Package Theft TIPS

DONATE TO SKCP's ANNUAL FUNRAISER

Connecting our community to resources, opportunities, the land, and each other.
During these challenging and unprecedented times, South Kensington Community Partners has redoubled its efforts to connect our community with critical resources, whether it's distributing hundreds of food boxes to neighbors in need each week or connecting residents with programs to help prevent eviction/foreclosure or make needed home repairs.
Your support helps South Kensington Community Partners keep the lights on in our neighborhood office, reach more neighbors in need of support, and provide more cleaning and greening services throughout our service area.
We recognize that times are tough and greatly appreciate donations of any amount here.

FREE FOOD DISTRIBUTION

No ID or proof of income is needed. *Distribution is "first come first serve" so it is best to arrive before or as close to 4pm as possible. There will be a line, but it will move quickly. One allotment per family but you can pick up for an elder or neighbor. Offerings vary by week but 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 to request delivery or to volunteer to help with distribution.

SKCP would like to thank our valued partner, the Arab American CDC. Together we say THANK YOU to the City of Philadelphia and the Share Food Program & THANK YOU to Penn Treaty Special Services District for additional support that enables us to extend our offering and support more households. Much appreciation to neighborhood businesses Al Amana Grocery, and Lost Bread Co for their generous donations of time, space, and product.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

SKCP Annual Fundraising

Connecting our community to resources, opportunities, the land, and each other.

During these challenging and unprecedented times, South Kensington Community Partners has redoubled its efforts to connect our community with critical resources, whether it's distributing hundreds of food boxes to neighbors in need each week or connecting residents with programs to help prevent eviction/foreclosure or make needed home repairs.
Your support helps South Kensington Community Partners keep the lights on in our neighborhood office, reach more neighbors in need of support, and provide more cleaning and greening services throughout our service area.

We recognize that times are tough and greatly appreciate donations of any amount.

COVID-19 INFORMATION

Stay Informed on COVID-19 in Philadelphia

Here are some quick ways to stay informed:

• Get COVID-19 updates sent to your phone. Text COVIDPHL to 888-777 to receive free text alerts with info and updates from @PHLPublicHealth.
  

• Residents with questions about the COVID-19 coronavirus can use the 24/7 helpline to talk to a medical professional. Call 800-722-7112

For the latest updates and information on COVID-19 in Philadelphia
please visit the Phila.gov webpage phila.gov/COVID-19

Pennie - Pennsylvania's NEW health insurance marketplace

Pennie - Pennsylvania's NEW health insurance marketplace - has extended its Open Enrollment deadline.
If you still need to enroll in health insurance for 2021, you have the opportunity to do so now. There are two enrollment deadlines:

• For health coverage starting January 1, you must enroll in an insurance option by 11:59 PM ET on December 22.

• For health coverage starting February 1, you must enroll in an insurance option by January 15.

Pennie replaces the federal health insurance marketplace for Pennsylvanians. If you previously received coverage through Healthcare.Gov, you will now receive coverage through Pennie. If you need assistance with any part of the enrollment process, Pennie offers resources and care representatives who can help

To learn more about Pennie and to shop for coverage, visit https://pennie.com.

LAST time to recycle your leaves.

Saturday, December 19th, 9AM - 3PM

@ American & Thompson Streets

Bagged Leaf Drop-Off will be offered city-wide, on Saturdays until Dec 19th at 13 citywide locations from 9 AM to 3 PM. Crews assigned to accept ONLY bagged leaves and yard waste as part of the program. No household rubbish will be accepted.

More here.

Utility Shutoff Information

• Need Help Paying Your Electric Bill?
  PECO's Customer Assistance Program can help!

• Need Help Paying Your Gas Bill?
  PGW's Customer Responsibility Program can help!

• What is a Neighborhood Energy Center?
  Neighborhood Energy Centers serve as “one-stop-shops” for all energy services and provide a comprehensive approach to energy problems for low to moderate-income consumers

• Need Help Paying Your Water Bill?
  Apply for the Water Department's Tiered Assistance Program!

• DO YOU NEED HELP PAYING FOR HEAT?
  THE LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHEAP) CAN HELP: online or Call the LIHEAP Hotline at 1-866-857-7095 to request an application.

• Are You Struggling to Afford Internet Access?
  Comcast Internet Essentials
  Other Internet Options - Pre-Paid Internet Service
  PHL ConnectEd
  Find free public WIFI at: https://tinyurl.com/wifiphilly

Download the Energy Information Packet [pdf] for answers to What, Who, How and links + tips.

For more information on applying to assistance programs, visit www.clsphila.org/services/utility-bills/

FREE FOOD DISTRIBUTION

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 before or as close to 4pm as possible. There will be a line, but it will move quickly. 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 to request delivery or to volunteer to help with distribution.

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.

Recycle Leaves!!

It’s time to recycle your leaves.

Saturday, December 12th, 9AM - 3PM @ American & Thompson Streets

Bagged Leaf Drop-Off will be offered city-wide, on Saturdays until Dec 19th (except on November 28th) at 13 citywide locations from 9 AM to 3 PM. Crews assigned toaccept ONLY bagged leaves and yard wasteas part of the program. No household rubbish will be accepted.

More here.

