Seated in 2016, Philadelphia City Councilmember Helen Gym is a long-time community organizer who leads a human rights agenda rooted in housing, education, and racial and economic justice through municipal policy. She created one of the most successful anti-eviction programs in the country that reduced evictions by 75% in what was once the 4^th highest evicting city in the nation. Her work includes passing a Right to Counsel law which guarantees legal representation to low-income renters, and establishing a tenant legal defense fund, local rent vouchers, and a mandatory pre-filing eviction diversion program. 

A former public school teacher and parent organizer, Councilmember Gym helped end a 17 year state takeover of the Philadelphia public schools; and restored nurses, counselors, social workers, clean water and instrumental music to every public school. She led the charge for a $500 million school modernization campaign, including bringing air conditioning to more than two dozen schools, ending lead in drinking water, and remediating lead, asbestos and mold. She’s been at the forefront of labor rights, establishing a permanent City Department of Labor and winning groundbreaking policies like a Fair Workweek law that guarantees stable schedules for hourly workers and a first in the nation right to return law protecting the jobs of thousands of hospitality workers. Additionally, she established a legal defense fund for immigrants facing deportation and led statewide reform of residential placement facilities for at-risk youth.

Councilmember Gym is the national co-Chair of Local Progress, a network of 1200 municipal elected officials, where she leads efforts around immigrant rights and economic justice. She is the first Asian American woman to serve on her City Council body and the first Asian American Democrat elected to citywide office in 50 years.

To learn more about Helen Gym, click here.

The Executive Director of Y.E.A.H., which stands for Youth Empowerment for Advancement Hangout, is Kendra Van de Water, and she’s devoted most of her life to volunteering and social work. “My whole life has been spent doing advocacy,” she said. “I am a life and social worker but my background is trying to help people make sure they get the things that they need, I used to inspect jails and make sure that their needs were met while being incarcerated.”

In 2018, Van de Water and her partner, James Aye, believe that to limit and decrease the violence currently going on in Philadelphia, the first step is to take care of the city’s youth. They would interact with kids on their walks in the neighborhood, asking what they liked to do in their free time.

“We took all of that information and started running groups at rec centers and libraries,” she said. Van de Water decided to focus on the West and Southwest areas of Philadelphia because those are the most violent areas in Philadelphia. There’s also an extreme lack of resources in West and Southwest Philadelphia. Their effort grew quickly in numbers, and the operation also expanded.

“When our group turned into 30-50 kids trying to get into our space each week, we decided to talk to them about how they manage their feelings, we also help them get their driver’s license and provide a meal,” she said. From then on, Van de Water created different workshops and components, transforming the effort into a much-needed, full-fledged community organization.

For more information on Kendra Van de Water and how she is making a difference in the lives of young people in West Philly, click here.

Natasha Danielá de Lima McGlynn currently serves as AVP’s Executive Director. Prior to AVP, she obtained a Masters degree in Public Administration and a Certificate in Nonprofit Administration from the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government. As a Student Fellow with the Ortner Center on Violence & Abuse, Natasha’s graduate research on violence against women in public spaces from a public administration lens earned her the 2020 Fels Public Service Award.

Natasha brings a wealth of knowledge in non-profit management, community development, and government and regulatory affairs. Her professional career includes over five years of public service at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, where she engaged in administrative transparency and open government matters, and played a key role in launching several diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.  

Originally from Brazil, Natasha grew up in Brooklyn, NY. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Portuguese/Brazilian Studies and Economics from Smith College. Natasha recently completed a fellowship with the New Leaders Council.

To learn more about the Anti-Violence Partnership, click here.

Reuben Jones is a Philadelphia native, father, social justice advocate, educator, motivational speaker, poet, published author, and entrepreneur. He serves as Executive Director of Frontline Dads Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides mentoring, leadership development and comprehensive support to “at-risk” youth, single fathers, and formerly incarcerated citizens. Reuben Jones served 15 years in prison for a 1986 robbery and was released in 2002. Since that time, he has transformed his life and his ability to help others by obtaining his Master’s Degree from Lincoln University (2009), and becoming a clinical therapist, where he specializes in trauma treatment, anger management and cognitive restructuring.

Since 2013 Reuben served as the Social Services Director for the Focused Deterrence Gun Violence Reduction Strategy in Philadelphia and during his tenure, the city saw gun violence reduced to a historic 50 year low. His social justice advocacy work has included "Ban The Box", bail reform, voting rights advocacy for returning citizens, juvenile lifers resentencing advocacy, criminal justice reform, prison decarceration, and D.A. accountability. For his social justice advocacy and humanitarian efforts, Reuben has received numerous awards including the Presidential Volunteer Service Award from President Obama in 2016, the NewsOne “Gamechanger” Award, the Knight Foundation’s Black Male Engagement (BMe) Leadership Award, the Philadelphia Eagles “Community Quarterback” Award, the Lucien Blackwell Guiding Light Award from the City of Philadelphia, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Involvement Award from the African-American Resource Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

Additionally, Reuben Jones is a Just Leadership (JLUSA) Fellow and an Organizing For Action (OFA) Fellow. Reuben was featured in the award-winning anti-violence documentary, “Beyond the Walls: The Road to Redemption”. He serves on the Re-Entry Coalition in Philadelphia. He served as a Commissioner on the Mayor's Commission on Universal Pre-K and was a member of Mayor Kenney's Transition Team (Public Safety Committee). Reuben also served on Oprah Winfrey's "Belief" team. He is a member of the No215Jails Coalition, the Coalition for A Just D.A., the Philadelphia Anti-Violence Coalition, the Human Rights Coalition and The Center for Returning Citizens. And, he is a NIC trained facilitator for the “Thinking For A Change” cognitive development program. Above all, Reuben Jones is a humanitarian who believes in the power of transformation and is committed to violence prevention.  

For more information on Frontline Dads, click here.