathogens? If not, how do I clean it?
The good news: Yes, baking your cloth or synthetic mask would probably kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. Several studies have shown that the virus dies when exposed to 158 degrees Fahrenheit for a length of time somewhere between 2 1/2 minutes and an hour.
The bad news: It may also singe your mask.
Remember, says professor Raina MacIntyre, head of the Biosecurity Research Program at the University of New South Wales' Kirby Institute, "An oven is designed to burn things!"
The jury is still out on exactly how important it is to wash your mask to prevent COVID-19 infection, but MacIntyre dug into some data from her 2015 study on cloth masks and found evidence that washing masks in a machine, instead of by hand, helps prevent infections of other seasonal viruses in health care workers. Her theory is that the longer wash cycle and hotter water temperatures in a machine kill viruses more efficiently than washing by hand.

Click here on how experts advise you care for your masks (to the best of current knowledge, of course).

Answer the call: Philadelphia Contact Tracing

A Health Department contact tracer will:

• Call from a 215-218.XXXX

• Never ask about immigration status or for credit card or social security numbers.

• Be able to send you an email from a phila.gov address.

• More here.

How to Notify Your Contacts

• If you’ve just been told you have COVID-19, you need to take care of your health and also help protect people around you...

• More here.

How to Stay Safe After a COVID-19 Exposure

• You have been identified as someone exposed to a person with COVID-19...

• More here.

Click for available Guidance documents like the following:

• COVID-19 guidelines for the holidays.

• What to do if someone tests positive for COVID-19 at work.

• How to notify your contacts.

• Calculating isolation and quarantine period.

• Recommendations for household members awaiting test results.

City of Philadelphia Provides Update on COVID-19 for Thursday, November 19, 2020

Live: Ask Questions About Help with Philly Utility Bills!

Why wait for shutoffs to resume? You could be saving money on water bills right now.
Join us Monday November 23 at 6 p.m. for a special Facebook Live Town Hall and hear from a Philadelphia Water Department customer assistance expert as well as PECO and PGW reps!
This live Q&A presentation is being hosted by Philadelphia City Council At-Large Rep. Kendra Brooks to walk you through enrollment in cost-saving programs like LIHEAP and our special hardship discount just for Philadelphia water customers.
Register now to get your questions answered about the moratorium on utility shutoffs, LIHEAP, and other low-income bill pay programs. Customers are also encouraged to submit a question ahead of the live event:

RSVP + Submit Questions Now!

Old/South Kensington Tree Tenders

Old/South Kensington Tree Tenders
Will be planting trees in the neighborhood this weekend
Saturday and Sunday, November 21 and 22.

This weekend, you might see SKCP's LandCare crew and Old/South Kensington Tree Tenders planting trees in various spots throughout the neighborhood.

If you or your neighbors would like to see trees planted on your block as early as Spring 2021, please fill out the form at
https://pg-cloud.com/phs/?openform=request-a-tree or call 215-370-0099
or email
greening@southkensingtoncommunity.org

FREE Boxes of Food every Saturday

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.

$eedMoney fundraising campaign for La Esquina.

Here is the link to the page, which you can look at but won't be live till Sunday:
https://donate.seedmoney.org/5144/la-esquina-community-garden (This campaign will start on Nov 15 2020 at 12:00 PM EST and will end on Dec 15 2020 at 12:00 PM EST)

The Tues and Thurs Open Garden will return, at 3pm, for composters, children needing a break from school, others needing a break from _____, food gatherers and passersby. There are collards and kale, plus microgreens like spinach, arugula, cilantro, lettuce. Herbs include dill, marjoram, thyme, oregano. Still open 10-noon on Saturdays, weather permitting.

SWEET POTATO FEST
“Just in time for Thanksgiving”
438 Jefferson Street
*** SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21, 10am till 2pm ***
PUT IN YOUR ORDER NOW!
Call: 215-221-2995 or Email: laesquinagarden@gmail.com
”Don’t wait till too late!”

