This week, we sit down with Loree Jones Brown, CEO of Philabundance, to discuss the organization’s 40th anniversary and the mounting challenges in the fight against hunger. As federal funding cuts slash critical food programs and inflation drives grocery prices higher, Philabundance is doubling down on its mission to feed communities across Southeastern PA and Southern NJ. Hear how the loss of programs like LFPA and TEFAP could mean over 1.1 million fewer meals—and what we can all do to help. 📣 Call to Action: Support Philabundance, advocate for SNAP, Medicaid, and school meals, and demand protection for essential safety nets.
🌐 Website: philabundance.org
📱 Instagram | Facebook | X | LinkedIn: @Philabundance
From the stage to the schoolyard, CityStep is where dance meets purpose. We’re joined by founder Sabrina Peck, Penn alum Miles Meline, and Leigh Purnell, CEO of Southwest Leadership Academy Charter School, to talk about how this student-run nonprofit brings college mentors into Philadelphia schools to teach dance as a tool for joy and self-expression. Don’t miss this year’s production, Homecoming, exploring the meaning of "home" through the creativity of over 50 local kids.
🎭 Live Performance – April 27 @ 3 PM
Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia
🌐 Learn more: citystep.org/penn
📱 Follow @CityStepPenn on Instagram and Facebook for show details and behind-the-scenes content.
🌐 Website: philabundance.org
📱 Instagram | Facebook | X | LinkedIn: @Philabundance
From the stage to the schoolyard, CityStep is where dance meets purpose. We’re joined by founder Sabrina Peck, Penn alum Miles Meline, and Leigh Purnell, CEO of Southwest Leadership Academy Charter School, to talk about how this student-run nonprofit brings college mentors into Philadelphia schools to teach dance as a tool for joy and self-expression. Don’t miss this year’s production, Homecoming, exploring the meaning of "home" through the creativity of over 50 local kids.
🎭 Live Performance – April 27 @ 3 PM
Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia
🌐 Learn more: citystep.org/penn
📱 Follow @CityStepPenn on Instagram and Facebook for show details and behind-the-scenes content.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, and welcome to What's going on? A show
about making a difference in our lives and our communities.
I'm Lorraine Ballard Morrow. The great dancer and choreographer Twila
Tharpe wrote, dance is the most fundamental of all art forms.
Its body, its sound. It is music. It is time,
It is space, it is emotion, it is life itself.
(00:23):
Back in college, I was a dance major for the
first two years until I realized that maybe I wasn't
cut out to be a professional dancer. I still love
to dance, so I was excited to talk with City
Stuff and inspiring arts and service organization at the University
of Pennsylvania that brings college students into local Philadelphia schools
to teach dance as a tool for self expression, collaboration,
(00:46):
and joy. They're performing next Sunday, the twenty seventh at
the Annenberg Center. First Philibundance is marking forty years of
combating hunger in the Delaware Valley. Established in nineteen eighty
four with the belief that no one should go hungry
while healthy food goes to waste, the organization has collaborated
with over three hundred and fifty community partners across nine
(01:08):
counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. As CEO Laurie Jones
Brown highlights, the demand for assistance is increasing while resources
are diminishing. Today we talk about Philipbundance's legacy, the current
hunger crisis, and how the public can contribute during this
critical period. First of all, I just want to welcome you,
(01:28):
Laurie and congratulations on being honored with the iHeartMedia Station
wdasfm's Women of Excellence Sheiro Award.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Thank you so much, Loriene. It was so meaningful to
have that award. Really honoring the great work that I
get to lead here at Philip Bundance is very touching
for me personally and professionally.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Yes, it was a wonderful, wonderful day. Now, Philipbundon's is
celebrating a significant milestone forty years of service. How has
the organization transformed since its inception and what core principles
can dontinue to drive its mission today.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Yeah, forty years definitely kind of a huge milestone. We've
been celebrating for about a year. When I think back
to how it started. Our founder Pamela Raney Lawler is
actually still involved, still on our board. So I love
her story. So here's one person who said there was
this kind of neat She saw that there was healthy,
fresh food going to waste and people that needed it,
(02:23):
and so she said about solving really a logistical problem.
And from that vill abundance was born. She had one
super station wagon and she would go to restaurants or caterers,
pay excess food.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
And get it in the hands of people that need it.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Today, forty years later, we have twenty nine vehicles and
one super Roo station wagon still and we're able to
make that match of that how excess food that is
still safe and healthy and getting enhanced people in need,
while also seeking donations from people and also using funds
to purchase food, particularly from local farmers.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
Recent statistics show a troubling rise in hunger in our
Can you talk about the current situation and how it
compares to other periods like the pandemic or the Great
Recession after warne.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
I get to be a little bit of a data
geek on this, a little bit of a story on this.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
So the reality is you noted hunger is on the rise,
and it was on the rise. It jumped in twenty
two and twenty twenty three, and what we're seeing on
the ground is just jumping again, and we're worried that
with federal policy changes, it's going to increase even more.
But here's the data history part of it. The beginning
of the pandemic Lorraine, we all washed and we all said,
oh my gosh, there's hunger in America.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
It's like we didn't really realize it, but we saw people.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
We saw long lines of people right remember the pandemic
bushes outside. We did the truck to trunk distributions, and
we saw more and more Americans access to the charable
Food Network.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
But once we did the survey.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
For twenty twenty, we actually saw that on average, hunger
did not go up in twenty twenty in America. But
that's because our neighbors, your listeners were so generous. We
got more funds in, we purchased more food, food, government
provided supports to people into food banks, and we're able
to save off a fair amount of it, with some exceptions.
But then twenty twenty two we saw the highest increase
(04:10):
since the Great Depression, the Great Recession.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
In twenty eh eight, twenty twenty three, it went up.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Again, and so the difference was government supports are getting
rolled back.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
So remember early in the pandemic, Government's.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Getting more food through food banks, it's giving individuals more food,
more dollars, expanding Snapper food stamps, giving the expanded child
tax credit.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
And the reason why.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
It's important for everybody to know is that when those
government supports.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Went back, we saw hunger go up again.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
And so as we look at this current policy environment,
we're saying, like we under see how governments get.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
To make their decisions and changes.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
With new administrations, we really hope they will decide to
invest again in people and in farmers.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
So that we can feed our neighbors.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Now, you've talked about your concern about the elimination of
federal programs as you've already indicated, like the Local Food
Purchase Assistance Program LFPA and reductions in emergency food systems.
