September 15, 2023 • 30 mins
Power Street Theatre in Philadelphia is a vibrant and culturally significant institution that stands as a beacon of artistic expression in the heart of the city. Founded with a mission to empower marginalized voices and create meaningful social change through the performing arts, this theater has become a driving force for inclusivity and representation in the Philadelphia arts scene. I speak to
Erlina Ortiz, Power Street Theatre, resident playwright and general manager.
https://www.powerstreettheatre.com/
@powerstreettheatreco (Instagram and YouTube)
With the continual growth of infrastructure and urban development, there is a constant demand for skilled professionals in this field. From carpenters, electricians, and plumbers to architects, engineers, and project managers. We'll tell you about a Hiring Fair for construction and building trades professionals. sponsored by PHDC and JEVS Orleans Technical College. I speak to David Thomas, President & CEO of PHDC and JEVS Waleska Maldonado, Chief of Programs. · Websites & Social:
o https://phdcphila.org/developers-and-contractors/
o https://phdcphila.org/
o For Job Seekers to RSVP or for business owners to have a table: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/building-construction-trades-hiring-fair-tickets-637554471587
o https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2FPHLPlanDevelop
o https://www.facebook.com/PHLPlanDevelop/
Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia is a privately funded program, whose mission is to provide financial access for students from under-resourced Philadelphia families to safe, high-quality, tuition-based schools. CSFP will start taking scholarship applications for the 2024-2025 school year starting September 27th. Keisha Jordan, CEO and Executive Director, Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia gives us the details on who qualifies and how to apply.
Website: www.csfphiladelphia.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/csfphiladelphia
Instagram: www.instagram.com/csfphiladelphia
Twitter: www.twitter.com/
Erlina Ortiz, Power Street Theatre, resident playwright and general manager.
https://www.powerstreettheatre.com/
@powerstreettheatreco (Instagram and YouTube)
With the continual growth of infrastructure and urban development, there is a constant demand for skilled professionals in this field. From carpenters, electricians, and plumbers to architects, engineers, and project managers. We'll tell you about a Hiring Fair for construction and building trades professionals. sponsored by PHDC and JEVS Orleans Technical College. I speak to David Thomas, President & CEO of PHDC and JEVS Waleska Maldonado, Chief of Programs. · Websites & Social:
o https://phdcphila.org/developers-and-contractors/
o https://phdcphila.org/
o For Job Seekers to RSVP or for business owners to have a table: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/building-construction-trades-hiring-fair-tickets-637554471587
o https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2FPHLPlanDevelop
o https://www.facebook.com/PHLPlanDevelop/
Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia is a privately funded program, whose mission is to provide financial access for students from under-resourced Philadelphia families to safe, high-quality, tuition-based schools. CSFP will start taking scholarship applications for the 2024-2025 school year starting September 27th. Keisha Jordan, CEO and Executive Director, Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia gives us the details on who qualifies and how to apply.
Website: www.csfphiladelphia.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/csfphiladelphia
Instagram: www.instagram.com/csfphiladelphia
Twitter: www.twitter.com/
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Good morning and welcome to What's goingon? A show about making a difference
in our lives and our communities.I'm Lorraine Ballard Moral. With the continued
growth of infrastructure and urban development,there's a constant demand for skilled professionals in
the building and construction trades. Willtell you about a hiring fare for construction
and building trade professional sponsored by PHDZand Jev's Orleans Technical College. Education is
(00:23):
the key to opportunities and we're delightedto bring back Keisha Jordan from the Children's
Scholarship Fund Philadelphia, whose mission isto provide financial access for students from under
resourced Philadelphia families to save high qualityto wish and based schools. First Power
Street Theater in Philadelphia is a vibrantand culturally significant institution that stands as a
(00:44):
beacon of artistic expression in the heartof the city. Founded with a mission
to empower marginalized voices and create meaningfulsocial change through the performing arts, this
theater's has become a driving force forinclusivity and representation in Philadelphia's arts see it
remains a testament to the transformative powerof the arts in our society, bringing
stories to life and giving voice tothose who have been historically unheard. Joining
(01:08):
us right now is the resident playwrightand General manager of Power Street Theater,
or Lena Ortiz. Thank you somuch for joining us today. Thank you
for having me. When you arecelebrating your tenth anniversary, tell us more.
Yes, this year is our Ijust had on my time hoop app
pop up a picture of us tenyears ago. Well, that must have
(01:30):
been an exciting day. Give usmore details about who you are. Of
course, we are an artist ledorganization. That's how we started was artists
coming together to create our own thingand do our own thing. And the
first thing that really inspired all ofthe work that we've ever done has been
the North Philadelphia community. Our firstshow that we ever did was about gentrification
(01:53):
in North Philadelphia. It was aboutand Abuela of the neighborhood, Mama Julia,
who rents out her apartment because sheor her home because she can no
longer afford it due to the risingcosts, and so it ends up kind
of becoming a little bit of anodd a couple of odd couples, different
(02:13):
students and things. And so whenwe did that performance for the first time
at Daiere, Puerto Ricano in NorthPhiladelphia, seeing the community come out and
seeing like wow, the Puerto RicansDominican diaspora community here really wants to support
theater and really enjoys seeing their storysold on stage. And so ever since
then, that's kind of where ourmission blossomed out of and so now we've
(02:38):
extended. We've done a show ayear up until twenty nineteen, and then
we took a break because of thepandemic, even though we were doing a
lot of virtual programming during that time, including a children's show and a musical
that we call the Zoomsical. Andnow we're coming back with our next big
show, the actual musical, nextyear. But in the meantime, we've
(02:59):
had a lot of community event andwe have adult classes, free bilingual adult
classes that we've been running in thecommunity going on five or six years now.
We've expanded a lot throughout the years, from just us as a little
artist wanting to be on stage performingand showing our talent, to realizing what
theater and storytelling really does mean toa community, and then also wanting that
(03:20):
community to be able to engage withthe arts more than just during the one
show a year. That we weredoing, and so now we're every month
we got something going on. Well, that's pretty great. And really,
what power Street Theater exemplifies is theopportunity to give unheard voices a voice and
be able to tell stories that areoften untold. There's so much of our
(03:43):
history, not only as a communitybut as a nation that has vast amounts
of blanks because those stories have notbeen told. And that sounds like what
you're all about. Yes, culturalpreservation has become a big part of it,
and that's one of the reasons whywe have our adult classes. I
encourage students. You know, alot of folks that come to these classes
(04:03):
are not or they would say I'mnot a writer, or a quote has
that I've heard before is I don'thave an artistic bone in my body,
but something calls them to sign upfor a class to express themselves. A
lot of times just because they havea story to tell, they have a
family history to tell, they havesomething they've experienced uniquely themselves that they don't
realize how important it is for themto share it. And then when they
(04:24):
do, and when you have anaudience of people going, wow, thank
you for sharing your story, Itreally is a transformative, consciousness shifting experience
for people preserving the culture. Tellingour stories, let not letting ourselves be
erased is a huge part of whatpower Street stands for. Also, there
is something uniquely engaging about theater.We're so inundated with media of all different
(04:47):
kinds, whether we're streaming movies orwe're watching TikTok, or we're scrolling through
our doom, scrolling through our phones. There is something uniquely engaging about being
in a theater with live performances.And I wonder if you can talk a
little more about what the special natureis of theater. Theater is a mix
(05:10):
of so many different mediums. It'sa visual art, it's an audio art.
