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TTN PHILADELPHIA GIVING CIRCLE

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

March 2022

Dear Giving Circle Members and Friends:

We kicked off the “Year of the Child” on February 8 with a successful and truly inspiring program focused on some of the challenges faced by children in Philadelphia and the announcement of our 10th Anniversary campaign goal of $100,000.

But before diving into the Giving Circle’s plans for the year, I would like to take a minute to talk about its leadership. After four years, I’ve decided that now is the right time for me to announce that I’m stepping down as the Chair of our Giving Circle, effective on April 1. It has been a great honor to be the Chair of this amazing organization, and I am so grateful for all the support I have received from the Executive Council team, other Giving Circle members as well as the TTN Philadelphia Steering Committee.

As I look back over the last few years, I am proud of the impact our Giving Circle has made in the lives of woman and children in Philadelphia. One of my greatest joys in the chair position has been working closely with the nonprofits that touch and continue to improve the lives of so many. I am always in awe of the difficult work the nonprofits do in the trenches to help their fellow Philadelphians in need. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how much I have enjoyed developing relationships with so many wonderful people that share my passion to give back. You have all enriched my life.

It is also my great pleasure to announce that my colleague and co-chair, Linda Senker, will be assuming the role of Chair of the TTN Philadelphia Giving Circle. I have worked closely with Linda over the past few months, and she has been an active member of our Executive Council and committees, so I know that the Giving Circle will be in great hands as we embrace our 10th Anniversary year and beyond.

I will continue my commitment to the Giving Circle as a member of the Executive Council and I look forward to seeing our Giving Circle grow and thrive.

Thank You,

Carol Cunningham

Message from our Development Committee

The Giving Circle’s 10th Anniversary year is off and running, — with a full year of programing and philanthropy focused on the children of our city.

We welcomed 35 new Giving Circle members in 2021 and many of them joined us for a “New Members” Zoom call in early February. So great to see their faces on the call, and answer their questions. We look forward to their continued participation!

We began the Anniversary Year by announcing a $100,000 campaign — the largest in our history - to support nonprofits serving Philadelphia’s children. The campaign will be supported by a year of inspiring and informative programming, which began with the FEB 8th program focusing on the most pressing issues facing Philadelphia’s children. We’re already more than halfway toward our goal! We welcome all contributions. Giving Circle members who wish to support frontline nonprofits helping our kids during this, “The Year of the Child,” might want to consider a one time stretch renewal gift.

The Feb 8th program: The Most Pressing Challenges Facing Philadelphia's Children Today

Our February 8 program drew over 120 people to the virtual call — a clear signal of community concern for our city’s children. We were fortunate to have two students from Philadelphia’s public high schools with us who spoke passionately about their struggles and aspirations, reflecting on the need for mentoring, mental health support, safety and equal educational opportunities. They were eloquent and inspiring!

And, along with our two students, we want to give a special thanks to our stellar line-up of speakers at our program: Pedros Ramos, President and CEO of The Philadelphia Foundation, Councilwoman Kendra Brooks, Donna Cooper, Executive Director of Children First, Tomea A. Sippio-Smith, K-12 Education Policy Director Children First, and Marcus Allen, Executive Director, Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region.

NEXT EVENT . . . And, stay tuned as we will be announcing part two of this two-part series in a few weeks. The second part will occur in April and focus on some of the organizations and programs working to make a difference through service. We’ll hear from nonprofits on the frontlines of serving our city’s youth. What are their successes? What challenges do they face? With the pandemic and increased racial and economic disparities, the needs of young people are greater than ever. We hope to see you there.

DID YOU KNOW . . . .That Philadelphia is ranked the poorest large city in America? Poverty is a multidimensional phenomenon that extends beyond income. It affects all aspects of life including physical and mental health, familial relations, ability to find employment, and the social and economic fabric of their neighborhood. The Economy League of Philadelphia Dec. 2020

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Giving Circle Member

Each month we are going to feature one of our own Giving Circle members "in the Spotlight." This is a great way to get to know your fellow Giving Circle members and to learn why being part of our Giving Circle is important to them.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Past Grant Recipients

In honor of our 10th Anniversary, each month we are going to feature one of our past recipients. This month we are featuring People's Emergency Center to which we awarded a grant in 2014.

Elayne Bloom

Elayne Bloom, a native of Philadelphia who grew up in Elkins Park, lives in Society Hill with her partner Mitch Bach. She has one son, Peter, whose work with nonprofits has inspired her to become involved with philanthropy.

Elayne has been a dedicated member of the Giving Circle since its founding in 2012. She joined the first Grants Committee and has served on the committee every year since then but one. In addition, volunteered her time to Giving Circle leadership, joining the Executive Council in 2015, stepping off the council last year.

After taking a one-year hiatus from the Grants Committee last year, she has rejoined the committee. “I’m now back to my roots,” said Elayne, “which is what attracted me to the Giving Circle to begin with. It’s nice to have a feeling of competence, to learn something new and to get good at it. The Grants Committee gives you that opportunity.”

Serving on the Grants Committee has both opened Elayne’s eyes to the needs of the community and at the same time it was “the thing I was looking for.” She became “fascinated,” she said, with the area of grant giving and philanthropy. “It started to feel like a mission. I wanted to know more about the needs of people who were living only a mile away.”

Elayne recalled a story that resonated with her about a woman who was in prison for drugs because of her boyfriend. When the woman was released, it was the same boyfriend who picked her up. “They were trapped,” said Elayne. “Because of the Giving Circle I have a better understanding about the cycle of poverty and how it works.”

People’s Emergency Center (PEC)

PEC (pec-cares.org), the Giving Circle’s 2014 grantee, is located in West Philadelphia. PEC’s mission is to nurture families, strengthen neighborhoods and drive change. For families, children, and youth experiencing homelessness, PEC offers more than 235 affordable housing units, job training, parenting and early childhood education, financial education and planning, life skills and technology classes.

Over the past five years PEC has:

Facilitated 32,000 neighborhood resident engagements through events and resource offerings.
Distributed 275,000 pounds of food through 140,000 visits to food relief – 90,000 visits since March 2020.
Provided one-on-one financial literacy for 351 individuals.
Provided employment services for 368 individuals.

The TTN Philadelphia Giving Circle grant supported a conflict management program for PEC clients to assist women who were being evicted from the Center because they expressed their anger inappropriately. It also provided mothers with important life skills that enabled them to become independent and successful and to model and teach their families these very crucial skills. The grant also paid for a PEC staff member to learn the skills needed to continue to train residents in the future.

PEC continues to be a powerful influence in its community and we are proud to have supported their efforts in 2014. For more information on the People's Emergency Center of Philadelphia, Click here

Message from our Grants Committee

Just a quick message from the Grants Committee because, as you know, these first few months of 2022 are our busy time of year. On February 22nd, we held a Grants Reading Workshop for our wonderful group of grant "readers." February 25th was our grant application deadline and we received 36 applications. So now the real work begins. On March 10th our grant "readers" will be receiving their reading assignments and our next Grants Committee meeting will be on March 30th, when we gather (on Zoom) to begin the review and selection process in earnest. So, stay tuned. We have many worthy and exciting potential grantees.