What impact are these changes having on your operations and
the communities you serve right now?
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Yeah, actually huge impact.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
So the Emergency Food Assistance Program, the acronym is teafat
government loves an acromen tea fat. We lost a quarter
of a million pounds of food from April through June
of twenty twenty five, and honestly, Lorraine, like, at first
we heard it's one hundred and fifty thousand pounds, which
was a lot, and then it jump in two hundred
and fifty thousand pounds and.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
We're like, wait, is it over? Is it going to
keep jumping?
Speaker 2 (05:27):
So that's real food, and that is nutrient dense. It's chickens,
it's frozen produce. It's kind of things that people like
when want that are healthier food that's now gone. And
then you mentioned the Local Food Purchased Assistance Programmer at LFPA,
we got cut a million and a half dollars a
million and a half dollars then we would have had
to spend be able to start spending in July. In
(05:49):
all of that, we're going to spend locally, so we're
going to spend local penciling of farmers and food producers.
So it's kind of a double whammie. We're not getting
the dollars to food for our neighbors and needs, our
local economy is also not getting those dollars, so we're
very concerned about that.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
I'd like to just pivot a little bit and talk
about the nature of hunger because for those of us
who have rarely experienced hunger like true hunger. I think
that I'd like you to maybe paint a picture about
what that feels like and what the impact of hunger is.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Yeah, I'm glad you asked that, because you know, any
of us in any given day can say.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
That we're hungry, right like, we're too busy, we don't
have a chance to eat, we're running and running.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
But that's not what we're talking about.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
We use the terms hunger and food and security interchangeably,
and really what it means is that an individual does
not have enough resources to provide healthy food for their
families on sale weekly basis, and so they're not They.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Are often making those choices.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Am I going to pay for my electric bill? Am
I going to pay for heat to keep my family comfortable?
Or am I going to buy food? Increasingly people are deciding,
am I going to pay for that medicine that mom
or grandmam needs or provide healthy food for my families?
And so what really is about a lack of resources?
And it's a huge problem in our city, region and
(07:04):
country across the country. It is like forty seven million
people food and secure in our region for pensive for philibundons.
We serve Southeastern's stay in southern New Jersey. That area alone,
six hundred thousand people get into that category of food secure.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
In the city of Philly, one in three kids.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
So the numbers are high, moods are higher than they
were of a year before. And you know, as we
mentioned earlier, going in the wrong direction. So it is
not about oh, I'm just kind of like I missed
a needle. This is people not having the resources to
provide to get the food they need to thrive.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
I think also people have certain stereotypes and misconceptions and
preconceptions about who is hungry. Now, certainly there's a large
population we are, in fact, the big city with the
highest poverty rate, but we also have to consider those
individuals who might have been previously considered middle class or
even upper middle class, who might be losing their jobs.
(07:58):
We saw a lot of that during the pandemic and
certainly during the Great Recession. But we're seeing a lot
of folks that you don't normally think of as being
food insecure falling into that category.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Right, You're exactly right.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
So you know, going back five years, we saw sixty
percent more people access in the Charitable Food Network and
at that time in twenty twenty, forty percent had never.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Before saw this kind of help.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Right, so you remember that five years ago, we tell
you what we're seeing now, and you mentioned that Phil
London's works with and through nearly three hundred and fifty partners.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
So those will be small.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Churches, moss Sendeglogu's community centers, probably in your neighborhoods that
are providing access to food.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
We've been talking to them.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
I had a couple of meetings with them a clause
within the last couple of weeks, and one of the
things that they're saying is that they're seeing is more
and more working families are showing up desk well, dual
income families. So these are actually people that are working.
They're trying their hardest to maybe beat for their families
like all of us, but with the cost of everything
right inflation around the war that they're seeing, they're just not.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Able to do it.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
And so it is, you know, I think the face
of hunger, it really is. Hunger's in every zip code
in this country. It's in every county in New Jersey,
in Pennsylvania, and it really is all of us everybody
either themselves has been in this position or they know
somebody who has, and so it is not you know,
we often remind folks it's not about placing blame or shame.
(09:22):
People end up in these situations often due to no
fault of their own. You know that our you know,
across our region, our friends and family people work hard.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
They want to be able to provide for their families.
They want to really enjoy the American dream.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
But often whether it's the cost of things, you're kind
of losing jobs, they're not.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Able to Well, you've got a lot of challenges with
especially with the cutbacks in government funding. How is Philibundon's
trying to adjust to this new reality.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
We are.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
We're working hard and behind the scenes, we're doing a
lot of planning and scenario planning.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
We are talking to experts locally and across the country.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
We're getting advice about how to really do what we
call it our callowing, our scenario planning. So we already
see some of the cuts that we've got, and what
are there're more cuts, We're anticipating higher need. What if
there's more need, how can we meet as much of
that need as possible while sticking with our values, and
our values at the abundance are ensuring that we provide
people with a kind of with healthy food, nutritious and
delicious food, sourcing it locally and making sure they have
(10:16):
access it at times and ways that makes sense to them.
So we want to say true to that while we're
really looking at these reduced resources, and you can imagine,
we're doing what a lot of leaders and organizations are doing.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
We're letting people know we want to you to raise awareness.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Here are the challenges, here's what we're facing, here are
the people we're trying to serve, and then we're frankly
asking for help.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
We invite people to volunteer.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
We invite people to donate, donate food that you would
eat yourself, self stable food you need yourself, and also
donate fun so whether it's five dollars and fifty dollars
every day, can help us meet this growing need.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Well, again, you talked about ways that we can help,
and those are all great ways. And as you mentioned before,
during COVID, a lot of people stepped up and did
help and that was a wonderful and inspire thing. But
we also have to reach out to our elected officials right.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Absolutely, A big part of our work really is around advocacy.
We always remind people we are people talking about being nonpartisan.
We're not Republican, Democrat independent. The party we're a part
of is the people who are food and secure, So
people facing hunger is that that's where we are. We
invite people, whatever party they're in to join us if
they cheer, are committee to supporting people are food and secure.
(11:25):
And so we abstoually advocated the city at the local, state,
and federal level, letting people know why these supports matter.