It's music. It's a chance tosee our humanity reflected back at us
live. It's play. When you'rewatching actors on stage, it's just watching
some people play. We all knowhow to play when we're young. We
all know how to pretend and pretendto be our parents, pretend to peel
the people around us, and thathelps us understand our own humanity and the
(05:34):
humanity of people around us. Andalso the live aspect of a community sitting
together, coming together and saying weall took time out of our night to
night to come and support this artand to laugh together, to cry together,
to have that moment of gas together. You know, there's really we
love going through the movie theaters,right, I mean going to the movies
is I something that I love doinggrowing up. And I think the thing
(05:57):
that I always loved about it isthe spectacle. I go to see the
movies when I want to see likea big movie that's going to be splashy
and have like lots of color andsound, and then also for the people
around me, some movies aren't eventhat good, but if you watch it
with an audience that's having a reaction, then it's suddenly a different experience.
But then when you add on topof that the fact that when you're watching
a live show, that is theonly time ever that you will see that
(06:21):
show, you this audience at thismoment is unique. It will never happen
again, it will never exist again. A movie is not like that.
A movie is the same thing overand over again. So I think there's
something about that danger and risk whenyou're going to see a live performance that
just adds a whole another And alsothat you're feeling the emotions of the actors
in a very different way. Whenan actor is on stage crying, it
(06:42):
wasn't something that was recorded a yearago. They are in that moment sharing
their emotion. When they're laughing,they are really laughing, you know,
if they're doing a good job.So, yeah, I think it's just
it's a special thing, and Ithink that it's something that builds empathy in
a very different way than just readinga book or reading a play. You're
going to see a movie, whenyou are experiencing the emotion of somebody else
(07:03):
in front of you, you willhopefully not be able to help feel some
sort of empathy for the humanity withinthat person, even if they don't see
in humans you. So I thinkthat that's something that really we need.
We need in our society is moreempathy, more community coming together, more
understanding of our stories and all thedifferent places that we come from. Early
(07:25):
in to tell us about all ofthe events that you have coming up.
What are you doing to celebrate thatten year anniversary. We have so much
coming up this year. We havea big festival, the Soul Tree Fest,
coming up on October seventh at theLighthouse Field in North Philly. That's
an all day eleven to six events. There's going to be a children's section,
there's going to be an open micstage, there's going to be a
(07:46):
mainstage performance. There's gonna be abeer guarded, I mean, food trucks,
art venders. It's going to bea very very fun day. So
planning to come out October seventh,some time between eleven and five, and
we're looking for vendors. So ifyou have an organization or something that you
want to know what you want tobe at the festival and get a chance
to have all those audience members comeout and see what you're about, then
(08:07):
go to Power Street Theater's website.And then it's all leading up to a
big musical June first, twenty twentyfour. We're casting and hiring and getting
everything ready now to go into rehearsalsin April. That show is called Siluetas
has the themes of displacement, migrationand home and it's a musical. It's
(08:28):
new, it's got a lot ofhistory behind it. So as soon as
those tickets are open, you shoulddefinitely go get your ticket because I have
a feeling it's going to sell outso many other things going on, but
just go to Power Streets website orto our Instagram or social media. We
have everything updated on there. There'salways free events, free classes, story
circles and things going on festivals,open mics. So if you're looking to
(08:50):
engage with some art in a verylow stakes, high reward way, then
hit up Power Street Theater. ThereLena Ortiz Power Street the resident playwright and
general manager of Power Street Theater,a vibrant and culturally significant institution that stands
as a beacon of artistic expression inthe heart of the city. Thank you
(09:11):
so much. Thank you you're listeningto what's going on. If you are
looking for life sustaining careers, youdon't have to look very far. You
can look at construction and building trades. Jobs are actually abundant and diverse.
(09:31):
With a continued growth of infrastructure andurban development, there is a constant demand
for skilled professionals in the field.We're going to be talking about some opportunities.
We're going to talk about an upcomingjob fair, and we'll also be
speaking with a couple of folks willtell us all about it. Dave Thomas,
President and CEO of PhDc, andalso, well, let's go Maldonado.
(09:52):
Chief of Programs for JEVS, DaveThomas, tell us about this upcoming
event that's happening on the twentieth,a job fair that is looking for people
to get into the construction trades.Tell us all about it. Thank you,
Lorraine. So happy to be hereagain. As you know, this
is our third year partnering with JEBSon our hiring fair. This really came
(10:16):
about as a result of us workingwith a multitude of small contractors in Philadelphia
helping us repair homes throughout the city, trying to help them build capacity,
and in many of the conversations thatI had, they struggled to identify folks
that fit the needs. And youknow, I thought it would be a
(10:37):
good idea to put those folks together, those contractors, if you will,
with the technical schools that are trainingstudents so to fill the voids. And
when I first approached Orleans three yearsago, we saw this as a win
win opportunity and it's grown ever since. We're looking at not only folks in
the building construction trades, but we'rewe're actually broadening our reach. We're looking
(11:03):
at all types of opportunities through ourcity of Philadelphia. We have PICO coming
out, we have PGW coming out, we have a lot of contractors coming
out looking for trade skills apprentices.We see this as an opportunity to help
further what we do at PhDc,which is building community. No no better
(11:24):
way than build community than finding opportunitiesfor one point. Absolutely. Now,
well, let's gay, let's talkabout jeffs involvement. JEFS provides a lot
of just a wealth of training programsin construction fields and also in other areas
of employment. Tell us more aboutthat. So I think we realize to
Jeffs. JEFFS is octuity multi serviceorganization and we have reached not only here
(11:48):
in Philadelphia, but we also haveprograms outside in New Jersey and other comedies
within Pennsylvania. Our goal is tomake sure that we have an array of
services that is able to ensure thatwe're able to meet not only the immediate
social needs that we're seeing with theclients that we serve, but we also
have education and workforce. The ideais that you know, not only within
(12:11):
JEZZ, we also work with partnerslike PhDc to be able to have a
complemental services that you meet the needsof the clients that come to our doors.