Resources for businesses

Find services and support for businesses in Philadelphia here.
In the neighborhood:

• Finanta
  1301 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122 | 267-236-7000
  finanta@finanta.org, |http://finanta.org/
  Services offered: Classes & workshops, Funding, Growing your business, Running a business, Starting a business

• NextFab North,
  1227 N. 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122 | 215-921-3649
  info@nextfab.com
  https://nextfab.com/contact/, | https://nextfab.com/location/north-philadelphia/
  Services offered: Classes & workshops, Funding, Product development, Starting a business

PA 30 Day Fund is Back Open!The PA 30 Day Fund is back! Once again, loans up to $3,000 are available for Pennsylvania business with 3 to 30 employees. No repayment is required. The fund promises a quick and easy application with rapid processing time, and any voluntary repayments will be passed on to other businesses in need.

Apply now and more details here.

DONATE YOUR TECHNOLOGY

PHLDonateTech: providing computers to families and residents in need

Closing the digital divide is more important than ever. Families need computers during the pandemic to learn, work, and connect. PHLDonateTech is the City of Philadelphia's latest initiative calling on residents and businesses to donate, recycle, and provide computers to families and people in need across Philadelphia. The campaign requests donations of laptops and desktops in fair or good condition. Have questions? Check out our FAQ. 
Learn more here.

EVICTION DIVERSION PROGRAMS

Philadelphia City Council extends mandate that landlords use Eviction Diversion Program
Michaelle Bond, Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia will continue to require landlords to go to mediation with their tenants before filing for most residential evictions, a step that could help stem an expected tide of lockouts driven by the pandemic.
City Council extended through March 31 the requirement that landlords participate in the city’s Eviction Diversion Program. The mandate was scheduled to expire at the end of the month, when the city and federal eviction moratoriums also are set to expire. In the coming months, city officials will work out whether and how the diversion program will continue, most likely under the purview of the courts. Read here.

The Philadelphia Eviction Prevention Project is here to assist you.
Learn about your rights and responsibilities during the pandemic! TURN provides free, daily renters’ rights workshops on Zoom. Click here to register. If you would like to register by phone, call the Tenant Rights Hotline (267-443-2500) and press 3.
Workshops are held Monday-Friday at 12:30pm, Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:00pm, and Saturdays at 11:00am, except for major holidays.

Right now, a lot of tenants in Philadelphia want to know, like:

• Can I be evicted now?

• My landlord wants to evict me, what can I do?

• I need help paying my rent, what I can do?

• What about my utilities?

Read more here.

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 here). Once it is confirmed that the application is complete, the landlord and tenant will be scheduled for a mediation within 30 days.
Apply here now!

La Esquina Garden Fundraising Campaign

3 days to go!!

$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 end on
Dec 15 2020 at 12:00 PM EST

Update: New Business Tax Relief

On December 1, the Department of Revenue announced the following three changes aimed at providing Philadelphia businesses with additional relief during the COVID-19 pandemic:

• Amending U&O guidance to exempt the portion of restaurants and bars used for indoor dining from Use & Occupancy Tax: This initiative will exempt restaurants and bars from Use & Occupancy tax on the square footage of the business used for indoor dining (dining room space) during the period when indoor dining is prohibited. This exemption is for this most recent “Safer at Home” phase and would be effective from November 20, 2020 through January 1, 2021.

• Businesses can amend BIRT returns and receive a refund: Under this initiative, the Revenue Department will provide guidance and instructions to businesses that if they feel they overestimated their 2020 BIRT estimated payment, they can amend the return and provide a new, more realistic, estimated payment and have the difference refunded. It would take six to eight weeks for businesses to receive refunds.

• Extending Refuse Fee due dates: Under this measure, the full $500 refuse fee is now due by June 30, 2021. Previously, half of the annual fee was due December 31, 2020.

NEW BUSINESS RECOVERY PAYMENT AGREEMENTS
Philadelphia businesses that were in compliance before the pandemic, but are now struggling to pay taxes, can take advantage of new payment agreements. Watch our video to learn about eligibility and flexible terms.
The City can also help businesses that were in a payment agreement – or that already owed taxes – before COVID-related closures. Go here to find an agreement that best fits your situation.

HOW TO FILE FOR A REFUND OF U&O TAXES
If your business is requesting a refund for Use & Occupancy (U&O) Tax because of COVID-19 closure orders, it is important to note that businesses must first amend their refund. The Philadelphia Department of Revenue has instructions on how to do this.

SKCP COMMUNITY ZONING VIRTUAL MEETING

Wednesday, DECEMBER 16th 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.click here

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

• 6.30pm 1652 N 2ND STREET, view here the plans.

• 7.00pm 1801-59 N AMERICAN STREET, view here the plans.

+ View here the projects.

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.

SKCP VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETING

To register in advance click here

LIHEAP Information

HOUSING BENEFIT HELPER

The City's Department of Planning and Development (DPD) supports programs and services for residents across Philadelphia.
DPD's Housing Helper Benefit Tool is here to let you know what programs and services you may be qualified for! By answering a few short questions, you can learn how we may be able to help you as a homeowner or resident.

Housing Helper features:

• Basic System Repair Program (BSRP)

• Heater Hotline

• Adaptive Modification Program (AMP)

• UESF and ECA Utility assistance programs

• Restore, Repair, Renew Home Improvement Loan

• Philly First Home (this program is currently on hold)

• Housing Counseling

• Tangled Title

• Mortgage Foreclosure Assistance

Once you answer the questions, you will receive a list of programs. For most of the programs that you are eligible for someone will contact you. There are a few programs where you will have to contact the agency directly.
All results provided will include a name, number and website to begin the application process.
A link to the tool can be also found on the PHDC homepage https://phdcphila.org/.

Check it out today, and tell a friend!