And honestly, one of the things we're pushing for the
most right now. And I was in Washington, DC just
last week talking to folks on both sides of the
aisle and said to them, you know, there's a program
called SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
When I grow up, grew up, it was called food stamps.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
That program is one of the things people are talking
about might be cut, and they're talking about huge cut,
billions of dollars of cuts, and so we're advocating for
that now.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Philip one doesn't see a dollar of snap Snap dollars.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
We know that our neighbors are able to use that
resource to go to grocery stores and buy choice food
for their families, and more often they choose healthy food
for their families.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
So that's what research tells us. And so we are advocating.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
And please ask all your listeners, call your folks at
they especially at the federal level, and say we care
about programs like SNAP. And as I tell people all
the time, clearly, you know, I know your heart, Loraine,
and I know how much you've done community work for
decades in our city and region. And obviously I'm committed
doing service as well. We're committed to putting people first.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
But maybe there's a listener.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Out there or an ELECTI official out there who doesn't
care about people as much, then you know what I
say to them. If you care about the economy, you
got to support SNAP, because I think for every dollar
that we're spending in SNAP, it's like one I think
a dollar and thirty.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
Goes back into the community.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
And I'll tell you a stat that would start interesting
to me a couple of years ago when SNAP was
reduced a couple of years ago, it costs the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania grocery stores two billion dollars with a billion
with a bat. And so this money that's going into
somebody's pocket, it's money that people are then investing back
in the economy. So yes, please fall on your elected
(13:07):
officials strickly at the federal level, but at all levels
and say rhames like snap that allow people to make
choices for their families but also support our economy.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
We should all be supporting that absolutely.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
If people want more information about Philibundance, whether they want
to give, they want to volunteer or find out more
about how they can be advocates to help people step
out of being food insecure, how do they find out more?
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Yeah, definitely encourage you to visit our website www dot
Philipbundance dot org, but also follow us on social media.
We have a lot of information there about our action
alerts and encourage people to reach out to government officials.
But yes, the one one dot org. Please come volunteer
with us. We'd love to have you.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Fantastic. Hilarie Jones, who is CEO of Philibundon's, thank you
so much.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Thank you loring.
Speaker 5 (14:03):
Today my new dad through a barbecue.
Speaker 6 (14:05):
Today, my new son and I through a barbecue.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
There were burgers and chicken.
Speaker 6 (14:10):
I burn everything, the burgers, the chicken, the salad. They
were delicious, they were awful. And then and then we
had watermelon. I'm allergic to watermelon.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
And then we played catch.
Speaker 6 (14:26):
I broke mister Lewis's window, Missus Wakem's window, Missus Wakem's windshield.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
And then somehow my.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
Hand my hand.
Speaker 6 (14:38):
And then my dad even let me drive his car
Hospitals down the right. It was a rough day, it
was a great day.
Speaker 7 (14:47):
You don't have to be perfect to be a perfect parent.
Thousands of kids in foster care will take you just
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from the US Department of Health and Human Service, adopt
us Kids and the ad Council.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Celebrate Mexican Week April twenty seventh through May. First join
us for a week of vibrant culture, history, and community,
starting with a free screening of A Million Miles Away
on the twenty seventh, explore of powerful stories at Rosenbax
Race and Revolution Tour, Save her a six course Wahakan tasting,
enjoy a festive Dia del Ninho celebration, and cap it
(15:23):
off at the Friends of Mexico Awards Luncheon. For the
full schedule and tickets, visit Mexicanculturalcenter dot org. You're listening
to what's going on today, we're spotlighting City Step and
(15:45):
inspiring arts and service organization at the University of Pennsylvania
that brings college students into local Philadelphia schools to teach
dance as a tool for self expression, collaboration, and joy.
Run entirely by penn students, City Step strengthens the bond
between university and community, culminating each year in a dynamic
(16:05):
student performance that reflects the kid's own stories and creativity.
This year's production, Homecoming, explored the theme of what home
means and features over fifty children from Philadelphia public schools.
To tell us more about City Step, we are joined
by Sabrina Peck, founder of City Step and executive director,
Miles Maleine, City Step Penn alumn and current liaison, and
(16:29):
Lee Pernell, CEO of Southwest Leadership Academy Charter school. So
I'm so excited because I was actually a dance major
as an undergrad, and somehow I got off the track
and here I am in radio. But I've always had
a great love of dance and understand how much it
can contribute to so many things, artistic expression, well being,
(16:51):
so many things. So, Sabrina, take us back to the beginning.
What inspired you to start City Step and why use
dance as a way to uplift and union five students.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (17:01):
Well, I started City Step while I was a student
at Harvard forty years ago. You know, I wanted to.
I said a very strong impulse that I wanted to
give kids a voice. I wanted them to feel like
they mattered, and I wanted to bring kids together and
give them a sense of connection and belonging. I'm a
theater director and choreographer, so movement was the language that
(17:24):
I used to make that happen. I brought teams of
college students into sid arounding city schools to teach a
year long curriculum of creative self expression and community building
through dance. I directed two end of year shows featuring
scores of city kids and their City Step teachers about
a theme relevant to growing up in the city, and
(17:46):
then I passed it on to student leaders and it's
been passed down from student to student ever since. I
mean to your question, why dance it turns out that
physicality in the form of dance comes naturally to kids,
and it's an accessible and powerful language for expression, especially
when like it is with City Step, based on the
(18:07):
way kids naturally move with runs and jumps and leaps,
I found that it was not only appealing to kids,
it was necessary. And then twenty years ago the idea
caught on with Penn Students and Cities to Pen was launched,
and for the past twenty years, the Penn students have
worked tirelessly and enthusiastically in the Philadelphia schools and they've
(18:32):
been teaching and performing with Philly school children. The Penn
students just just incredibly dedicated. They teach twice a week
during the school day for an entire year, and students
on campus actually compete, if you could believe it, for
the privilege of being one of the forty that are
chosen by their peers to teach with City Step. It's
(18:52):
that popular.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
Very excited to speak with Miles, as a City Step
alum and Philly native, what stands out to you about
the joy, connection and growth that this program offers both
for the kids and also for the college students.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
Yes, of course, thank you so simply said, City Step
Pen was hands down one of the most meaningful parts
of my time at PEN, and just in general and
life so far. I was involved all four years of
undergrad as a teacher, co events coordinator, and eventually co director,
and now I'm proud to stay connected as a liaison
(19:30):
and a board member. And then after graduating in Penn
in twenty twenty two, I was so inspired to continue
all of the work I had started in City Step
with cohesion, connection and uplifting community. That was inspired to
pursue a Master of Bioethics at Harvard Medical School, and
I'm now preparing for a career in medicine philosophy and
(19:52):
all of that. Really, I would say it's directly inspired
by City Steps impact on me. And now I'm also
really excited to be helping to spearhead the City Step
pen Mental Health Committee and looking to support the social, emotional,
and mental well being of all of the kids we
work with. But Cities to Pen is so special to me,
(20:12):
mostly because how it creates a very cohesive community between
not just the college students, but also between the kids
themselves and between the kids and us. The program brings
together students from underrepresented groups. Mostly we work with the
public school district just imagining how US college students come
(20:36):
from hugely vast and different walks of life. That dynamic
creates such a powerful and reciprocal space of cultural exchange,
and we always, i would say, find ourselves learning either
just as much from the kids or even more than
what we bring through our curricula. And just every year
watching everything culminate into the final performance, really it always
(21:00):
just makes our work so meaningful, and watching the kids
perform for their families always makes everything feel very tangible
and just as a reminder of why the work matters
so much. And witnessing joy and confidence and collaboration walk
out of the classroom onto a stage really is almost
(21:24):
inexplicably beautiful to watch. And once something I always stick,
something that always sticks to me to this day is
just how many kids say that they want to go
to college just because of their participation in City Step
pen So that is something that's really beautiful to me.