One of the pieces that I haveto say is that I am so
excited about this job here that's comingup, particularly because there's so much need
as it relates to, you know, the workforce and making sure that we
(12:33):
have not only the training that isnecessary, but also the individuals that have
the skills to be able to engagea little bit about Orleans Technical College,
So we are a college. Wehave been providing services in Philadelphia for almost
fifty years fifty years next year,so about forty nine years, and our
(12:54):
goal is to be able to trainand certify individuals around air conditioning, refrigeration,
heating, really maintenance, carpentry,probinum heating, and residential and commercial
electricity. These trades are actually amost important because what we're seeing is is
that we have a workforce that ifwe're able to merge the need of that
(13:20):
workforce with our training programs, werethen able to deliver a pool of human
capital that is able to continue tobuild our community. As David mentioned,
yeah, absolutely well. Having donemassive renovations on my home, I can
tell you that people who are inthe construction trades do make a very good
living. So let's talk about thepeople that you want to be here.
(13:43):
You talk about some of the smalland mid sized contractors or developers looking to
hire a great variety of different fieldslike carpentry, masonry. Tell us more
about that, and also tell usabout the people that you would like to
see come to this job. We'relooking for trades people who are new to
the industry as well as season professionals. We're looking for carpenters, hvac masons,
(14:09):
electricians, roofers, general contractors,plumbers, painters, laborers, fabricators,
heavy equipment operators. I mean,we're pretty much trying to cover the
gamut right now because we see agreat deal of need in Philadelphia and we
see an opportunity to put folks inthe right position to succeed and grow,
possibly find a career opportunity that theyhadn't thought about, like a steam fitter
(14:33):
union. So we have I thinkwe have up to a hundred employers again
this year. I don't want folksthink that this is just about the building
trades. I think well. Leskaalso pointed out, we're talking about property
maintenance, property management. I mean, so we're looking at a multitude of
things that we feel fit the needof the population of Philadelphia to create an
(14:54):
opportunity to build off and build theircareer off of. So we really want
everyone to come out. Don't thinkthat the jobs are not for you because
you don't have the skill. Wrong. I don't think that the jobs are
not for you because you're two seasons. That's wrong as well. The companies
that we've talked to are looking foreverything, and in some cases, as
Willis can point it out, somecompanies even talked about even if you don't
(15:16):
have the trade skill, but youhave the integrity and the will and determination
to just be responsible and show upon time, they're looking for you.
That's who they want. Absolutely.And you mentioned Pico being one of the
vendors coming out to look at thepotential employees. And I know that they
have numerous programs where they're willing totrain you to do line work or do
(15:41):
lots of different other types of jobswithin the company. Now, well,
let's go. I'm sure also thereare a lot of folks who say,
Okay, I don't have any skills, and I want to get those skills.
And I'm sure that you'll have peopleon site that will be able to
direct folks into training programs that willhelp them achieve those skills as well.
That is exactly the plan. Anyonethat comes into the spare be able to
(16:03):
get all the orientation and skills,but also the linkages that they might need.
The idea is that as we havea potential job seeker that might be
interested in a job in I willsay prominent hitting or building maintenance, if
they don't have that training right,the idea is that we will have counselors
and coaches on staff that will beable to help them identify what are some
(16:26):
of the skills that are needed andthen identify ways to be able to connect
them to the best possible training.Well, let's once again repeat that this
event is happening on the twentieth atOrleans Tech at twenty seven seventy Red Lion
Road right here in Philadelphia, aPhDc partnering with Jeffs Orleans Technical College for
(16:48):
a hiring fair for the construction andbuilding trades professions. And is there anything
else that you'd like to share withus? The website and where we can
go for more information. Dave,We'll start with you. One thing.
I do want to make sure thatfolks are aware is that registration is not
required, So please just come outif you have the opportunity, you have
the time, come see who werewho we're bringing out and see what opportunities
(17:11):
there were providing you. And wetalked about the national social of home builders.
And you know when we looked atthat the top twenty five percent of
most construction trade professionals earned at leastsixty thousand annually. And we know that
inflationary costs are changed dramatically to thepoint that that sixty thousand dollar number has
probably increased dramatically as well. Thisis something that we see as an opportunity
(17:33):
for people to look at career paths, career longevity, entrepreneurship, generational wealth.
So come on out, well,let's get If people want more information
about JEBS and Orleans tell us moreabout that, visit our website c B
Last or Leans. Our website isor Links Tech, that edu so or
Links Tech or the other is Whiteor Leans Technical College. And you pop
(17:56):
up on or visit us at jefstwell, you will not only find information
around the college, but you willalso find information around all the all the
multi services that Jeff provides. Thisfair is actually also being sponsored by the
City of Philadelphia Commerce Department. Well, this very exciting construction and building trades
and their related fields provide a promisingcareer path with stability and opportunities for growth,
(18:22):
and first step for that maybe comingto this job fair which is again
happening on the twentieth of September.PhDc, partnering with Jeff's Orleans Technical College
is holding this hiring fare for constructionand building trades professionals again. It's going
to be at Orleans Tech twenty sevenseventy Red Lion Road. Thank you both
(18:45):
so much for joining us here today. Dave Thomas, President and CEO of
PhDc, and well, let's GaMaldonado, chief of Programs for JEBS,
thanks for joining us today. Thankyou. My name is Matthias Tom Paulsky.
I'm President on c of the PhiladelphiaOrchestra and Kimmel Center. Please join
us on September twenty three for ourfree full arts first to open our season.
(19:08):
You can enjoy performances from the KimmelCenter's many resident companies and a free
performance by the Philadelphia Orchestra and dozensof other performances by some of the remarkable
local Philadelphia arts organizations. If youlike more information about the Philadelphia Orchestra and
Kimmel Center, visit us online atphil orc dot org or Kimmel Cultural Campus
(19:33):
dot org. Educational opportunities is verymuch about social justice and having the opportunity,
the potential for having an excellent educationis absolutely key. Well, there
is an organization that is making thathappen for so many individuals. Children's Scholarship
Fund Philadelphia is that organization. Joiningus right now, Keisha Jordan's CEO and
(19:57):
executive director. It's here to tellus all about how they provide scholarships.
