Category: Charity

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Your Old Shoes Can Do Some Good

Happy New Year’s to you and your family.

The Ray of Hope Project (TROHP) is asking all our Colleges, Universities, Faith Base Organizations and Concerned Citizens Partners if they would be willing to HELP collect 15,000 pair of OLD SHOES AND SNEAKERS. These shoe drives will help TROHP raise the necessary fund to assist struggling families all year around.

Last year, in 2017, TROHP was able to assist 93 struggling families with new coats, new children clothes, new toys, reading books, school supplies and HOPE! There are 130,000 children who are living in poverty in the City of Philadelphia.

TROHP can use all the help we can get!! We are asking if you can please collect old shoes & sneakers to assist with this very important matter. Thank you for your time in this matter.  For more info contact TROHP@ 215 964 7627.

My Warmest Regards,

Raymond Gant

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Project Rebuild – the Northeast Frankford Boys and Girls Club

$200,000 Grant from Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to help complete the project

State Senator Christine Tartaglione and State Representative Jason Dawkins brought home the bacon when they presented a check for $200,000 to Joseph Marziello, CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Philadelphia, on November 22nd.

Tartaglione and Dawkins invested a lot of time and influence to get the grant for the club.  It is ear marked for the completion of the renovations that have been underway at the club for over a year now.

The work at the club has been one of the biggest construction projects in Frankford this year and it has already made a big difference.

From Marziello’s message on the Boys and Girls Clubs web site:

After establishing the new John and Katie Ericksen Family Literacy Center at our Northeast Frankford Club in March 2017, we began renovations to create a Kids Café, STEM Learning Lab and Technology Center at the Club. The improvements are on-track to be completed In October 2017 and will allow us to provide youth at Frankford with hot, home-cooked food daily while engaging them in critical STEM programming.

… Since renovations to the Northeast Frankford Club began, youth enrollment at the Club has increased by 50 percent, with the number of teens attending Club programming doubling. 

I spoke with Marziello 2 years ago about his vision for the club.  The building was in very poor shape at that point and, yet he was optimistic that he would raise the money and get the job done.  He actually did what he said he was going to do.

Bellow is a video of the presentation.  If you have seen it on Facebook, this is a shorter version of the same.

 

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Skateboard Company Pays it Forward

A few years ago, after passing the skateboard park at Carmella Playground for the 1,000th time, I stopped by there to take some pictures.  It was no big deal but I ended up staying two hours, watching the kids do their thing.  They are the best of the lot, honing their skills there rather than down at Love Park.  It was news to me, but this is a serious sport and some of our local guys, John Valentin, is right up there with the best.

A small company in the skateboarding world, is trying to have a big impact on kids by rewarding them with a skateboard for writing an essay on what it means to pay it forward.

Sk8Skins is small, self-funded company reaching out at the grassroots level. They are looking for financial help through IndieGoGo to offset the cost of design and manufacturing the skateboards to pass on to the kids. The fundraising drive is in progress now.    More information is available at www.Sk8Skins.com or go directly to this this link for the fundraising page.

 

 

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Ray Gant Honored by Health Partners Foundation

A Night of Celebration Honoring Community Leaders and Organizations Making a Difference

Health Partners Foundation Spotlights Groups and Individuals Transforming Lives of Those in Need

On Thursday, October 26, Health Partners Foundation honored local community members and organizations that have transformed the lives of those in need at the annual Making A Difference Awards, held at the African American Museum in Philadelphia.

Jan Kenney Vice President of The Ray of Hope Project, Ray Gant, Maretta Walker (Health Partners) and former Ray of Hope Board Member Dana Kelley – photo by Health Partners

 

Frankford’s Ray Gant was among those honored for his work in the Ray of Hope Project.

Some history: “In October of 2002, Ray Gant and Willard Bostock were returning from a Philadelphia Eagles / Tampa Bay Buccaneers football game. On the drive home, they began a discussion about the community needs of Philadelphia. After conversing about the topic for several hours, they concluded that one of those community needs was the rehabilitation of badly damaged homes which were unsafe and unhealthy for their occupants as well as an eyesore in their communities. Hence, The Ray of Hope Project was born.”

The Ray of Hope Project is a registered Pennsylvania 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation dedicated to bringing hope to those who cannot afford urgently needed home repairs in the Communities of Philadelphia, while also offering rehabilitative job skills training to former inmates and educational apprenticeships for other qualified persons. The Ray of Hope Project is supported solely by charitable contributions and works to bring diverse communities together in a program demonstrating that, together, people can make a difference.

At the awards ceremony, honorees shared poignant stories of their missions, from raising awareness of suicide among youth to making neighborhoods safer and healthier places to live. The ceremony included an inspiring performance by spoken word poet/teacher Rienne Scott and moving musical selections by the Philadelphia High School for Creative & Performing Arts (CAPA) Concert Choir.

Awardees include Program Hope; Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia; Sarah-Ashley Andrews, founder and CEO of Dare 2 Hope; Raymond Gant, president and co-founder of The Ray of Hope Project; and Kyah McCall, CAPA Jazz Ensemble member.

 

About Health Partners Foundation

The Health Partners Foundation supports low-income communities in Philadelphia and surrounding counties with health information, educational programs, scholarships, emergency assistance and more. A 501c3 nonprofit organization, the Foundation is funded by employees, as well as vendors and friends of Health Partners Plans who share our commitment to offering a helping hand in disadvantaged communities.

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Coming up in Frankford October 28 to November 3

Community Planting Day – Sat, October 28, 10 am – 2 pm, Frankford Pause Park, 4671-73 Paul Street – The Frankford CDC and the Frankford Garden Club present Community Planting Day with workshops throughout the day.

Free Concert – Sat, October 28, 1 pm – 5 pm, Carmella Playground, 2100 Wakeling Street – Free concert by Jah People, skateboard contest, food trucks, 50/50 raffle, Halloween costume contest for kids and adults and feed the homeless food drive.

20th Annual Tricky Trays – Sun, October 29, 11:30 am, St. Joachim Church, 1527 Church Street – Court St. Francis de Sales #2617 invites you to a day of fun at the 20th Annual Tricky Trays in St. Joachim’s Hall, 1527 Church Street on Sunday, October 29, 2017. Doors open 11:30 AM. First ticket drawn at 1 PM. $5.00 admission includes trip to the kitchen and 2 raffle tickets. Free dessert. Additional raffles and food available. 50-50 and kids costume judging. Bring canned goods for Matthew 25 food cupboard and get a free raffle ticket. Call Brenda for info 215-288-8168″

Frankford NAS Election – Thu, November 2, 9:00 am – 6:30 pm, 4667 Paul Street – Ground floor for the voting and  Thu, November 2, 10 am – 4 pm, 4900 Griscom St,

Frankford Civic Association Meeting, Thu, November 2, 7 pm – 8 pm, St Mark’s Church Frankford, 4442 Frankford Avenue