ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND PROJECTS

Families are Victims Too
RTP's partnership with Families are Victims Too extends several years. In 2004, RTP launched a two-year project to transform an abandoned house into offices and community space for this Southwest Philadelphia-based nonprofit. Families are Victims Too uses a holistic approach to violence prevention, grief counseling, and mentorship. Founders Sandy and Garnet Spicer have become true partners of RTP, providing headquarters for RTP's neighborhood operations, referring homeowners to the organization, and connecting RTP to civic leaders.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service – 2007
RTP and Lutheran Settlement House (LSH) honored Dr. King's legacy on January 15, 2007 by coming together to devote a day's labors to making improvements to the community space of New Creation Church in Lower Kensington. More than 60 volunteers gathered to haul debris, clean, and paint at the Center. Through a Food Cupboard and Baby Boutique, LSH distributed emergency food and baby items to individuals and families. LSH also was an important liaison with community members, previously translating RTP's homeowner application and other communications from English to Spanish and teaming up with volunteers during the homeowner selection process that day. The improvements to the community space were part of a series of significant repairs that took place from the fall of 2006 through April 2007. This anchored a “Block Build” where RTP volunteers provided warm, safe, and dry repairs for more than a dozen homeowners in the immediate area. The staff and congregants of New Creation were an essential force of support for volunteers and an important connection to area homeowners.