And it is so exciting to haveyou back. And for those who don't
know who you are, tell uswho you are. Thank you so much,
Lorraine for inviting me today. I'mKeisha Jordan, I'm CEO at Children's
Scholarship Fund Philadelphia, and I havethe awesome privilege of serving the families of
(20:18):
about six thousand Philadelphia students and helpingparents achieve their dreams for their children through
education. And these scholarships go toprivate schools and Catholic schools. Tell us
more about where these scholarships go.Yes, so families come to Children's Scholarship
Fund Philadelphia, which is the largestK to eight private school scholarship program in
(20:41):
Pennsylvania, primarily from neighborhoods where they'vechosen not to send their children to the
public school because of academics, orsafety, or a number of reasons that
are cited, but they aren't ableto afford another option like private school,
and that's what they want for theirchildren. So they come to us.
They apply for our lottery, whichis about to launch. So I'm so
(21:03):
excited that you have me here today. Through that lottery application process, families
can win a scholarship for up tothree children in their family, and that
scholarship allows them to send their childrento the private school of their choice,
more than one hundred and sixty schoolsthroughout the city of Philadelphia and the greater
region. So we really empower parentsto make the choice of what school will
(21:27):
be best for their children. Notonly do you provide the scholarship, but
you also provide a lot of wraparoundservices and support for the students and their
parents. And I wonder if youcan tell us more about that. Absolutely,
we've taken on a stance that wereally want to embrace families once they're
in our program. This year Lorrainand we're very excited to share that anyone
(21:49):
who receives a scholarship will receive thatscholarship all the way through eighth grade without
ever having to reapply, so theyhave that stability as they come into our
program. So since we have familiesfor nine eight years at a time,
we want to make sure to supportthem. So we provide scholarships for children
(22:10):
to attend academic summer camp programs andthat's just really taken off with more and
more families participating each year. Wehave a reading program called CSFP Reads,
which is a fun kind of bookclub for kids in third through fifth grade
and for parents. We do workshopsand we ask families what kind of things
would you like to learn about,and what they've shared is financial literacy,
(22:33):
that big daunting task of applying tohigh school once they're finished with our program.
We partner with Independence Mission Schools toprovide that sort of information for families.
So the idea is to really bethere for our families and to help
their family not just on their educationaljourney, but with whatever we can with
the resources we have. And weknow that parental involvement is very much a
(22:56):
key for the successive students. You'vehad a lot of success with your students
that have been able to support themand going on to higher education. Is
that right? Absolutely? We seeevery year, year after year that our
students are achieving. So for studentswho are staying in our program through eighth
grade and going on to high school, they are graduating high school on time
(23:18):
and achieving academically during their KD twelveyears at higher rates than their peers.
And at the end of eighth grade, ninety three percent of our students are
able to select schools of choice schoolswhere they're applying in. They're getting into
magnet schools, they're going to privateschools in the city and winning scholarships to
be able to go to those schools. And we saw just before the pandemic
(23:41):
that our students were attending college ata rate three times the national four students
in the same household income range.So we're actually in the process now of
doing another research project we'll be ableto show what where we are now.
But our students are achieving and they'regoing on to higher education, trade school,
(24:03):
the services really achieving the dreams thatthey and their families have for them.
Yeah, there's nothing better than tobe able to support our kids in
achieving life sustaining careers, and that'swhat having a good educational foundation does provide.
And you want to be able togive children and students and young adults
the options, and that's what Children'sScholarship Fund does. So let's talk about
(24:27):
the mechanics of the scholarship. Sohow do you apply? And then tell
us what happens after you apply.Yes, eligible families are those who live
in the city of Philadelphia. Youhave to be a resident. You have
to have a child entering K througheight next school year. So right now,
we will launch an application for theBelieve It or Not twenty four twenty
(24:48):
five school year, and they haveto meet our income guidelines, which are
all on our website at CSF Philadelphiadot org. We really target families whose
incomes won't allow them otherwise to afforda private school education. So the guidelines
are there in very clear, Sofamilies should first look at our website.
They can sign up to receive anemail once our application launches on September twenty
(25:12):
seventh, We're going to be atCommunity Partnership School and we're going to have
a big celebration of the launch forthe year. We already have a lot
of parents signed up come and actuallyapply for a scholarship in person. So
families will be able to apply startingSeptember twenty seventh on our website CSF Philadelphia
(25:32):
dot org backslash Scholarships. It's avery easy five minute process. It's a
free process. Then families will learneither in December or March, depending on
when they apply, whether or notthey receive a scholarship. The deadline is
March first, but I really encourageyour listeners to make sure that they or
their family or neighbors apply by Novemberfifteenth. Applying by November fifteenth gives you
(25:57):
the best chance of receiving a scholarshipbecause we do get a lot of applications.
Once a family gets the notice thatthey're receiving a scholarship, then they
can start the process of looking fora school. We help them do that.
We have staff as well as resourceson our website to help you choose
a school because it can be alot to have so many great options.
(26:18):
And then we do need to checkfinancial information to ensure families qualify and then
we work together with the schools andfamilies to complete their enrollment and then they
start at their new partner school inSeptember. And as I said, then
the scholarship belongs to that child allthe way through eighth grade. That's fantastic.
And you did refer to the factthat if someone receives a scholarship,
(26:41):
then additional members of students in thefamily can also receive scholarships as well.
Absolutely, up to three students anda family can receive a scholarship. And
then of course there's the big revealwhere you announce and contact the families that
are receiving a scholarships. Tell uswhat that's like. Yeah, that is
a fantastic day called Lottery Day,and it will be on December fourteenth this
(27:04):
year, and we invite all ofour supporters to come in this year will
be at Independence Blue Cross. We'reso excited that they're hosting us this year,
and we invite our supporters to actuallymake those calls to the thousands of
families who've applied for a scholarship andthey get to be the first to say
your family is receiving a scholarship.So you can imagine how wonderful that is
(27:27):
on both ends of the phone line. Those who are interested in participating in
that can give us a call.But that's when the first group of families
will hear that they're receiving their scholarships. And I understand you've had the pleasure
of calling some of these families yourself. What does that feel like? Every
time? I always make sure Icall families, and you know, it's
(27:49):
different every time. Sometimes you getkind of disbelief because it feels like something
so far away that suddenly is ahannibal. And then sometimes you get families
so immediately they're waiting for that calland they're screaming and so happy. I
often get families sharing their stories.I often hear grandparents saying, you know,
(28:11):
I'm helping my family out and tryingto make sure that my grandchild gets
a good education sometimes that I wasn'table to have. You know, I
really get to connect with families.So every year I make sure that I
also make calls so that I cantalk to some of the families we serve.
What a joyful day that must be. Absolutely, Once again, if
people want more information, what's thewebsite? Also, what's the phone number
(28:33):
from our info. So the bestway to reach us is on the website.
