Garden Court looks back on a successful membership year under Malyka Sankofa’s leadership. We increased paid membership by 32% and instituted a rolling membership, which enables new members to join whenever is convenient and have their membership end exactly one year later. You can find your membership expiration date on the address label of this newsletter. We hope you plan to renew your membership accordingly, and please do let us know if there are any errors on the label (membershipgcca@gmail.com). Thank you. Prior to this year, membership ran from September to August. Therefore, many of our memberships just lapsed. We hope to welcome you back soon and invite you to help us grow by reachi
The Events and Fund-raising Committee has starting planning for our main fund-raising event, The Progressive Dinner. The Dinner will be held on Saturday, September 30th . The Dinner raises money for the operations of GCCA, particularly for the Cheryl Roebuck Scholarship Fund and provides capital for our other committees. This event is also a “friend-raiser”, introducing University City residents to the Garden Court Community Association and our programs. If you have never attended the Progressive Dinner, let me explain. The dinner starts at one home where you register and a variety of appetizer are served. We generally offer 7 different entrée selections at 7 different homes, which you selec
The GCCA Annual Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 22nd , 6:30 PM at Mosaic Church. This is the Annual General Meeting for Garden Court Community Association when we select our new Board Members. The following members are leaving the Board after serving for two terms: Malyka Sankofa, Mark Mendenhall and Kate Mills. We thank them for their service and hope they will continue to be involved with the Garden Court Community. This year’s Nominations for the Executive Committee are current members of the Board: Liz Campion - Secretary Kate Farquhar – VP Communications Utsav Schurman – VP Membership Nominated for election to the Board are: Chris Mejia-Smith (current member Zoning Committee Sha
Tutoring Program On April 27, we hosted a dinner for our tutors, who read with Henry C. Lea School first-graders throughout the school year. The event was held at the home of EC member Stacy Bartholomew, who, this year, was also a tutor. For the tutors, it was an opportunity to meet and share perceptions about how children learn to read. In toasting the group, program coordinator Martha Ledger referred to The Thank You Book by children’s literature superstar Mo Willems: “While Piggy and Gerald acknowledge it was readers who made them famous,” she said, “we know that our success stems from all of you, without whom there would be no program.” The 2016 – 2017 tutors were: Stacy Bartholomew, Bre
The Garden Court Community Association 48th & Spruce Streets Business District Revitalization Committee has been active recently working to establish priorities for the coming year. Principal concerns include obtaining pedestrian-level lighting for 48th Street, expanding security cameras, and organizing a street sale or street-fair type of event. Recent developments in the business corridor include outdoor dining facilities at Carl Lewis’ 48th Street Grille, the reopening of the nearby University Swim Club, the successful May 4th Eats for Equity fundraiser for the Center for Culinary Enterprises, the relocation of Murray’s Dry Cleaners to 4801 Pine Street, and the shuttering of Sadidi’s Furn
As we reach the mid point of 2017 it is time to reflect on the gains and losses we have experienced during this year of change. Garden Court is at the epicenter of one of the most quickly developing areas in the city, West Philadelphia. As in the early 1900’s our area has become a place people are migrating to due to the ease of access to work in the city, transportation which can commute you to all areas of the region in a short amount of time and a fairly green and friendly location with friendly people. Garden Court, and it’s board, has been tirelessly working to ensure our area stays as vibrant and resident friendly as it has been for decades. Since 1955 when Ben Barkan created the Garde
Join Garden Court Community Association for a potluck dinner and a discussion about the rapid changes happening to our neighborhood at our Annual Community Meeting! Thursday, June 22, 2017 6:30pm - 9:00pm Mosaic Community Church 123 S 51st St, Philadelphia, PA 19139 At the meeting, you’ll be able to get updates on that latest GCCA news, including reports from our committees: Zoning Education Business Communications Membership The meeting will also feature two special presentations: Bob Previdi from Bicycle Coalition will discuss the addition of Bike Lanes on Chestnut Street and the Vision Zero Initiative. Andrew Bank will discuss the Development of the West Lofts at the old West Philly High