And then my last little statement is just how special
(21:46):
the City Step curriculum is. We employ a pedagogy grounded
in empathy, and I even have the opportunity to do
a little internship with Sabrina and citystep dot org when
I was at pen as an undergrad where we researched
the role of empathy and arts education, and City Step
(22:06):
is exemplary of what a kind of pedagogy can do.
My project helped me understand how city Steps pedagogy already
employs and centrist empathy as a tool for self expression,
mutual understanding, community building, and just about how our curriculum,
even though it's dance based, isn't just about danced at all.
(22:28):
It's really about values and humanity.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
I love that.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
So I just am obsessed and think City Step is
a savior for what the future of education looks like
in Philadelphia.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
That's a beautiful obsession. And I'm so proud to see
how far you have come and how city Step has
really inspired you and that you in turn have inspired others. Now, Lee,
what impact has city Step had on your students at
Southwest Leadership Academy, especially when it comes to emotional wellbeing,
community building, and and that last word that Miles said, empathy.
(23:03):
I mean, we need empathy now more than ever.
Speaker 8 (23:07):
We absolutely do so at Southwest Leadership, city Step works
with our fifth grade students and they've been with us
for the past ten years. I've been in my role
at Southwest for the last eight years, and so I'm
able to see the development of the students from the
very first day that they're working with their City Step
mentors until their final performance, and they show a growth
(23:30):
in confidence right as well as in their teamwork. Empathy
absolutely comes through from the work that they do with
their City Step mentors. They have to learn how to
work together, they have to learn their choreography, but more
than anything, they get opportunities and exposure.
Speaker 4 (23:47):
Right.
Speaker 8 (23:47):
So one thing that Miles talked about is the fact
that students will say to him at the end that
they're interested in going to college. So what they left
out was that not only do they come to the
school to teach dance to the students, but they also
take the students out into the community. They take the
students to visit the University of Pennsylvania's campus, so the
students have opportunities for Saturday field trips. They actually performed
(24:10):
at halftime at a basketball game this year, and so
this gives them a chance to really shine. Especially for
students who may not always be successful in traditional ways,
this is another way for them to step up, to
show some additional skill, to demonstrate some leadership, and certainly
to build confidence and to be able.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
To perform as leaders in our school community.
Speaker 8 (24:34):
So we are extraordinarily grateful for our tenure partnership with
City Step.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Yeah. Well, several of the key elements related to raising
a successful child is providing possibility and exposing them to
all of this new stuff, whether it stands, whether it's
going to pen and seeing people that you could If
you see it, you can be it. These are all
things that are really important when we come to developing
(24:59):
young people. Now, you had this big event called Homecoming.
Let's just talk about the story behind it and a
little bit about the shape of it and what the
performance is all about. And basically, Sabrina, just tell us
more about this performance and what it meant to perform it.
Speaker 5 (25:19):
Yeah, I mean, our end of year shows are always
based on the theme that's relevant to kids, and they
help shape what that theme will be and how each
classroom is going to explore it in their own distinct way.
This year's theme, Homecoming, is really an exploration of home
(25:39):
and it's about what that means on a personal level
for kids, what it means in terms of their home
city of Philadelphia, and then also because of the twentieth
anniversary of City Step pen, homecoming also has a double
meaning for the Penn campus and the alumni of City
(26:01):
Step who are coming back for this twenty year kind
of reunion. And so elements like the spirit Squad, the
homecoming football team, the marching band do figure also into
the production, you know, as a nod to those other
kinds of expressions of camaraderie and teamwork that are core
(26:23):
to City Step.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Yeah, well, let's talk about the future City Step. How
can we support you? What's ahead?
Speaker 5 (26:31):
Well, we're so jazzed by the fact that students on
multiple college campuses have been excited to start study step programs.
And part of the reason that I and others started
the nonprofit citystep dot org was to support their work
and to help city Step expand. So we're now at
(26:51):
City Step Yale, City Step Columbia. We just launched cities
deput Chicago, and as you know, the strongest City Step
Pen in addition to the flap City Step Harvard. So
I'm hard at work right now on a toolkit. It's
the model, the method, the manual, the complete how to
of how to launch and run a city Step program,
(27:11):
complete with training videos and an iPhone app that could
put exercises in the hands of students. So right now
we're looking to the future. We're looking to bring this
city Step experience, this transformative experience of creativity and joy
and connection and mentorship to many more communities. So if
(27:33):
you are a college student on another campus and thinking
about starting a city Step program, certainly reach out an
educator interested, a college administrator interested, and anyone who wants
to come support our work. I urge you to go
to citystep dot org, slash donate and make a tax
deductible donation because we need all the support we can get.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
Fantastic dance is so critical. I am a huge dance fan,
having been a dance major in college. Well, of course
I thought I was going to be in the Alvinilly
Dance Troupe. But you know, by my sophomore year, I
realize that ain't happening. But I still love it, and
I still support it, and I love what you're doing.