FB: La Esquina Community Garden
email: laesquinagarden@gmail.com
La Esquina's parent non-profit is Olde and South Kensington Green Space, www.oskgreen.com

Fund Thanksgiving Turkeys for Neighbors in Need

Thanks to the generous spirit of the community, the AACDC and SKCP were able to exceed our fundraising goal of last week!

This means we will be able to provide turkeys as a part of the weekly food distribution to families who are struggling through these times.

Thank you to each of you who donated. Continued appreciation to the Share Food Program and to Lost Bread Co. And thanks to Ellie for organizing the GoFundMe effort!

Hancock Park ribbon cutting

It’s time to recycle your leaves.

Bagged Leaf Drop-Off will be offered city-wide, on Saturdays only at 13 citywide locations from 9 AM to 3 PM (except on November 14th and 28th). A designated fleet of sanitation compactors will be positioned at the sites to accept the bagged leaves. Crews assigned to accept ONLY bagged leaves and yard waste as part of the program. No household rubbish will be accepted. More here.

Closest location on American & Thompson Streets.

Housing Repair & Rental Improvement Programs

Philadelphia’s affordable housing strategy depends on repairing existing homes
Michaelle Bond, Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia’s housing stock is old and can be expensive to maintain — challenges in a city with a 23% poverty rate, incomes that aren’t keeping pace with rising home prices, and now a pandemic-induced recession.
Every home that becomes uninhabitable and abandoned or crumbles due to disrepair is one fewer home available to mitigate the affordable housing crisis.
City officials and housing advocates repeat a common sentiment: The most affordable house for residents is usually the one in which they already live because they don’t have to take on new debt or spend money relocating. So repairing existing homes is a key part of Philadelphia’s affordable housing strategy. Read here.

Grant programs
Through the Philadelphia Housing Development Corp.’s Basic System Repair Program, income-eligible homeowners can get repairs such as plumbing, electrical, structural, and roof work for free. Details here.

Restore, Repair, Renew loan program.
Homeowners with credit scores above 580 and who meet other criteria can get loans up to $24,999 and pay 3% interest. The program includes financial counseling, home assessments, and guidance throughout the renovations. It assists people who earn a little too much money to qualify for grant programs but may not have savings or can’t afford the higher interest rates of typical loans. Many wouldn’t qualify for loans at all. More details here.

The Rental Improvement Fund, a pilot program the city and the Impact Loan Fund started in May, provides loans to small landlords to make repairs to improve the quality and affordability of rental housing.
Read more here.

SKCP Fall 2020 Newsletter & Resource Guide

View here the newsletter

Fund Thanksgiving Turkeys for Neighbors in Need.

Over the past few months, the Arab-American Development Corps (AACDC) and the South Kensington Community Partners, (SKCP) have been distributing free food parcels to families in need at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Philadelphia. Every Saturday we serve healthy food for 250 families in our community and due to the hardships caused by COVID-19, we will be continuing to provide food assistance to these families over the months ahead.
As Thanksgiving approaches, we want to ensure every family has a special Thanksgiving meal. We want to provide a Thanksgiving turkey to every family but our funding is tight and we do not have the additional resources to provide the turkeys.

We need YOUR help! How you can help, clickhere.

SKCP Virtual Community Zoning Meeting

SKCP's RCO will host a virtual Community Zoning Meeting on Wednesday, November 18th, 2020 at 6:30 PM. We will review 4 projects:

6:30 pm 1643-51 N 6TH ST
7:00 pm 1700 N HOWARD ST
7:45 pm 1400 N HOWARD ST
8:15 pm 1334 N HANCOCK ST

We will have limited time for questions during the meeting and we ask that questions be submitted ahead of time.

Project Plans will be posted SOON to the SKCP website. Please visit SKCP blog to review the projects, submit questions, and register for the meeting.

If you prefer, you may also sign up by calling South Kensington Community Partners’ office at 215-427-3463 and leaving a message with your name and number. SKCP will provide reasonable accommodation to any neighbor that requests additional assistance with joining the meeting or otherwise submitting feedback on the projects.