We're working in a hybrid environment,so CSF Philadelphia dot org. And
we also have a live chat whichis a really good way to reach us.
From ten to four every single day, there's a live chat little bubble
that you can click on to getinformation. And then also I would say
email is also a good way toreach us, which is paperwork at CSF
(28:59):
Philadelphia dot org, all on ourwebsite. Once again, just remind us
of all the different benchmarks and deadlinesthat people need to remember. Yeah,
so the twenty seventh of September willbe the launch, so it will actually
open on our website and families cango on that very day and apply.
November fifteenth is the priority deadline,so again, if you want the very
(29:21):
best chance of receiving a scholarship,apply by November fifteenth. December fourteenth is
when we begin the process of acceptingfamilies, and then March first is the
final deadline. Thank you so muchfor joining us here today and sharing with
us this very important information that willgive so many families an opportunity to get
(29:41):
a quality education. The Children's ScholarshipFund Philadelphia is the organization. It's CEO,
Keisha Jordan, CEO and Executive directorof this Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia.
Thank you so much for joining ustoday. Thank you for having me,
Lorraine. You can listen to allof today's interviews by going to our station
website and dipping in Keyword Community.You can also listen on the iHeartRadio app
(30:03):
Gay Words Philadelphia Community Podcast. Followme on Twitter and Instagram at Lorraine Ballard.
I'm Lorraine Ballard Morrow and I standfor service to our community and media
that empowers. What will you standfor? You've been listening to what's going
on ED. Thank you
Good morning and welcome to What's goingon? A show about making a difference
in our lives and our communities.I'm Lorraine Ballard Moral. With the continued
growth of infrastructure and urban development,there's a constant demand for skilled professionals in
the building and construction trades. Willtell you about a hiring fare for construction
and building trade professional sponsored by PHDZand Jev's Orleans Technical College. Education is
(00:23):
the key to opportunities and we're delightedto bring back Keisha Jordan from the Children's
Scholarship Fund Philadelphia, whose mission isto provide financial access for students from under
resourced Philadelphia families to save high qualityto wish and based schools. First Power
Street Theater in Philadelphia is a vibrantand culturally significant institution that stands as a
(00:44):
beacon of artistic expression in the heartof the city. Founded with a mission
to empower marginalized voices and create meaningfulsocial change through the performing arts, this
theater's has become a driving force forinclusivity and representation in Philadelphia's arts see it
remains a testament to the transformative powerof the arts in our society, bringing
stories to life and giving voice tothose who have been historically unheard. Joining
(01:08):
us right now is the resident playwrightand General manager of Power Street Theater,
or Lena Ortiz. Thank you somuch for joining us today. Thank you
for having me. When you arecelebrating your tenth anniversary, tell us more.
Yes, this year is our Ijust had on my time hoop app
pop up a picture of us tenyears ago. Well, that must have
(01:30):
been an exciting day. Give usmore details about who you are. Of
course, we are an artist ledorganization. That's how we started was artists
coming together to create our own thingand do our own thing. And the
first thing that really inspired all ofthe work that we've ever done has been
the North Philadelphia community. Our firstshow that we ever did was about gentrification
(01:53):
in North Philadelphia. It was aboutand Abuela of the neighborhood, Mama Julia,
who rents out her apartment because sheor her home because she can no
longer afford it due to the risingcosts, and so it ends up kind
of becoming a little bit of anodd a couple of odd couples, different
(02:13):
students and things. And so whenwe did that performance for the first time
at Daiere, Puerto Ricano in NorthPhiladelphia, seeing the community come out and
seeing like wow, the Puerto RicansDominican diaspora community here really wants to support
theater and really enjoys seeing their storysold on stage. And so ever since
then, that's kind of where ourmission blossomed out of and so now we've
(02:38):
extended. We've done a show ayear up until twenty nineteen, and then
we took a break because of thepandemic, even though we were doing a
lot of virtual programming during that time, including a children's show and a musical
that we call the Zoomsical. Andnow we're coming back with our next big
show, the actual musical, nextyear. But in the meantime, we've
(02:59):
had a lot of community event andwe have adult classes, free bilingual adult
classes that we've been running in thecommunity going on five or six years now.
We've expanded a lot throughout the years, from just us as a little
artist wanting to be on stage performingand showing our talent, to realizing what
theater and storytelling really does mean toa community, and then also wanting that
(03:20):
community to be able to engage withthe arts more than just during the one
show a year. That we weredoing, and so now we're every month
we got something going on. Well, that's pretty great. And really,
what power Street Theater exemplifies is theopportunity to give unheard voices a voice and
be able to tell stories that areoften untold. There's so much of our
(03:43):
history, not only as a communitybut as a nation that has vast amounts
of blanks because those stories have notbeen told. And that sounds like what
you're all about. Yes, culturalpreservation has become a big part of it,
and that's one of the reasons whywe have our adult classes. I
encourage students. You know, alot of folks that come to these classes
(04:03):
are not or they would say I'mnot a writer, or a quote has
that I've heard before is I don'thave an artistic bone in my body,
but something calls them to sign upfor a class to express themselves. A
lot of times just because they havea story to tell, they have a
family history to tell, they havesomething they've experienced uniquely themselves that they don't
realize how important it is for themto share it. And then when they
(04:24):
do, and when you have anaudience of people going, wow, thank
you for sharing your story, Itreally is a transformative, consciousness shifting experience
for people preserving the culture. Tellingour stories, let not letting ourselves be
erased is a huge part of whatpower Street stands for. Also, there
is something uniquely engaging about theater.We're so inundated with media of all different
(04:47):
kinds, whether we're streaming movies orwe're watching TikTok, or we're scrolling through
our doom, scrolling through our phones. There is something uniquely engaging about being
in a theater with live performances.And I wonder if you can talk a
little more about what the special natureis of theater. Theater is a mix
(05:10):
of so many different mediums. It'sa visual art, it's an audio art.
It's music. It's a chance tosee our humanity reflected back at us
live. It's play. When you'rewatching actors on stage, it's just watching
some people play. We all knowhow to play when we're young. We
all know how to pretend and pretendto be our parents, pretend to peel
the people around us, and thathelps us understand our own humanity and the
(05:34):
humanity of people around us. Andalso the live aspect of a community sitting
together, coming together and saying weall took time out of our night to
night to come and support this artand to laugh together, to cry together,
to have that moment of gas together. You know, there's really we
love going through the movie theaters,right, I mean going to the movies
is I something that I love doinggrowing up. And I think the thing
(05:57):
that I always loved about it isthe spectacle. I go to see the
movies when I want to see likea big movie that's going to be splashy
and have like lots of color andsound, and then also for the people
around me, some movies aren't eventhat good, but if you watch it
with an audience that's having a reaction, then it's suddenly a different experience.