Sabrina Peck, founder of City Step, executive director of citystep
(28:17):
dot Org. Miles Maline, who's City Step pen alum and
current Liison and Lee Pernell, CEO of Southwest Leadership Academy
Charter School, which has been a great recipient of the
work of City Step. So thank you all for joining
us here today and good luck going forward.
Speaker 4 (28:33):
Thank you, thank you so much.
Speaker 5 (28:35):
Thank you, Loreen.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
You can check out City Steps performance Homecoming, which explores
the theme of what home means and features over fifty
children from Philadelphia schools performing alongside their pen mentors. That's
at the Annenberg Center on Sunday, April twenty seventh at
three pm. You can listen to all of today's interviews
by going to our station website and typing in keyword community,
(29:00):
and also listen on the iHeartRadio app yy Words Philadelphia
Community Podcast. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at Lorraine Ballard.
I'm Lorraine Ballard MOREL and I stand for service to
our community and media that empowers. What will you stand for?
You've been listening to what's going on, and thank you
Good morning, and welcome to What's going on? A show
about making a difference in our lives and our communities.
I'm Lorraine Ballard Morrow. The great dancer and choreographer Twila
Tharpe wrote, dance is the most fundamental of all art forms.
Its body, its sound. It is music. It is time,
It is space, it is emotion, it is life itself.
(00:23):
Back in college, I was a dance major for the
first two years until I realized that maybe I wasn't
cut out to be a professional dancer. I still love
to dance, so I was excited to talk with City
Stuff and inspiring arts and service organization at the University
of Pennsylvania that brings college students into local Philadelphia schools
to teach dance as a tool for self expression, collaboration,
(00:46):
and joy. They're performing next Sunday, the twenty seventh at
the Annenberg Center. First Philibundance is marking forty years of
combating hunger in the Delaware Valley. Established in nineteen eighty
four with the belief that no one should go hungry
while healthy food goes to waste, the organization has collaborated
with over three hundred and fifty community partners across nine
(01:08):
counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. As CEO Laurie Jones
Brown highlights, the demand for assistance is increasing while resources
are diminishing. Today we talk about Philipbundance's legacy, the current
hunger crisis, and how the public can contribute during this
critical period. First of all, I just want to welcome you,
(01:28):
Laurie and congratulations on being honored with the iHeartMedia Station
wdasfm's Women of Excellence Sheiro Award.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Thank you so much, Loriene. It was so meaningful to
have that award. Really honoring the great work that I
get to lead here at Philip Bundance is very touching
for me personally and professionally.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Yes, it was a wonderful, wonderful day. Now, Philipbundon's is
celebrating a significant milestone forty years of service. How has
the organization transformed since its inception and what core principles
can dontinue to drive its mission today.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Yeah, forty years definitely kind of a huge milestone. We've
been celebrating for about a year. When I think back
to how it started. Our founder Pamela Raney Lawler is
actually still involved, still on our board. So I love
her story. So here's one person who said there was
this kind of neat She saw that there was healthy,
fresh food going to waste and people that needed it,
(02:23):
and so she said about solving really a logistical problem.
And from that vill abundance was born. She had one
super station wagon and she would go to restaurants or caterers,
pay excess food.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
And get it in the hands of people that need it.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Today, forty years later, we have twenty nine vehicles and
one super Roo station wagon still and we're able to
make that match of that how excess food that is
still safe and healthy and getting enhanced people in need,
while also seeking donations from people and also using funds
to purchase food, particularly from local farmers.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
Recent statistics show a troubling rise in hunger in our
Can you talk about the current situation and how it
compares to other periods like the pandemic or the Great
Recession after warne.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
I get to be a little bit of a data
geek on this, a little bit of a story on this.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
So the reality is you noted hunger is on the rise,
and it was on the rise. It jumped in twenty
two and twenty twenty three, and what we're seeing on
the ground is just jumping again, and we're worried that
with federal policy changes, it's going to increase even more.
But here's the data history part of it. The beginning
of the pandemic Lorraine, we all washed and we all said,
oh my gosh, there's hunger in America.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
It's like we didn't really realize it, but we saw people.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
We saw long lines of people right remember the pandemic
bushes outside. We did the truck to trunk distributions, and
we saw more and more Americans access to the charable
Food Network.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
But once we did the survey.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
For twenty twenty, we actually saw that on average, hunger
did not go up in twenty twenty in America. But
that's because our neighbors, your listeners were so generous. We
got more funds in, we purchased more food, food, government
provided supports to people into food banks, and we're able
to save off a fair amount of it, with some exceptions.
But then twenty twenty two we saw the highest increase
(04:10):
since the Great Depression, the Great Recession.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
In twenty eh eight, twenty twenty three, it went up.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Again, and so the difference was government supports are getting
rolled back.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
So remember early in the pandemic, Government's.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Getting more food through food banks, it's giving individuals more food,
more dollars, expanding Snapper food stamps, giving the expanded child
tax credit.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
And the reason why.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
It's important for everybody to know is that when those
government supports.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Went back, we saw hunger go up again.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
And so as we look at this current policy environment,
we're saying, like we under see how governments get.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
To make their decisions and changes.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
With new administrations, we really hope they will decide to
invest again in people and in farmers.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
So that we can feed our neighbors.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Now, you've talked about your concern about the elimination of
federal programs as you've already indicated, like the Local Food
Purchase Assistance Program LFPA and reductions in emergency food systems.
What impact are these changes having on your operations and
the communities you serve right now?
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Yeah, actually huge impact.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
So the Emergency Food Assistance Program, the acronym is teafat
government loves an acromen tea fat. We lost a quarter
of a million pounds of food from April through June
of twenty twenty five, and honestly, Lorraine, like, at first
we heard it's one hundred and fifty thousand pounds, which
was a lot, and then it jump in two hundred
and fifty thousand pounds and.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
We're like, wait, is it over? Is it going to
keep jumping?
Speaker 2 (05:27):
So that's real food, and that is nutrient dense. It's chickens,
it's frozen produce. It's kind of things that people like
when want that are healthier food that's now gone. And
then you mentioned the Local Food Purchased Assistance Programmer at LFPA,
we got cut a million and a half dollars a
million and a half dollars then we would have had
to spend be able to start spending in July. In
(05:49):
all of that, we're going to spend locally, so we're
going to spend local penciling of farmers and food producers.
