Cedar

This March, we’re celebrating Women’s History Month with the theme of providing healing and promoting hope. This observance gives us a chance to recognize the achievements and contributions of women in many areas of life, particularly in the advancement of science and medicine. While we can hardly go a day in 2022 without hearing about the impact of COVID-19 and the effectiveness of the vaccines, there was a time when the only available treatments for certain illnesses weren’t as effective.

Two women who changed the world through science were Pearl Kendrick and Grace Eldering. They conducted research at Michigan’s Department of Health to find an effective vaccine for Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough. Despite insufficient funding amid the Great Depression, they gained valuable information that helped to develop a standard for diagnostic tools and improve other vaccines. Kendrick and Eldering became the first to successfully conduct a large-scale controlled clinical trial of the pertussis vaccine. Children were able to receive the vaccine by 1940, and cases and deaths caused by pertussis declined.

Today’s scientific advancements amid the COVID-19 pandemic have saved lives and allowed us to begin a return to normalcy. This past month, I went on a weekend family trip feeling ready to spend some time together after almost three years without regular in-person gatherings. While we were excited, we also felt some underlying concerns about keeping ourselves and each other safe. Knowing we were coming from different households and would be interacting with workers at various places along our trip, we wanted to be cautious. We all took COVID-19 tests before the trip and reminded each other to wash our hands often, practice physical distancing, and remember to bring and wear masks. I’m happy to report we were all able to enjoy the trip and spend some time together after the challenges of the last couple of years.

On another occasion, I recently attended a close friend’s birthday celebration and a mutual friend mentioned he might get the vaccine since he wanted to go bowling. We asked why he had not taken the vaccine yet, and he explained his concerns about how fast it was developed and uncertainty about how it would affect other people. We talked about the benefits of the vaccine and how it protected us from COVID-19 despite minor side effects. We also discussed how this type of vaccine has been studied for almost 20 years but was made available to the public quicker during the public health emergency of the pandemic.

As we wait for news about the availability of vaccines for children under the age of five, my hope is that we continue to get vaccinated and boosted, find ways to celebrate, and cherish the lives, hopes and dreams of everyone while helping our communities through this season. With spring on the horizon, I’m looking forward to enjoying warmer weather and continuing to find new ways for our community to connect.

Sincerely,

Cassandre
PHMC Community Engagement VISTA

Educators for Education (E4E) is a Pennsylvania Certified Small and Minority-Owned for-profit organization committed to serving urban communities through educational services, professional development, advocacy, and social support. E4E’s mission is to give students the tools necessary for success through education and real-world learning opportunities.

Since its launch in May 2013, E4E has developed customized programs to meet the specific needs of youth and families in their own communities, with a particular focus on partnering with schools and community-based organizations. As part of a two-generational approach, E4E works to engage families in a more meaningful way in the educational process and reform efforts. E4E has contracted and partnered with various social service and educational organizations since its inception. For the past several years, E4E has operated a School Year and Summer WorkReady program as one of the Philadelphia Youth Network’s (PYN) workforce development providers.

E4E is excited to announce that the City of Philadelphia has approved youth to work in-person this summer. E4E is gearing up for the 2022 youth summer job WorkReady Program and working with PYN to offer paid internships for youth ages 14-24 years old. The program will kick off on ‪Tuesday, July 5, 2022‬.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Students will be paid through PYN at no cost to their places of employment.

The Summer 2022 WorkReady online application opened on February 15. We encourage participants to get ahead by completing the online application prior to joining. An enrollment session will take place on March 2 at 6:00 p.m. Join the Zoom Meeting through this link.


This year, youth will earn $11/hour for a total of $1,320, plus an early registration sign-on bonus of $150 if their application is completed as one of the first 5,000 city-wide.

Below is a list of important details for participants.

“We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. remains a powerful inspiration and symbol of change for millions across the country and the world. On the third Monday of January each year, we pause to celebrate his historic contributions as a civil rights leader and reflect on the values and ideals he championed.

Nearly 54 years after his passing, the national conversation on racial equity has continued to move forward. Movements in recent years sparked by incidents of injustice have led to greater awareness of the need for long overdue change and the reality that there’s much more work to do to fulfill Dr. King’s mission.

As we celebrate Dr. King’s life of courage and service, it’s important for us to look beyond our annual day of reflection and consider how we each can play an active role in realizing his vision. Every day presents time and opportunities to continue his work of advancing justice and equity by standing up for what is right and serving those in need. Amid today’s challenges, including the ongoing pandemic and deep ideological divides, it’s especially imperative to honor Dr. King’s legacy and ensure that it moves forward with each new generation.

We look forward to a new year of growth and progress toward racial equity as we partner with you to achieve Dr. King’s dream in the Cedar community and beyond.

Established in 1998, UC Green has planted and maintained more than 5,000 trees across West and Southwest Philadelphia. Green spaces and trees are a vital part of health and wellness. Greener neighborhoods have cooler summer temperatures; promote less stress and anxiety; encourage more physical activity and exercise outdoors; and report less gun violence. UC Green is committed to healthier, greener neighborhoods through tree planting, block clean-ups and community garden stewardship.

In January, UC Green hosted its annual Christmas tree recycling event in which 115 live Christmas trees were dropped off by residents and mulched. The mulch will be used to blanket the established trees at Clark and Malcolm X Parks for MLK Day service projects. If you live in the area and would like to volunteer or work with UC Green, or request a free street tree, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

Visit their website to learn more.

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Conqueror’s Community Development Corporation (CCDC) has served West and Southwest Philadelphia since 2000 and is now a Registered Community Organization (RCO) for the 51st Ward. Its work is aimed at revitalizing communities through economic development, awareness, and growth.

CCDC hosts several annual events and have continued their efforts throughout the pandemic. A few events were held during the past year to address challenges exacerbated by the pandemic, including School Meals Distributions and COVID-19 Testing and Vaccinations. Visit their Facebook page to learn more.

  1. Tribute to Auxiliary Member Adean Utterback
  2. PHMC Opens a Federally Qualified Health Center at its Public Health Campus on Cedar
  3. PHMC Awarded $2 Million RACP Grant