But then when you add on topof that the fact that when you're watching
a live show, that is theonly time ever that you will see that
(06:21):
show, you this audience at thismoment is unique. It will never happen
again, it will never exist again. A movie is not like that.
A movie is the same thing overand over again. So I think there's
something about that danger and risk whenyou're going to see a live performance that
just adds a whole another And alsothat you're feeling the emotions of the actors
in a very different way. Whenan actor is on stage crying, it
(06:42):
wasn't something that was recorded a yearago. They are in that moment sharing
their emotion. When they're laughing,they are really laughing, you know,
if they're doing a good job.So, yeah, I think it's just
it's a special thing, and Ithink that it's something that builds empathy in
a very different way than just readinga book or reading a play. You're
going to see a movie, whenyou are experiencing the emotion of somebody else
(07:03):
in front of you, you willhopefully not be able to help feel some
sort of empathy for the humanity withinthat person, even if they don't see
in humans you. So I thinkthat that's something that really we need.
We need in our society is moreempathy, more community coming together, more
understanding of our stories and all thedifferent places that we come from. Early
(07:25):
in to tell us about all ofthe events that you have coming up.
What are you doing to celebrate thatten year anniversary. We have so much
coming up this year. We havea big festival, the Soul Tree Fest,
coming up on October seventh at theLighthouse Field in North Philly. That's
an all day eleven to six events. There's going to be a children's section,
there's going to be an open micstage, there's going to be a
(07:46):
mainstage performance. There's gonna be abeer guarded, I mean, food trucks,
art venders. It's going to bea very very fun day. So
planning to come out October seventh,some time between eleven and five, and
we're looking for vendors. So ifyou have an organization or something that you
want to know what you want tobe at the festival and get a chance
to have all those audience members comeout and see what you're about, then
(08:07):
go to Power Street Theater's website.And then it's all leading up to a
big musical June first, twenty twentyfour. We're casting and hiring and getting
everything ready now to go into rehearsalsin April. That show is called Siluetas
has the themes of displacement, migrationand home and it's a musical. It's
(08:28):
new, it's got a lot ofhistory behind it. So as soon as
those tickets are open, you shoulddefinitely go get your ticket because I have
a feeling it's going to sell outso many other things going on, but
just go to Power Streets website orto our Instagram or social media. We
have everything updated on there. There'salways free events, free classes, story
circles and things going on festivals,open mics. So if you're looking to
(08:50):
engage with some art in a verylow stakes, high reward way, then
hit up Power Street Theater. ThereLena Ortiz Power Street the resident playwright and
general manager of Power Street Theater,a vibrant and culturally significant institution that stands
as a beacon of artistic expression inthe heart of the city. Thank you
(09:11):
so much. Thank you you're listeningto what's going on. If you are
looking for life sustaining careers, youdon't have to look very far. You
can look at construction and building trades. Jobs are actually abundant and diverse.
(09:31):
With a continued growth of infrastructure andurban development, there is a constant demand
for skilled professionals in the field.We're going to be talking about some opportunities.
We're going to talk about an upcomingjob fair, and we'll also be
speaking with a couple of folks willtell us all about it. Dave Thomas,
President and CEO of PhDc, andalso, well, let's go Maldonado.
(09:52):
Chief of Programs for JEVS, DaveThomas, tell us about this upcoming
event that's happening on the twentieth,a job fair that is looking for people
to get into the construction trades.Tell us all about it. Thank you,
Lorraine. So happy to be hereagain. As you know, this
is our third year partnering with JEBSon our hiring fair. This really came
(10:16):
about as a result of us workingwith a multitude of small contractors in Philadelphia
helping us repair homes throughout the city, trying to help them build capacity,
and in many of the conversations thatI had, they struggled to identify folks
that fit the needs. And youknow, I thought it would be a
(10:37):
good idea to put those folks together, those contractors, if you will,
with the technical schools that are trainingstudents so to fill the voids. And
when I first approached Orleans three yearsago, we saw this as a win
win opportunity and it's grown ever since. We're looking at not only folks in
the building construction trades, but we'rewe're actually broadening our reach. We're looking
(11:03):
at all types of opportunities through ourcity of Philadelphia. We have PICO coming
out, we have PGW coming out, we have a lot of contractors coming
out looking for trade skills apprentices.We see this as an opportunity to help
further what we do at PhDc,which is building community. No no better
(11:24):
way than build community than finding opportunitiesfor one point. Absolutely. Now,
well, let's gay, let's talkabout jeffs involvement. JEFS provides a lot
of just a wealth of training programsin construction fields and also in other areas
of employment. Tell us more aboutthat. So I think we realize to
Jeffs. JEFFS is octuity multi serviceorganization and we have reached not only here
(11:48):
in Philadelphia, but we also haveprograms outside in New Jersey and other comedies
within Pennsylvania. Our goal is tomake sure that we have an array of
services that is able to ensure thatwe're able to meet not only the immediate
social needs that we're seeing with theclients that we serve, but we also
have education and workforce. The ideais that you know, not only within
(12:11):
JEZZ, we also work with partnerslike PhDc to be able to have a
complemental services that you meet the needsof the clients that come to our doors.
One of the pieces that I haveto say is that I am so
excited about this job here that's comingup, particularly because there's so much need
as it relates to, you know, the workforce and making sure that we
(12:33):
have not only the training that isnecessary, but also the individuals that have
the skills to be able to engagea little bit about Orleans Technical College,
So we are a college. Wehave been providing services in Philadelphia for almost
fifty years fifty years next year,so about forty nine years, and our
(12:54):
goal is to be able to trainand certify individuals around air conditioning, refrigeration,
heating, really maintenance, carpentry,probinum heating, and residential and commercial
electricity. These trades are actually amost important because what we're seeing is is
that we have a workforce that ifwe're able to merge the need of that
(13:20):
workforce with our training programs, werethen able to deliver a pool of human
capital that is able to continue tobuild our community. As David mentioned,
yeah, absolutely well. Having donemassive renovations on my home, I can
tell you that people who are inthe construction trades do make a very good
living. So let's talk about thepeople that you want to be here.
