Upcoming Observances: 

• November 15 – National Adoption Day (details below)
• November 16-24 – National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week (details below)

Upcoming Events

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

• November 7 | Noon | Percent for Art 60 Panel Discussion — Join the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy and the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority for a panel discussion at the Center for Architecture + Design. The panel will celebrate the final day of the Percent for Art at 60 exhibition. Meet leaders of the City and PRA’s Public Art Programs, as well as four past and present Percent for Art artists. Contact: carrie.leibrand@phila.gov
• November 7 |  3:30 p.m. | Library Grants for Health Programs — The office of Representative Elizabeth Fiedler will announce a grant for health-related programs at Fumo Family Library. The grant will support programming at Whitman Library and Fumo Library. Contact: FotiK@freelibrary.org
• November 8 |  6:00 p.m. | Concert at Richmond Library — Two unique features of Richmond Library will come together to perform “For the Love of Bees,” a piece by avant-garde composer Anna Rubin. Celebrated classical pianist Sandrine Erdely-Sayo and actress Pamela Fields will discuss the important role bees play in the life of the planet before the performance. Richmond Library houses an observatory hive of 15,000 honeybees. In a gesture of appreciation for our library bee project, Ms. Erdley-Sayo has permanently donated a baby grand piano to Richmond Library. Contact: FotiK@freelibrary.org
• November 9 | 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Philly Counts Action Leaders Summit — The Philly Counts Action Leaders Summit is a free full-day summit focused on training and planning for census actions at the neighborhood level. Seven national organizations: NALEO, Hispanic Federation, National Urban League, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, National LGBT Task Force, American Academy of Pediatrics, AARP and Keystone Counts will share tips and tactics to help reach historically undercounted communities more effectively. Contact: irene.contreras.reyes@phila.gov
• November 13 | 4:00 p.m. | Fire Cadet Class 196 Graduation — The 120 firefighters in Class 196 will enable the Fire Department to reopen seven companies that were closed in 2009. This is the largest class in recent years, with cadets ranging in age from 21 to 60-years-old. The ceremony will take place at Aspira Education Campus, 6301 N. 2nd Street. Contact: kathy.matheson@phila.gov.
• November 15 | 10 a.m. | Job Fair Series at the Free Library — The Free Library will present three job fairs, made possible by Citizens Charitable Foundation, beginning with a non-profit fair and at Northeast Regional Library. Questions? Contact: donskyj@freelibrary.org
• November 15 | 10:30 a.m. | Celebrate National Adoption Day — Join the Philadelphia Department of Human Services and the First Judicial District, along with children and their families, to celebrate National Adoption Day. This event is part of a national effort to raise awareness for children in foster care who are waiting to find their forever homes through adoption. This event will take place at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Historic Landmark Building, 118 North Broad Street. Contact: Heather.keafer@phila.gov
• November 16-24 | National Homelessness and Hunger Awareness Week — The City’s Office of Homeless Services (OHS) will be sharing information and events from our many providers and partners, giving Philadelphians the opportunity to both reflect on America’s national crises of homelessness, hunger, and poverty as well as take action to support those affected. Full listing of events will be available at phila.gov/OHS starting this week. Questions? Contact: josh.kruger@phila.gov
• November 18 | Holiday Tree Installation at City Hall — The City of Philadelphia will host its official Holiday Tree Lighting Celebration on December 4 on the north side of City Hall. This year’s tree is tentatively scheduled to be installed on Monday, November 18 (rain date November 19). Contact: randy.giancaterino@phila.gov
• November 21 | Fatherhood Parenting Class Graduation at Curran Fromhold Correctional Facility — The Department of Human Services has facilitated Fatherhood Parenting classes at the Curran Fromhold Correctional Facility (CFCF) for 25 years. These classes help fathers improve their parenting skills and better manage the challenges of parenting while incarcerated and  have a more successful transition once they return home. This graduation ceremony for this year’s class will take place at Curran Fromhold Correctional Facility, 7901 State Road. Contact: mallie.salerno@prisons.phila.gov
• November 21 | 5:30 p.m. | Arts in Action Grant Information Session — Interested artists can learn about the opportunities available for visual artists, performers, cultural organizations and more through OACCE’s Arts in Action program. The session will include details and instructions about how to apply for these opportunities. Contact: carrie.leibrand@phila.gov
• November 22-24 | Philadelphia Marathon Weekend — During Philadelphia Marathon Weekend, 30,000 participants will make their way through the heart of Philadelphia for the Dietz & Watson Philadelphia Half Marathon, Rothman 8K run, and Dunkin’ Munchkin’ Run on Saturday, November 23, as well as the full AACR Philadelphia Marathon on Sunday, November 24. General Philadelphia Marathon inquiries, including requests for media credentials, should be sent to Jennifer Sherlock (jsherlock@jennacommunications.com). The City will issue anticipated road closures in the coming weeks. Contact: lauren.cox@phila.gov
• November 28 | 6abc Dunkin’ Thanksgiving Day Parade — Philadelphia’s 100th Thanksgiving Day Parade will return to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, hosted by 6abc. 6abc will be the primary point of contact for parade details. The City will issue anticipated road closures in the coming weeks. Contact: lauren.cox@phila.gov