So it's kind of a double whammie. We're not getting
the dollars to food for our neighbors and needs, our
local economy is also not getting those dollars, so we're
very concerned about that.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
I'd like to just pivot a little bit and talk
about the nature of hunger because for those of us
who have rarely experienced hunger like true hunger. I think
that I'd like you to maybe paint a picture about
what that feels like and what the impact of hunger is.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Yeah, I'm glad you asked that, because you know, any
of us in any given day can say.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
That we're hungry, right like, we're too busy, we don't
have a chance to eat, we're running and running.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
But that's not what we're talking about.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
We use the terms hunger and food and security interchangeably,
and really what it means is that an individual does
not have enough resources to provide healthy food for their
families on sale weekly basis, and so they're not They.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Are often making those choices.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Am I going to pay for my electric bill? Am
I going to pay for heat to keep my family comfortable?
Or am I going to buy food? Increasingly people are deciding,
am I going to pay for that medicine that mom
or grandmam needs or provide healthy food for my families?
And so what really is about a lack of resources?
And it's a huge problem in our city, region and
(07:04):
country across the country. It is like forty seven million
people food and secure in our region for pensive for philibundons.
We serve Southeastern's stay in southern New Jersey. That area alone,
six hundred thousand people get into that category of food secure.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
In the city of Philly, one in three kids.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
So the numbers are high, moods are higher than they
were of a year before. And you know, as we
mentioned earlier, going in the wrong direction. So it is
not about oh, I'm just kind of like I missed
a needle. This is people not having the resources to
provide to get the food they need to thrive.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
I think also people have certain stereotypes and misconceptions and
preconceptions about who is hungry. Now, certainly there's a large
population we are, in fact, the big city with the
highest poverty rate, but we also have to consider those
individuals who might have been previously considered middle class or
even upper middle class, who might be losing their jobs.
(07:58):
We saw a lot of that during the pandemic and
certainly during the Great Recession. But we're seeing a lot
of folks that you don't normally think of as being
food insecure falling into that category.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Right, You're exactly right.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
So you know, going back five years, we saw sixty
percent more people access in the Charitable Food Network and
at that time in twenty twenty, forty percent had never.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Before saw this kind of help.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Right, so you remember that five years ago, we tell
you what we're seeing now, and you mentioned that Phil
London's works with and through nearly three hundred and fifty partners.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
So those will be small.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Churches, moss Sendeglogu's community centers, probably in your neighborhoods that
are providing access to food.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
We've been talking to them.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
I had a couple of meetings with them a clause
within the last couple of weeks, and one of the
things that they're saying is that they're seeing is more
and more working families are showing up desk well, dual
income families. So these are actually people that are working.
They're trying their hardest to maybe beat for their families
like all of us, but with the cost of everything
right inflation around the war that they're seeing, they're just not.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Able to do it.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
And so it is, you know, I think the face
of hunger, it really is. Hunger's in every zip code
in this country. It's in every county in New Jersey,
in Pennsylvania, and it really is all of us everybody
either themselves has been in this position or they know
somebody who has, and so it is not you know,
we often remind folks it's not about placing blame or shame.
(09:22):
People end up in these situations often due to no
fault of their own. You know that our you know,
across our region, our friends and family people work hard.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
They want to be able to provide for their families.
They want to really enjoy the American dream.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
But often whether it's the cost of things, you're kind
of losing jobs, they're not.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Able to Well, you've got a lot of challenges with
especially with the cutbacks in government funding. How is Philibundon's
trying to adjust to this new reality.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
We are.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
We're working hard and behind the scenes, we're doing a
lot of planning and scenario planning.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
We are talking to experts locally and across the country.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
We're getting advice about how to really do what we
call it our callowing, our scenario planning. So we already
see some of the cuts that we've got, and what
are there're more cuts, We're anticipating higher need. What if
there's more need, how can we meet as much of
that need as possible while sticking with our values, and
our values at the abundance are ensuring that we provide
people with a kind of with healthy food, nutritious and
delicious food, sourcing it locally and making sure they have
(10:16):
access it at times and ways that makes sense to them.
So we want to say true to that while we're
really looking at these reduced resources, and you can imagine,
we're doing what a lot of leaders and organizations are doing.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
We're letting people know we want to you to raise awareness.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Here are the challenges, here's what we're facing, here are
the people we're trying to serve, and then we're frankly
asking for help.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
We invite people to volunteer.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
We invite people to donate, donate food that you would
eat yourself, self stable food you need yourself, and also
donate fun so whether it's five dollars and fifty dollars
every day, can help us meet this growing need.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Well, again, you talked about ways that we can help,
and those are all great ways. And as you mentioned before,
during COVID, a lot of people stepped up and did
help and that was a wonderful and inspire thing. But
we also have to reach out to our elected officials right.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Absolutely, A big part of our work really is around advocacy.
We always remind people we are people talking about being nonpartisan.
We're not Republican, Democrat independent. The party we're a part
of is the people who are food and secure, So
people facing hunger is that that's where we are. We
invite people, whatever party they're in to join us if
they cheer, are committee to supporting people are food and secure.
(11:25):
And so we abstoually advocated the city at the local, state,
and federal level, letting people know why these supports matter.
And honestly, one of the things we're pushing for the
most right now. And I was in Washington, DC just
last week talking to folks on both sides of the
aisle and said to them, you know, there's a program
called SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
When I grow up, grew up, it was called food stamps.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
That program is one of the things people are talking
about might be cut, and they're talking about huge cut,
billions of dollars of cuts, and so we're advocating for
that now.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Philip one doesn't see a dollar of snap Snap dollars.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
We know that our neighbors are able to use that
resource to go to grocery stores and buy choice food
for their families, and more often they choose healthy food
for their families.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
So that's what research tells us. And so we are advocating.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
And please ask all your listeners, call your folks at
they especially at the federal level, and say we care
about programs like SNAP. And as I tell people all
the time, clearly, you know, I know your heart, Loraine,
and I know how much you've done community work for
decades in our city and region. And obviously I'm committed
doing service as well. We're committed to putting people first.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
But maybe there's a listener.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Out there or an ELECTI official out there who doesn't
care about people as much, then you know what I
say to them. If you care about the economy, you
got to support SNAP, because I think for every dollar
that we're spending in SNAP, it's like one I think
a dollar and thirty.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
Goes back into the community.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
And I'll tell you a stat that would start interesting
to me a couple of years ago when SNAP was
reduced a couple of years ago, it costs the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania grocery stores two billion dollars with a billion
with a bat. And so this money that's going into
somebody's pocket, it's money that people are then investing back
in the economy. So yes, please fall on your elected
(13:07):
officials strickly at the federal level, but at all levels
and say rhames like snap that allow people to make
choices for their families but also support our economy.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
We should all be supporting that absolutely.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
If people want more information about Philibundance, whether they want
to give, they want to volunteer or find out more
about how they can be advocates to help people step
out of being food insecure, how do they find out more?