(13:43):
You talk about some of the smalland mid sized contractors or developers looking to
hire a great variety of different fieldslike carpentry, masonry. Tell us more
about that, and also tell usabout the people that you would like to
see come to this job. We'relooking for trades people who are new to
the industry as well as season professionals. We're looking for carpenters, hvac masons,
(14:09):
electricians, roofers, general contractors,plumbers, painters, laborers, fabricators,
heavy equipment operators. I mean,we're pretty much trying to cover the
gamut right now because we see agreat deal of need in Philadelphia and we
see an opportunity to put folks inthe right position to succeed and grow,
possibly find a career opportunity that theyhadn't thought about, like a steam fitter
(14:33):
union. So we have I thinkwe have up to a hundred employers again
this year. I don't want folksthink that this is just about the building
trades. I think well. Leskaalso pointed out, we're talking about property
maintenance, property management. I mean, so we're looking at a multitude of
things that we feel fit the needof the population of Philadelphia to create an
(14:54):
opportunity to build off and build theircareer off of. So we really want
everyone to come out. Don't thinkthat the jobs are not for you because
you don't have the skill. Wrong. I don't think that the jobs are
not for you because you're two seasons. That's wrong as well. The companies
that we've talked to are looking foreverything, and in some cases, as
Willis can point it out, somecompanies even talked about even if you don't
(15:16):
have the trade skill, but youhave the integrity and the will and determination
to just be responsible and show upon time, they're looking for you.
That's who they want. Absolutely.And you mentioned Pico being one of the
vendors coming out to look at thepotential employees. And I know that they
have numerous programs where they're willing totrain you to do line work or do
(15:41):
lots of different other types of jobswithin the company. Now, well,
let's go. I'm sure also thereare a lot of folks who say,
Okay, I don't have any skills, and I want to get those skills.
And I'm sure that you'll have peopleon site that will be able to
direct folks into training programs that willhelp them achieve those skills as well.
That is exactly the plan. Anyonethat comes into the spare be able to
(16:03):
get all the orientation and skills,but also the linkages that they might need.
The idea is that as we havea potential job seeker that might be
interested in a job in I willsay prominent hitting or building maintenance, if
they don't have that training right,the idea is that we will have counselors
and coaches on staff that will beable to help them identify what are some
(16:26):
of the skills that are needed andthen identify ways to be able to connect
them to the best possible training.Well, let's once again repeat that this
event is happening on the twentieth atOrleans Tech at twenty seven seventy Red Lion
Road right here in Philadelphia, aPhDc partnering with Jeffs Orleans Technical College for
(16:48):
a hiring fair for the construction andbuilding trades professions. And is there anything
else that you'd like to share withus? The website and where we can
go for more information. Dave,We'll start with you. One thing.
I do want to make sure thatfolks are aware is that registration is not
required, So please just come outif you have the opportunity, you have
the time, come see who werewho we're bringing out and see what opportunities
(17:11):
there were providing you. And wetalked about the national social of home builders.
And you know when we looked atthat the top twenty five percent of
most construction trade professionals earned at leastsixty thousand annually. And we know that
inflationary costs are changed dramatically to thepoint that that sixty thousand dollar number has
probably increased dramatically as well. Thisis something that we see as an opportunity
(17:33):
for people to look at career paths, career longevity, entrepreneurship, generational wealth.
So come on out, well,let's get If people want more information
about JEBS and Orleans tell us moreabout that, visit our website c B
Last or Leans. Our website isor Links Tech, that edu so or
Links Tech or the other is Whiteor Leans Technical College. And you pop
(17:56):
up on or visit us at jefstwell, you will not only find information
around the college, but you willalso find information around all the all the
multi services that Jeff provides. Thisfair is actually also being sponsored by the
City of Philadelphia Commerce Department. Well, this very exciting construction and building trades
and their related fields provide a promisingcareer path with stability and opportunities for growth,
(18:22):
and first step for that maybe comingto this job fair which is again
happening on the twentieth of September.PhDc, partnering with Jeff's Orleans Technical College
is holding this hiring fare for constructionand building trades professionals again. It's going
to be at Orleans Tech twenty sevenseventy Red Lion Road. Thank you both
(18:45):
so much for joining us here today. Dave Thomas, President and CEO of
PhDc, and well, let's GaMaldonado, chief of Programs for JEBS,
thanks for joining us today. Thankyou. My name is Matthias Tom Paulsky.
I'm President on c of the PhiladelphiaOrchestra and Kimmel Center. Please join
us on September twenty three for ourfree full arts first to open our season.
(19:08):
You can enjoy performances from the KimmelCenter's many resident companies and a free
performance by the Philadelphia Orchestra and dozensof other performances by some of the remarkable
local Philadelphia arts organizations. If youlike more information about the Philadelphia Orchestra and
Kimmel Center, visit us online atphil orc dot org or Kimmel Cultural Campus
(19:33):
dot org. Educational opportunities is verymuch about social justice and having the opportunity,
the potential for having an excellent educationis absolutely key. Well, there
is an organization that is making thathappen for so many individuals. Children's Scholarship
Fund Philadelphia is that organization. Joiningus right now, Keisha Jordan's CEO and
(19:57):
executive director. It's here to tellus all about how they provide scholarships.
And it is so exciting to haveyou back. And for those who don't
know who you are, tell uswho you are. Thank you so much,
Lorraine for inviting me today. I'mKeisha Jordan, I'm CEO at Children's
Scholarship Fund Philadelphia, and I havethe awesome privilege of serving the families of
(20:18):
about six thousand Philadelphia students and helpingparents achieve their dreams for their children through
education. And these scholarships go toprivate schools and Catholic schools. Tell us
more about where these scholarships go.Yes, so families come to Children's Scholarship
Fund Philadelphia, which is the largestK to eight private school scholarship program in
(20:41):
Pennsylvania, primarily from neighborhoods where they'vechosen not to send their children to the
public school because of academics, orsafety, or a number of reasons that
are cited, but they aren't ableto afford another option like private school,
and that's what they want for theirchildren. So they come to us.
They apply for our lottery, whichis about to launch. So I'm so
(21:03):
excited that you have me here today. Through that lottery application process, families
can win a scholarship for up tothree children in their family, and that
scholarship allows them to send their childrento the private school of their choice,
more than one hundred and sixty schoolsthroughout the city of Philadelphia and the greater
region. So we really empower parentsto make the choice of what school will
(21:27):
be best for their children. Notonly do you provide the scholarship, but
you also provide a lot of wraparoundservices and support for the students and their
parents. And I wonder if youcan tell us more about that. Absolutely,
we've taken on a stance that wereally want to embrace families once they're
in our program. This year Lorrainand we're very excited to share that anyone
(21:49):
who receives a scholarship will receive thatscholarship all the way through eighth grade without
ever having to reapply, so theyhave that stability as they come into our
program. So since we have familiesfor nine eight years at a time,
we want to make sure to supportthem. So we provide scholarships for children
(22:10):
to attend academic summer camp programs andthat's just really taken off with more and
more families participating each year. Wehave a reading program called CSFP Reads,
which is a fun kind of bookclub for kids in third through fifth grade
and for parents. We do workshopsand we ask families what kind of things
would you like to learn about,and what they've shared is financial literacy,
(22:33):
that big daunting task of applying tohigh school once they're finished with our program.