Communications Job Opportunities 

• Manager, Public Information, PGW

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

Slow News Day? Here are Some Story Ideas

• School District of Philadelphia Homecoming Celebration 2019: Philly Alumni, an initiative for the Fund for the School District of Philadelphia, invites all proud graduates and supporters of Philadelphia public schools to its first Homecoming Celebration to be held November 7-9, 2019. Homecoming aims to celebrate distinguished alumni, including Jill Scott, Aaron Mckie, and Ellen Lizzy Rosenberg, to name a few, and help raise money to support the next generation of Philadelphia public school students. The Homecoming celebration will feature three signature events that will bring together native and honorary Philadelphians for a weekend of nostalgia. Learn more.

• RFP for equitable entrepreneurship assessment and strategy: United Way, in partnership with the City of Philadelphia and PIDC, is seeking a consultant to assess the local landscape of resources supporting entrepreneurs and to provide specific recommendations on how to increase effectiveness, enhance collaborations, and identify opportunities. The analysis will have an increased focus on the ecosystem of resources available to diverse business owners—including people of color, immigrants, and women—who have traditionally been underrepresented in the business community. Learn more.

• OEO surpasses M/W/DSBE participation goal for City-only contracts: The City of Philadelphia’s Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) released its Fiscal Year 2019 Annual Report, which details all City contracts with minority-, women-, and disabled-owned enterprises (M/W/DSBEs). The overall City participation rate for FY 2019 was 36.02 percent, representing $254 million in contracts awarded to M/W/DSBE firms. This marks the first time the City exceeded its 35 percent participation goal. Learn more and read the full report.

• Q&A with Brandon Atwell, Fleet Shop 308: We caught up with Brandon Atwell, a 26-year veteran with the City’s Office of Fleet Management on his career progression, advice for joining the automotive technician field, and tips for putting on brake pads the right way. For more information, contact Kelly Cofrancisco.

• Philly Leaf Recycling Program: The 2019 Philly Leaf Recycling Program begins Tuesday, November 12 and ends Saturday, December 21, 2019. Mechanical collection and bagged drop-off services will be provided to residents. For more information, contact Kelly Cofrancisco.

• Organic materials from the Fairmount Park Organic Recycling Center: Wondering where your bagged leaves go? Leaves from the Love Your Park Fall Service Day and the Streets Department’s Leaf Recycling Program go to the Fairmount Park Organic Recycling Center where they are turned into free compost for Philadelphia residents. Contact Alain Joinville for more information on this program.

• New water e-billing website: The City has launched its new water e-billing website. Philadelphia water customers can now access online services, including access to water bills, automatic payments, paperless billing, and more. For more information, contact Kelly Cofrancisco.

• Climate Collaborative: Institutions are encouraged to join the Climate Collaborative of Greater Philadelphia, a regional partnership designed to help leaders, businesses, and large organizations get involved in the fight to protect current and future generations from the impacts of global climate change. 40+ organizations have already signed on to the group. For more information, contact Kelly Cofrancisco.

• Free arts and cultural events: The Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy’s Arts Access Calendar is the comprehensive calendar for Philadelphians seeking affordable and meaningful arts and culture experiences in neighborhoods throughout the city. Individuals and organizations hosting free creative events in Philadelphia are invited to submit their events for promotion on the Arts Access Calendar year-round. Contact Carrie Leibrand for more 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: Children’s Village—a PHLpreK program—will offer a series of Business Administration workshops for other pre-K providers in December. Current and prospective PHLpreK providers are encouraged to attend the series, which will focus on finance and HR best practices in early childhood education. Contact Sarah Peterson for more information about this series and other ways PHLpreK supports pre-K providers.

Community Schools: Check out the November calendar of events at Community Schools. During the Thanksgiving season, stay tuned for additional food give-away events at Community Schools in partnership with Philabundance and special guests. Contact Sarah Peterson for more information.

Rebuild: Check out Rebuild’s fall update for a summary of the work underway at 56 parks, recreation centers, and libraries. Consider profiling one of Rebuild’s trainees, a cohort of diverse Philadelphians working toward membership in a building trades union. Contact Maita Soukup for more information about Rebuild projects or the early progress of its workforce program.