FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 17, 2008
Contact:Jamie Arehart (267-350-7699 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Community Pitches in to Revitalize Rising Sun Health Center
PHILADELPHIA - On Saturday, July 12, a large group of volunteers from all over the community donated their time and expertise to help beautify the Rising Sun Health Center in Philadelphia. From 8:30 a.m. to Noon, volunteers from the Health Center, and Health Leadership Network of the Delaware Valley (HLNDV), took direction from Brad Baker, Certified Pennsylvania Horticulturist and president of the landscape design firm Baker Creative, in re-designing and planting the health center's landscape.
The large community project began when the HLNDV contacted Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) to volunteer some of their members. The Leadership network often provides volunteers for community projects. HLNDV member and volunteer organizer David Balinksi explains, "Typical projects include non-skilled manual labor such as painting, moving, planting, and any other creative projects to benefit the community."
Elaine Fox, Vice President of Specialized Health Services at PHMC, jumped at the chance to get some help in cleaning up the Rising Sun Health Center. "We were thrilled at the chance to have some help in cleaning up the health center's landscape. We needed new plants - new everything," Fox said. "This was a long-awaited dream."
After the HLNDV volunteers were secured, Brad Baker of Baker Creative was asked to manage and oversee the project. Baker is known for his passion in using horticulture to benefit the community. "From my perspective, it is essential to get people - especially kids - back in touch with nature." Baker visited Rising Sun Health Center earlier this month, prepared blueprints, and secured the materials for the community event. HLNDV volunteers then got to work, planting new flowers and bushes around the facility.
The Rising Sun Health Center provides quality comprehensive health services to people underserved by traditional health care providers. In addition, many of the patients there are newly arrived immigrants from Asia, Africa and South America. "Although the interior of the center is beautiful, the outside required a great deal of improvement," Fox explains.
The Rising Sun Health Center provides high-quality, affordable health care to patients of all ages including primary care, prenatal services, immunizations and flu shots, management of chronic conditions, and family planning. The Health Center is located on the corner of Adams Avenue and Rising Sun Avenue in North Philadelphia. For more information on the health center, please visit (this page) or call 215-279-9666. Spanish-speaking staff is available.
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About Rising Sun Health Center
The Rising Sun Health Center provides high-quality, affordable health care to patients of all ages. Staffed by nurse practitioners and other health professionals, the health center provides friendly, convenient care designed to meet patients' needs.