We partner with Independence Mission Schools toprovide that sort of information for families.
So the idea is to really bethere for our families and to help
their family not just on their educationaljourney, but with whatever we can with
the resources we have. And weknow that parental involvement is very much a
(22:56):
key for the successive students. You'vehad a lot of success with your students
that have been able to support themand going on to higher education. Is
that right? Absolutely? We seeevery year, year after year that our
students are achieving. So for studentswho are staying in our program through eighth
grade and going on to high school, they are graduating high school on time
(23:18):
and achieving academically during their KD twelveyears at higher rates than their peers.
And at the end of eighth grade, ninety three percent of our students are
able to select schools of choice schoolswhere they're applying in. They're getting into
magnet schools, they're going to privateschools in the city and winning scholarships to
be able to go to those schools. And we saw just before the pandemic
(23:41):
that our students were attending college ata rate three times the national four students
in the same household income range.So we're actually in the process now of
doing another research project we'll be ableto show what where we are now.
But our students are achieving and they'regoing on to higher education, trade school,
(24:03):
the services really achieving the dreams thatthey and their families have for them.
Yeah, there's nothing better than tobe able to support our kids in
achieving life sustaining careers, and that'swhat having a good educational foundation does provide.
And you want to be able togive children and students and young adults
the options, and that's what Children'sScholarship Fund does. So let's talk about
(24:27):
the mechanics of the scholarship. Sohow do you apply? And then tell
us what happens after you apply.Yes, eligible families are those who live
in the city of Philadelphia. Youhave to be a resident. You have
to have a child entering K througheight next school year. So right now,
we will launch an application for theBelieve It or Not twenty four twenty
(24:48):
five school year, and they haveto meet our income guidelines, which are
all on our website at CSF Philadelphiadot org. We really target families whose
incomes won't allow them otherwise to afforda private school education. So the guidelines
are there in very clear, Sofamilies should first look at our website.
They can sign up to receive anemail once our application launches on September twenty
(25:12):
seventh, We're going to be atCommunity Partnership School and we're going to have
a big celebration of the launch forthe year. We already have a lot
of parents signed up come and actuallyapply for a scholarship in person. So
families will be able to apply startingSeptember twenty seventh on our website CSF Philadelphia
(25:32):
dot org backslash Scholarships. It's avery easy five minute process. It's a
free process. Then families will learneither in December or March, depending on
when they apply, whether or notthey receive a scholarship. The deadline is
March first, but I really encourageyour listeners to make sure that they or
their family or neighbors apply by Novemberfifteenth. Applying by November fifteenth gives you
(25:57):
the best chance of receiving a scholarshipbecause we do get a lot of applications.
Once a family gets the notice thatthey're receiving a scholarship, then they
can start the process of looking fora school. We help them do that.
We have staff as well as resourceson our website to help you choose
a school because it can be alot to have so many great options.
(26:18):
And then we do need to checkfinancial information to ensure families qualify and then
we work together with the schools andfamilies to complete their enrollment and then they
start at their new partner school inSeptember. And as I said, then
the scholarship belongs to that child allthe way through eighth grade. That's fantastic.
And you did refer to the factthat if someone receives a scholarship,
(26:41):
then additional members of students in thefamily can also receive scholarships as well.
Absolutely, up to three students anda family can receive a scholarship. And
then of course there's the big revealwhere you announce and contact the families that
are receiving a scholarships. Tell uswhat that's like. Yeah, that is
a fantastic day called Lottery Day,and it will be on December fourteenth this
(27:04):
year, and we invite all ofour supporters to come in this year will
be at Independence Blue Cross. We'reso excited that they're hosting us this year,
and we invite our supporters to actuallymake those calls to the thousands of
families who've applied for a scholarship andthey get to be the first to say
your family is receiving a scholarship.So you can imagine how wonderful that is
(27:27):
on both ends of the phone line. Those who are interested in participating in
that can give us a call.But that's when the first group of families
will hear that they're receiving their scholarships. And I understand you've had the pleasure
of calling some of these families yourself. What does that feel like? Every
time? I always make sure Icall families, and you know, it's
(27:49):
different every time. Sometimes you getkind of disbelief because it feels like something
so far away that suddenly is ahannibal. And then sometimes you get families
so immediately they're waiting for that calland they're screaming and so happy. I
often get families sharing their stories.I often hear grandparents saying, you know,
(28:11):
I'm helping my family out and tryingto make sure that my grandchild gets
a good education sometimes that I wasn'table to have. You know, I
really get to connect with families.So every year I make sure that I
also make calls so that I cantalk to some of the families we serve.
What a joyful day that must be. Absolutely, Once again, if
people want more information, what's thewebsite? Also, what's the phone number
(28:33):
from our info. So the bestway to reach us is on the website.
We're working in a hybrid environment,so CSF Philadelphia dot org. And
we also have a live chat whichis a really good way to reach us.
From ten to four every single day, there's a live chat little bubble
that you can click on to getinformation. And then also I would say
email is also a good way toreach us, which is paperwork at CSF
(28:59):
Philadelphia dot org, all on ourwebsite. Once again, just remind us
of all the different benchmarks and deadlinesthat people need to remember. Yeah,
so the twenty seventh of September willbe the launch, so it will actually
open on our website and families cango on that very day and apply.
November fifteenth is the priority deadline,so again, if you want the very
(29:21):
best chance of receiving a scholarship,apply by November fifteenth. December fourteenth is
when we begin the process of acceptingfamilies, and then March first is the
final deadline. Thank you so muchfor joining us here today and sharing with
us this very important information that willgive so many families an opportunity to get
(29:41):
a quality education. The Children's ScholarshipFund Philadelphia is the organization. It's CEO,
Keisha Jordan, CEO and Executive directorof this Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia.
Thank you so much for joining ustoday. Thank you for having me,
Lorraine. You can listen to allof today's interviews by going to our station
website and dipping in Keyword Community.You can also listen on the iHeartRadio app
(30:03):
Gay Words Philadelphia Community Podcast. Followme on Twitter and Instagram at Lorraine Ballard.
I'm Lorraine Ballard Morrow and I standfor service to our community and media
that empowers. What will you standfor? You've been listening to what's going
on ED. Thank you
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