Upcoming Events

For planning purposes, mark your calendar for these upcoming press events:

• September is National Recovery Month. Check out upcoming events planned by the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services to highlight recovery services and supports available in Philadelphia. Contact Omoiye Kinney for more information.
• September is Adult Education Month. Contact Marjorie Morris to learn more about what the Office of Adult Education is doing year-round to help adult learners in Philadelphia.
• September 7 | 7:00 a.m. | Philly Fun Fish Fest | Schuylkill Banks @ 24th and Walnut Street — Attendees can enjoy a morning of free catch-and-release fishing and friendly competition on Schuylkill Banks! Contact Kelly Cofrancisco for more information.
• September 7 | 10:00 a.m. | Delaware River Festival | Philadelphia & Camden waterfronts — On the Philadelphia side, there will be kayaking and boat rides, freshwater mussel demonstrations. The Philadelphia Water Department will also provide a water bar for people to stay hydrated and games to inform participants on the source of their drinking water. Activities for children include free face painting, an exciting scavenger hunt with prizes, crafts, model ship building, and free admission to the Independence Seaport Museum. Press conference will be held at 11:00 a.m. in front of the Seaport Museum. Contact Kelly Cofrancisco for more information.
• September 9 | 4:00 p.m. | Berks & Sedgley Green Stormwater Infrastructure Ribbon Cutting Ceremony — Philadelphia Water Department Commissioner Randy Hayman, along with State Representative for the 195th Legislative District Donna Bullock and Strawberry Mansion CDC President Tonnetta Graham, will host a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of this green stormwater infrastructure project. New amenities include a rain garden, stormwater tree trenches,stormwater planters, and a new sidewalk. Contact Kelly Cofrancisco for more information.
• September 9 | 12:00 p.m. | Dress Down for Philly Schools Pop Up Shop — Mayor Kenney and Superintendent Dr. Hite will join The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia and the Goldenberg Group in LOVE Park on September 9 to promote the upcoming “Dress Down for Philly Schools” day on October 4. The pop-up shop will preview this year’s Dress Down t-shirts, which can be ordered online now through September 18. Proceeds from shirt sales benefit Philly schools. Contact Sarah Peterson for more information.
• September 13 | 4:00 p.m. | National Arts in Education Reception — National Arts in Education Week is a national celebration recognizing the transformative power of the arts in education. The City’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy (OACCE) is participating with two exhibitions at City Hall that reflect the impact of art and creativity in education. Join OACCE at Conversation Hall, City Hall Room 201 for the National Arts in Education Week Reception. Contact Carrie Leibrand for details.
• September 13-22 | Welcoming Week — A national initiative, Welcoming Week builds common ground in Philadelphia’s communities. It encourages dialogue and builds relationships between immigrants, refugees, and U.S.-born citizens. Contact Lauren Cox for information on local events.
• September 14 | 9:30 a.m. | Boxers’ Trail 5k Run/Walk — Participants run or walk the scenic cliff paths of the Boxers’ Trail, following the footsteps of Joe Frazier and other boxers who trained there. Proceeds from the Boxers’ Trail 5k benefit Mander Playground. Contact Alain Joinville for additional details.
• September 15 is National Gymnastics Day. If you’re interested in profiling one of the youth gymnastics/tumbling programs offered by Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, contact Alain Joinville.
• September 17 | All Day | Census Champion Trainings — Philly Counts will launch the Census Champion Training program, hosting 65+ sessions across the city alongside community partners. The Census Champion Training is a 90-minute session designed to prepare people with the knowledge needed to effectively and accurately answer questions about the 2020 Census. For more information, including specific training sites, please contact Irene Contreras.
• September 17 | 1:00 p.m. | Mayor to Sign International Plumbing and Fire Codes into Law — Join the mayor at this ceremonial bill signing in recognition of the enactment of the new Philadelphia Plumbing Code and the Philadelphia Fire Code. Contact Karen Guss for more information.
• September 19 | 5:00 p.m. | Percent for Art at 60 Opening Reception — The Percent for Art at 60 exhibition at the Center for Architecture + Design features a visual timeline of Philadelphia’s Percent for Art programs over the past 60 years. The multimedia exhibit provides visitors with highlights in the history and development of these groundbreaking programs. Exhibit on display September 19 – November 7. Contact Carrie Leibrand for details.
• September 21 | 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Kinship Care Conference  —  Join State Sen. Anthony H. Williams, the Philadelphia Kinship Care Committee Turning Points for Children, and the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disABILITY Services for the 5th biennial Kinship Care Conference for grandparents and other relatives raising children. Contact Omoiye Kinney for details.
• September 21 | Mayor Kenney to visit a library branch to celebrate the return of Saturday hours at all neighborhood branch libraries this school year. Contact Deana Gamble for details.
• September 24 | 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Youth Mental and Behavioral Health Summit  — This event engages providers and caretakers of youth in a trauma-informed, community-based system of care and helps them to  identify and address youth mental and behavioral health needs. Contact Omoiye Kinney for details.
• September 25 | 7:10 p.m. and 8:05 p.m. | Hoops for Homeless Playoff Games — This unique basketball league for residents of area homeless shelters, will host playoff games at the Church of the Advocate, 1801 W. Diamond St Philadelphia, PA 19121. Contact Joel Avery for details.

Need a media relations contact in a specific City department? View a listing of media contacts.

Employee Spotlight

Ramon Cruz is a Behavioral Health Specialist within the Community Wellness Engagement Unit and Planning Innovation Division of the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disABILITY Services (DBHIDS). Ramon brings with him over 30 years of lived experience and has been with DBHIDS for the past three years in various positions including: Certified Peer Specialist, Assistant to the Special Liaison, and Senior Peer Initiatives Specialist.

