On a brisk, cold evening on Thursday, January 8, 2019 over 100-plus men and a few women braved the elements to attend an employment intake session at the Presby-Life Senior Homes Complex at 58th & Greenway Avenue. The Philadelphia Horticultural Society is recruiting people to clean and & green empty lots in Southwest Philadelphia.
Keith Green, Director at Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, gave a thorough presentation of what is expected from each applicant. Applicants’ ages 18 to 35 were recruited and returning citizens were also encouraged to apply for these positions which will pay $330.00 per week with paid training. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), a non-profit organization, is America’s leading horticultural society founded in 1827. Today, PHS includes a diverse community of people who use horticulture to advance the greater good with a keen focus on creating healthier living environments, increasing access to fresh food, expanding economic opportunity, and fostering meaningful social connections. PHS utilizes tree planting and stewardship and community greening in more than 250 neighborhoods throughout the Greater Philadelphia region; a network of public gardens and landscapes; gardener engagement programs; and the Philadelphia Flower Show and other public events.
This intake session was organized be community organizer Greg Thompson who personally pre-screened over 100 of the applicants via phone, as well as Dr. Carol Harris of Gateway To Re-Entry, Todd Thompson of Born Leader Family, and Mark Harrell of Southwest CDC. Special thanks go out to the several Presby-Life residents and other volunteers who assisted the applicants including Ms. Adrian Guilford, a Southwest CDC Neighborhood Advisory Sub-Committee (NAS) member and DBHiDS representative who distributed additional employment and training materials and information, The Young Fathers Initiative and MEE Productions, Inc. (focus group recruitment). Kudos goes to The OFFICIAL NOGUNZONE Instagram page for a tremendous outreach effort. When asked how the participants learned about the intake session most of them acknowledged this source.