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Yeah, definitely encourage you to visit our website www dot
Philipbundance dot org, but also follow us on social media.
We have a lot of information there about our action
alerts and encourage people to reach out to government officials.
But yes, the one one dot org. Please come volunteer
with us. We'd love to have you.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Fantastic. Hilarie Jones, who is CEO of Philibundon's, thank you
so much.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Thank you loring.
Speaker 5 (14:03):
Today my new dad through a barbecue.
Speaker 6 (14:05):
Today, my new son and I through a barbecue.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
There were burgers and chicken.
Speaker 6 (14:10):
I burn everything, the burgers, the chicken, the salad. They
were delicious, they were awful. And then and then we
had watermelon. I'm allergic to watermelon.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
And then we played catch.
Speaker 6 (14:26):
I broke mister Lewis's window, Missus Wakem's window, Missus Wakem's windshield.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
And then somehow my.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
Hand my hand.
Speaker 6 (14:38):
And then my dad even let me drive his car
Hospitals down the right. It was a rough day, it
was a great day.
Speaker 7 (14:47):
You don't have to be perfect to be a perfect parent.
Thousands of kids in foster care will take you just
as you are. For more information on how you can adopt,
visit adopt us Kids dot org. A public service announcement
from the US Department of Health and Human Service, adopt
us Kids and the ad Council.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Celebrate Mexican Week April twenty seventh through May. First join
us for a week of vibrant culture, history, and community,
starting with a free screening of A Million Miles Away
on the twenty seventh, explore of powerful stories at Rosenbax
Race and Revolution Tour, Save her a six course Wahakan tasting,
enjoy a festive Dia del Ninho celebration, and cap it
(15:23):
off at the Friends of Mexico Awards Luncheon. For the
full schedule and tickets, visit Mexicanculturalcenter dot org. You're listening
to what's going on today, we're spotlighting City Step and
(15:45):
inspiring arts and service organization at the University of Pennsylvania
that brings college students into local Philadelphia schools to teach
dance as a tool for self expression, collaboration, and joy.
Run entirely by penn students, City Step strengthens the bond
between university and community, culminating each year in a dynamic
(16:05):
student performance that reflects the kid's own stories and creativity.
This year's production, Homecoming, explored the theme of what home
means and features over fifty children from Philadelphia public schools.
To tell us more about City Step, we are joined
by Sabrina Peck, founder of City Step and executive director,
Miles Maleine, City Step Penn alumn and current liaison, and
(16:29):
Lee Pernell, CEO of Southwest Leadership Academy Charter school. So
I'm so excited because I was actually a dance major
as an undergrad, and somehow I got off the track
and here I am in radio. But I've always had
a great love of dance and understand how much it
can contribute to so many things, artistic expression, well being,
(16:51):
so many things. So, Sabrina, take us back to the beginning.
What inspired you to start City Step and why use
dance as a way to uplift and union five students.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (17:01):
Well, I started City Step while I was a student
at Harvard forty years ago. You know, I wanted to.
I said a very strong impulse that I wanted to
give kids a voice. I wanted them to feel like
they mattered, and I wanted to bring kids together and
give them a sense of connection and belonging. I'm a
theater director and choreographer, so movement was the language that
(17:24):
I used to make that happen. I brought teams of
college students into sid arounding city schools to teach a
year long curriculum of creative self expression and community building
through dance. I directed two end of year shows featuring
scores of city kids and their City Step teachers about
a theme relevant to growing up in the city, and
(17:46):
then I passed it on to student leaders and it's
been passed down from student to student ever since. I
mean to your question, why dance it turns out that
physicality in the form of dance comes naturally to kids,
and it's an accessible and powerful language for expression, especially
when like it is with City Step, based on the
(18:07):
way kids naturally move with runs and jumps and leaps,
I found that it was not only appealing to kids,
it was necessary. And then twenty years ago the idea
caught on with Penn Students and Cities to Pen was launched,
and for the past twenty years, the Penn students have
worked tirelessly and enthusiastically in the Philadelphia schools and they've
(18:32):
been teaching and performing with Philly school children. The Penn
students just just incredibly dedicated. They teach twice a week
during the school day for an entire year, and students
on campus actually compete, if you could believe it, for
the privilege of being one of the forty that are
chosen by their peers to teach with City Step. It's
(18:52):
that popular.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
Very excited to speak with Miles, as a City Step
alum and Philly native, what stands out to you about
the joy, connection and growth that this program offers both
for the kids and also for the college students.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
Yes, of course, thank you so simply said, City Step
Pen was hands down one of the most meaningful parts
of my time at PEN, and just in general and
life so far. I was involved all four years of
undergrad as a teacher, co events coordinator, and eventually co director,
and now I'm proud to stay connected as a liaison
(19:30):
and a board member. And then after graduating in Penn
in twenty twenty two, I was so inspired to continue
all of the work I had started in City Step
with cohesion, connection and uplifting community. That was inspired to
pursue a Master of Bioethics at Harvard Medical School, and
I'm now preparing for a career in medicine philosophy and
(19:52):
all of that. Really, I would say it's directly inspired
by City Steps impact on me. And now I'm also
really excited to be helping to spearhead the City Step
pen Mental Health Committee and looking to support the social, emotional,
and mental well being of all of the kids we
work with. But Cities to Pen is so special to me,
(20:12):
mostly because how it creates a very cohesive community between
not just the college students, but also between the kids
themselves and between the kids and us. The program brings
together students from underrepresented groups. Mostly we work with the
public school district just imagining how US college students come
(20:36):
from hugely vast and different walks of life. That dynamic
creates such a powerful and reciprocal space of cultural exchange,
and we always, i would say, find ourselves learning either
just as much from the kids or even more than
what we bring through our curricula. And just every year
watching everything culminate into the final performance, really it always
(21:00):
just makes our work so meaningful, and watching the kids
perform for their families always makes everything feel very tangible
and just as a reminder of why the work matters
so much. And witnessing joy and confidence and collaboration walk
out of the classroom onto a stage really is almost
(21:24):
inexplicably beautiful to watch. And once something I always stick,
something that always sticks to me to this day is
just how many kids say that they want to go
to college just because of their participation in City Step
pen So that is something that's really beautiful to me.