In Ramon’s new role, he supports the community in accessing behavioral health resources and providing linkages and support to community members. Ramon also supervises staff members with lived experience. He works closely with community members to gain a greater understanding of the specific behavioral health needs and available services within each neighborhood. Through this position, Ramon fosters greater engagement and increases participation of DBHIDS in community-based events, dissemination of behavioral health information, and collaboration between DBHIDS and the community.

Ramon has also participated in the Independence Blue Cross Foundation’s “Someone You Know” exhibit as part of National Recovery Month. This exhibit shares the experiences of those in recovery from opioid use disorder as well as their loved ones and works to reduce the stigma related to opioid addiction. More information about “Someone You Know” can be found at ibxfoundation.org.

Join Our Team

Communications Manager, Vision Zero (OTIS)

Slow News Day? Here are Some Story Ideas

• It’s mosquito season! The Health Department is offering to take reporters in the field with Vector Control staff as they work to trap and larvacide. Staff will be able to provide tips on reducing mosquitoes in your own backyard, and why it’s important that you do. Experts on West Nile Virus can also be made available. Contact Jim Garrow for more information.
• The Office of Adult Education, which is part of the City’s Office of Workforce Development, is offering adult education classes at nine Community Schools. Enrollment is now open for September classes, which include Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL). Contact Majorie Morris for more information on the program.
• The “Same Day Pay” program fits into the City’s efforts to reduce panhandling and provide an on-ramp to employment and connections to services including physical health, housing, education, treatment, and behavioral health. The program provides cash to 10 workers selected every morning in a lottery in exchange for several hours of work beautifying the city. It’s inspired in part by the Mural Arts “Color Me Back” program. We can provide access to a CLIP crew clearing vacant lots or removing graffiti, interviews with participants, and interviews with key City staff. Contact Josh Kruger to arrange.
• Philadelphia’s business and hospitality industries are gearing up for an active fall working with City government on compassionate, effective solutions to homelessness and panhandling as part of the Shared Public Spaces initiative. We can provide interviews with key business stakeholders and City officials involved in the planning, including previews on what’s to come this fall like a new Text-to-Give program as an alternative to giving to panhandlers and an innovative plan to fund permanent supportive housing for Philly’s most vulnerable.Contact Josh Kruger to arrange.
• The Survivors of Suicide Loss Support Group is a newly created group to help loss survivors cope, connect, and work toward healing. Trained group facilitators are suicide-loss survivors who know first-hand how difficult it can be find your way after loosing someone to suicide. The group is free and confidential. For more information, including meeting dates and locations, visit DBHIDS.org/events.
• Did you know?: The Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) has cut its list of the most hazardous (“imminently dangerous”) properties in Philadelphia by 50 percent over the past fiscal year. Contact Karen Guss for more information.
• Did you know? Philadelphia Parks & Recreation offers boxing programs at several of its locations throughout the city, and Kingsessing Recreation Center even has several young amateur boxers who are ranked in the top 10 nationally. The Lucien Blackwell Boxing Showcase at Athletic Recreation Center, which will take place September 27-28, is a great opportunity to showcase these young athletes. Contact Alain Joinville to learn more.
• Now in its fourth year, the Philadelphia International Unity Cup continues to shine. The tournament is unique among similar events in other cities because of its scale (1,200+ participants and 150 coaches), its documented community impact (through Temple University studies), its national influence, and its impact on soccer programming and infrastructure in the city at large. Game play continues throughout September, with the championship game on October 12. Reach out to Alain Joinville for specific story ideas focused on locations, team, and individual participants.
• The Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy’s Performances in Public Spaces series continues through October with free, family-friendly cultural performances in public parks and plazas in neighborhoods across the city. Contact Carrie Leibrand for more information.
• Through its new Creative Avenues initiative, the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy provides funding to community-based groups in support of creative activities, by Philadelphia-based artists that are community-driven, free, and open to the public. Explore the free events presented by the 2019 Fall/Winter grantees. Reach out to Carrie Leibrand with any questions.
• The Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy is calling on artistic organizations, individuals, and site leaders to propose creative events, performances, and activities to take place in Philadelphia’s Community Schools, neighborhood libraries, Recreation Centers, and Older Adult Centers. OACCE is accepting proposals until January 3, 2020 for events that will take place now through February 2020 as part of their Culture in Neighborhoods initiative. Contact Carrie Leibrand for additional information.

Need more story ideas? All City of Philadelphia news releases are archived on our website and check out our blogs. 

Philadelphia Beverage Tax Program Highlights

PHLpreK: 

There is still time for families to enroll in the City’s free, quality pre-K program. Seats are still available in some centers. All Philadelphia 3- and 4-year-olds are eligible for the program.

Community Schools: 

From September 23-27, Philadelphia Community Schools will participate in a national Coordinators Appreciation Week by recognizing the efforts of Community School Coordinators. Philadelphia’s Community School Coordinators are employed by the Mayor’s Office of Education, and work closely with principals and the school community to coordinate resources and services benefiting children and adults. If you’d like to profile a Community School Coordinator, contact Sarah Peterson.

Rebuild: 

On September 4, Rebuild’s first cohort of 16 employees will begin paid training for apprenticeships in the cement masonry, roofing, and finishing trades unions. The cohort was selected from a pool of over 900 who applied to PHL Pipeline and Rebuild Talent Development, Rebuild’s programs to offer diverse Philadelphians new pathways into the building trades unions. Rebuild will open recruitment for more apprentices before the end of the year.

Have suggestions for content you’d like to see in upcoming tip sheets? Contact deana.gamble@phila.gov with feedback!