Author: Frankford Community Development Corporation

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Frankford FAFSA Event – What a Success!

The Frankford CDC is more grateful each and every day to house a new computer lab, open and free to the public. And this past Sunday, we were thrilled to host, along with our friends at PhillyRising and the Mayor’s Office of Education as well as State Representative Tony Payton, a free college financial aid and tax preparation event. We had experts on hand to take students and their parents through the process of filling out the federal college financial aid forms, funding that is so critical for so many young folks. And we were also able to help several Frankford residents file their tax returns for the year.

We are in the process of scheduling other programming for the computer lab – so stay tuned for information about upcoming workshops. Possible topics include online job searches, basic computer skills, and social networking for businesses.

And enjoy the pictures below from this past Sunday! Thanks to all who made it such a success!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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First Frankford Business & Professional Association Meeting of 2012!

The Frankford Business & Professional Association is starting off 2012 right! Not only is our membership drive off to a strong start, but our first meeting of the year was a huge success! Donna O’Brien of Beautiful Blooms Events (www.beautifulblooms.com) spoke to us about how to go about being a good business neighbor, and the best ways to grow a business based out of your home in to one featured in magazines and newspapers. She even explained why she chose to move her business from the suburbs back in to the City! And Andrea Mannino of the City’s Revenue Department broke down two new pieces of municipal business tax legislation, “Jump Start Philly” and the Green/Sanchez Business Privilege Tax Reform legislation, both of which will greatly benefit small businesses in Philadelphia and are set to take effect over the next two to three years. Our speakers embodied a mix of firsthand business expertise with practical information about City government that both the Business Association and the Frankford Community Development Corporation try to bring to Frankford’s commercial enterprises and residents.

And the Business Association’s busy 2012 is just getting started! Our next meeting will be held on April 17th from 8:30a to 10:00a at Frankford ARIA Hospital, in the 2nd Floor Conference Rooms. Retail consultant Iola Harper will be speaking, as will a representative from the City’s Health Department. We’ve got some other tricks up our sleeves as well! Join us on March 29th from 4:30p to 7:30p at Globe Dye Works for a meeting and greet – and stay tuned for future announcements and updates. We promise you won’t be disappointed by some of the speakers we’ve got booked for the year!

Interested in becoming a member of the Association? Contact Michelle Feldman at 215-743-6580 or mfeldman.fcdc@gmail.com. Our annual membership fee is only $60 – well worth the benefits of joining! Check out our website, www.frankfordbpa.org, for more info.

Donna O’Brien (Beautiful Blooms), Diane Richardson (Business Association President), Andrea Mannino (City of Philadelphia’s Revenue Department), and Jojy Varghese (Office of State Representative Tony Payton, Jr.)

 

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Better Know a Frankford Business: Great Awakenings Cafe

Have you traveled all the way to Northwood recently? Well, you should, because one of the best coffee shop in the City calls it home. Great Awakenings, located at 1466 East Cheltenham Ave, opened in October 2008 and has been serving great coffee and pastries ever since. Owners Bill and Lisa Rodebaugh are proud to call Frankford their home; Bill has lived in the Frankford area his whole life. And they see Great Awakenings as a way to be a positive part of the community they love. As Bill puts it, “We desire for Frankford to grow back into a hope-filled area of Philadelphia, a place where anyone would want to buy a home and raise their family.”

Their vision for Great Awakenings is simple: when Bill and Lisa opened shop, they wanted to create a comfortable space for customers that felt like “an extension of their living room.” And they succeeded! Their backroom just feels like home. We at the CDC often have meetings at Great Awakenings for this very reason – not to mention the best Chai and bagels around. (Try their cinnamon raisin bagels; we promise it can’t compare to any other you’ve tried!)

Bill and Lisa truly want their space to be a community one, and they’ve been great partners to all of the various community based Frankford organizations, including us at the CDC. They’ve held meetings, music nights, poetry readings, and more at Great Awakenings. Their cafe has even been an Election Day polling place. And they’re open to suggestions and ideas. You have a community meeting you need a space for? Looking for a performance space? Try Great Awakenings!

Great Awakenings is open Monday through Thursday from 6:00a to 8:00p, Friday from 6:00a to 9:00p, Saturday from 7:30a to 9:00p, and Sunday from 8:00a to 1:00p. You can reach them at 215.941.8807, or find them on the web at www.greatawakeningscafe.com.

 

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Frankford CDC Day of Career Shadowing with Frankford High Students

This past week, the Frankford CDC had the pleasure of hosting two Frankford High students as part of a job shadowing program being run through the 9th grade academy and the Student Success Center. We tried to give them a taste of the working world as best we could, the fun and the not-so-fun. They helped us fold copies of the February edition of the Frankford Gazette, and also got to head to City Hall with us to attend a press conference with the Mayor.
 
One of our favorite things at the CDC is meeting and becoming friends with Frankford residents of all ages, and we especially love opportunities to engage young folks in our community. We hope the Frankford High students we spent the day with gained more than just a better understanding of the working world and what it means to operate in an office setting; we hope through our conversations with them, and through their excellent questions, they gained a new appreciation for Frankford, and for trying one’s best to do for others and be a constructive and active participant in one’s community. After all, we know that we learned a lot from them.

Our special thanks to Frankford High, and to the students we had the pleasure of spending the day with!