SKCP COMMUNITY ZONING VIRTUAL MEETING

Wednesday, NOVEMBER 18th at 6.30 pm.

To register for the meeting click here.

You may also sign up by calling South Kensington Community Partners’ office at 215-427-3463 and leaving a message with your name and number. SKCP will provide reasonable accommodation to any neighbor that requests additional assistance with joining the meeting or otherwise submitting feedback on the project.

The sites to be discussed at the meeting are the following:

• 6.30pm 1643-51 N 6TH STREET (info only), view here the plans.

• 7.00pm 1700 N HOWARD STREET, view here the plans.

• 7.45pm 1400 N HOWARD STREET, view here the plans.

• 8.15pm 1334 N HANCOCK STREET, view here the plans.

+ Click here to view the details for each site.

We will have limited time for questions during the virtual meeting. To ensure your question is answered, please review project materials in advance of the meeting and submit any questions to rco@southkensingtoncommunity.org and include the project name in the email subject line.

IRS extends Economic Impact Payment deadline to Nov. 21 to help non-filers

The Internal Revenue Service announced today that the deadline to register for an Economic Impact Payment (EIP) is now November 21, 2020 at 3 p.m. ET. This new date will provide an additional five weeks beyond the original deadline.
The IRS urges people who don't typically file a tax return – and haven't received an Economic Impact Payment – to register as quickly as possible using the Non-Filers: Enter Info Here tool on IRS.gov. The tool will not be available after November 21.

Special note: This additional time into November is solely for those who have not received their EIP and don't normally file a tax return. For taxpayers who requested an extension of time to file their 2019 tax return, that deadline date remains October 15.

Anyone using the Non-Filers tool can speed the arrival of their payment by choosing to receive it by direct deposit. Those not choosing this option will get a check. Beginning two weeks after they register, people can track the status of their payment using the Get My Payment tool, available only on IRS.gov.

Read more here.

UTILITY SHUTOFFS COMING SOON!!

Utility shutoffs are starting again in Philly. Here’s what to do if you’re behind on your bills.

Nick Vadala, Philadelphia Inquirer

If you’re behind on your utility bills, you could soon face a shutoff. Starting Nov. 9, Pennsylvania utilities are allowed to cut off nonpaying customers, ending a moratorium from the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

But don’t panic, you may be protected.
Service terminations, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission voted last month, can resume for PUC-regulated utilities PECO and PGW, says Joline Price, a staff attorney with Community Legal Services of Philadelphia’s energy unit. (The Philadelphia Water Department, which is not regulated by the PUC, is not allowed to shut off customers until April 1, 2021.) But if you’re low-income or financially struggling, you may be a “protected customer,” and be able to avoid a shutoff. It’s not automatic, however. You’ll need to be proactive and show that you should be protected, says Price.

So what do you need to do to avoid a shutoff? Click here to know what you need.

The Pennsylvania ban on utility shutoffs was recently updated, meaning some utility customers may start getting shutoff notices. However, many low-income customers should be protected from utility shutoff as long as they follow certain steps.

Click here to view the steps to follow.

Click here for more information about LIHEAP and to apply online click here.

PGW CONNECTS CUSTOMERS TO PAYMENT ASSISTANCE AS MORATORIUM ENDS

Beginning next week, Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) will contact nearly 50,000 customers who are behind on their natural gas bills to connect them with PGW’s payment assistance programs, to make payment arrangements, or notify PGW of your household income to determine if you are eligible for protection from further action.
With the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission lifting its service termination moratorium on Nov. 9, the Commission required utilities to notify customers who may be at risk of termination for non-payment of available programs. PGW urges customers facing financial challenges to contact PGW immediately at 215-235-1000, Monday-Friday, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. to explore their options for maintaining service.
Among the payment assistance programs for customers is PGW’s Customer Responsibility Program (CRP), which was recently modified to further reduce monthly bill amounts for low-income customers enrolled in the program. CRP helps low-income households better afford their bills and receive forgiveness of past debt. Based on household income, customers enrolled in CRP could pay as little as 4 percent of their monthly income on their PGW bill.

More here.