And then my last little statement is just how special
(21:46):
the City Step curriculum is. We employ a pedagogy grounded
in empathy, and I even have the opportunity to do
a little internship with Sabrina and citystep dot org when
I was at pen as an undergrad where we researched
the role of empathy and arts education, and City Step
(22:06):
is exemplary of what a kind of pedagogy can do.
My project helped me understand how city Steps pedagogy already
employs and centrist empathy as a tool for self expression,
mutual understanding, community building, and just about how our curriculum,
even though it's dance based, isn't just about danced at all.
(22:28):
It's really about values and humanity.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
I love that.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
So I just am obsessed and think City Step is
a savior for what the future of education looks like
in Philadelphia.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
That's a beautiful obsession. And I'm so proud to see
how far you have come and how city Step has
really inspired you and that you in turn have inspired others. Now, Lee,
what impact has city Step had on your students at
Southwest Leadership Academy, especially when it comes to emotional wellbeing,
community building, and and that last word that Miles said, empathy.
(23:03):
I mean, we need empathy now more than ever.
Speaker 8 (23:07):
We absolutely do so at Southwest Leadership, city Step works
with our fifth grade students and they've been with us
for the past ten years. I've been in my role
at Southwest for the last eight years, and so I'm
able to see the development of the students from the
very first day that they're working with their City Step
mentors until their final performance, and they show a growth
(23:30):
in confidence right as well as in their teamwork. Empathy
absolutely comes through from the work that they do with
their City Step mentors. They have to learn how to
work together, they have to learn their choreography, but more
than anything, they get opportunities and exposure.
Speaker 4 (23:47):
Right.
Speaker 8 (23:47):
So one thing that Miles talked about is the fact
that students will say to him at the end that
they're interested in going to college. So what they left
out was that not only do they come to the
school to teach dance to the students, but they also
take the students out into the community. They take the
students to visit the University of Pennsylvania's campus, so the
students have opportunities for Saturday field trips. They actually performed
(24:10):
at halftime at a basketball game this year, and so
this gives them a chance to really shine. Especially for
students who may not always be successful in traditional ways,
this is another way for them to step up, to
show some additional skill, to demonstrate some leadership, and certainly
to build confidence and to be able.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
To perform as leaders in our school community.
Speaker 8 (24:34):
So we are extraordinarily grateful for our tenure partnership with
City Step.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Yeah. Well, several of the key elements related to raising
a successful child is providing possibility and exposing them to
all of this new stuff, whether it stands, whether it's
going to pen and seeing people that you could If
you see it, you can be it. These are all
things that are really important when we come to developing
(24:59):
young people. Now, you had this big event called Homecoming.
Let's just talk about the story behind it and a
little bit about the shape of it and what the
performance is all about. And basically, Sabrina, just tell us
more about this performance and what it meant to perform it.
Speaker 5 (25:19):
Yeah, I mean, our end of year shows are always
based on the theme that's relevant to kids, and they
help shape what that theme will be and how each
classroom is going to explore it in their own distinct way.
This year's theme, Homecoming, is really an exploration of home
(25:39):
and it's about what that means on a personal level
for kids, what it means in terms of their home
city of Philadelphia, and then also because of the twentieth
anniversary of City Step pen, homecoming also has a double
meaning for the Penn campus and the alumni of City
(26:01):
Step who are coming back for this twenty year kind
of reunion. And so elements like the spirit Squad, the
homecoming football team, the marching band do figure also into
the production, you know, as a nod to those other
kinds of expressions of camaraderie and teamwork that are core
(26:23):
to City Step.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Yeah, well, let's talk about the future City Step. How
can we support you? What's ahead?
Speaker 5 (26:31):
Well, we're so jazzed by the fact that students on
multiple college campuses have been excited to start study step programs.
And part of the reason that I and others started
the nonprofit citystep dot org was to support their work
and to help city Step expand. So we're now at
(26:51):
City Step Yale, City Step Columbia. We just launched cities
deput Chicago, and as you know, the strongest City Step
Pen in addition to the flap City Step Harvard. So
I'm hard at work right now on a toolkit. It's
the model, the method, the manual, the complete how to
of how to launch and run a city Step program,
(27:11):
complete with training videos and an iPhone app that could
put exercises in the hands of students. So right now
we're looking to the future. We're looking to bring this
city Step experience, this transformative experience of creativity and joy
and connection and mentorship to many more communities. So if
(27:33):
you are a college student on another campus and thinking
about starting a city Step program, certainly reach out an
educator interested, a college administrator interested, and anyone who wants
to come support our work. I urge you to go
to citystep dot org, slash donate and make a tax
deductible donation because we need all the support we can get.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
Fantastic dance is so critical. I am a huge dance fan,
having been a dance major in college. Well, of course
I thought I was going to be in the Alvinilly
Dance Troupe. But you know, by my sophomore year, I
realize that ain't happening. But I still love it, and
I still support it, and I love what you're doing.
Sabrina Peck, founder of City Step, executive director of citystep
(28:17):
dot Org. Miles Maline, who's City Step pen alum and
current Liison and Lee Pernell, CEO of Southwest Leadership Academy
Charter School, which has been a great recipient of the
work of City Step. So thank you all for joining
us here today and good luck going forward.
Speaker 4 (28:33):
Thank you, thank you so much.
Speaker 5 (28:35):
Thank you, Loreen.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
You can check out City Steps performance Homecoming, which explores
the theme of what home means and features over fifty
children from Philadelphia schools performing alongside their pen mentors. That's
at the Annenberg Center on Sunday, April twenty seventh at
three pm. You can listen to all of today's interviews
by going to our station website and typing in keyword community,
(29:00):
and also listen on the iHeartRadio app yy Words Philadelphia
Community Podcast. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at Lorraine Ballard.
I'm Lorraine Ballard MOREL and I stand for service to
our community and media that empowers. What will you stand for?
You've been listening to what's going on, and thank you
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