The circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to affect many communities across Philadelphia. In response to this crisis, the Better Bike Share Partnership (BBSP) team recognized there was an opportunity to offer a helping hand.  As a partner of BBSP,  Indego is awarding 13 community non-profit organizations with mini-grants of ​$250 ​to ​$500 to support operations or programming related to COVID-19 relief efforts. Keep reading to find out more about these organizations and how they are supporting their communities during this time!

Brewerytown Sharswood Community Civic Association

The Brewerytown Sharswood Community Civic Association (BSCCA) is a non-partisan, non-profit organization here in Philadelphia. In response to COVID-19,  BSCCA is working to meet the needs of its residents especially the elderly, homebound, and unemployed with fresh fruits and vegetables weekly. 

Cancer Who? Care Center 

Cancer WHO is a non-profit organization supporting cancer patients and their families through doctor and home visits, weekly and monthly events, and more. Navigating medical appointments and treatment sessions has been made more challenging because of COVID-19. As a result,  Cancer WHO created a  support system that provides rides and meals to families that are working through the challenge.   

Centennial Parkside CDC

The Centennial Parkside CDC’s mission is to preserve, promote, and revitalize East Parkside. They do this by partnering with businesses, institutions, and programs that engage residents and increase opportunities, to grow a diverse, thriving community. As a result of COVID-19, Centennial CDC gathers resources from the Diocese of Philadelphia and the Food Share program to distribute over 500 meals a week to residents.

The ECO Foundation

The ECO Foundation (Education Culture Opportunity) works to creatively educate people through art and entertainment while connecting them with opportunities to better themselves and their communities. In response to COVID-19, ECO has created an online support group called “Cartoons & Cereal,” that provides shared strategies to help community members overcome the physical and mental challenges many are facing.

Garces Foundation 

The Garces Foundation is a community-based, non-profit organization committed to providing Philadelphia’s immigrant population with healthcare, education, and support to empower them to fulfill their potential as citizens and enjoy the highest possible quality of life. The impact of COVID-19 has moved Garces to start a new program addressing the urgent need for food that many immigrant families are facing. Each Sunday, they provide families with a box filled with fresh, nutritious food, enough to last a week.

New Options More Opportunities (NoMo)

The New Options More Opportunities (NoMo) mission is to provide children and teens with early intervention and healthy lifestyle information. In response to COVID-19,  NoMo has developed a virtual educational platform that provides refurbished computers and paid internet service. They also make sure that young people have access to cell phones by purchasing cell phones and reconnecting their phone plans.  

North Philly Peace Park

Founded in 2012, the North Philly Peace Park is a community organization that has transformed a debris-filled lot into a garden in the Brewerytown- Sharswood community. During COVID-19 the North Philly Peace Park is working to keep the community supplied with free fresh vegetables. Supporting the community with 500 bags of groceries since the start of the pandemic, this grant will help the Peace Park to increase its supply and support for the community.

Philadelphia FIGHT, Inc.  

Philadelphia FIGHT is a comprehensive health services organization providing primary care, consumer education, research, and advocacy for people living with HIV/AIDS and those at high risk for HIV/AIDS. The Institute for Community Justice (ICJ), a program of Philadelphia FIGHT is providing an array of resources to returning citizens and their families in response to COVID-19.

Royal Little Sisters

Royal Little Sisters is a nonprofit focused on youth development programs. They are helping to mitigate the spread of the virus by providing masks and gloves. They are also sharing community resource information to keep residents informed about free food distribution and are volunteering at various food distribution centers.

Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Coalition (SEAMACC)

The Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Coalition (SEAMACC) works to support and serve immigrants and refugees and other politically, socially, and economically marginalized communities as they seek to advance the condition of their lives in the United States. Beginning in March, SEAMAAC established a food delivery distribution system delivering food to over 100 immigrant and refugee elders twice a week who cannot leave their homes due to COVID-19. Knowing the importance of fresh food, SEAMAAC will continue to support its neighbors by providing space for residents to garden and grow low-cost, healthy food options that will have long-lasting effects on the community.

Strawberry Mansion Community Development Corporation

The Strawberry Mansion Community Development Corporation’s (SMCDC)  mission is to promote sustainable revitalization through residential, commercial and economic development, historic preservation, and the empowerment of the Strawberry Mansion Community. SMCDC publishes and distributes weekly resource guides with updated information to ensure residents are fully informed about the resources and services available during COVID-19. SMCDC has also developed an “Adopt a Senior” program to ensure the seniors in their community have the necessities to stay healthy and safe.

Unity in the Community

Launched in 2009, Unity in the Community (UIC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to changing the lives of others in the South Philadelphia area. UIC has been hosting food drives, providing masks for senior citizens, taking residents shopping for groceries, and raising funds to get people tested for COVID-19 in low-income communities.  Their work has reached more than 950 families throughout Philadelphia

Young Chances Foundation

The Young Chances Foundation (YCF) is a youth program working to change the images neighborhood kids experience by providing positive opportunities in the community, with the motto “How U Survive Through Life Every day is HUSTLE.” In response to COVID-19, YCF increased their weekly meal distribution from 137 hot meals served per week to 235 “grab and go” meals. They’ve also delivered 402 boxes of groceries to Philadelphia residents.  

Thank you to all of these organizations for your hard work and commitment to your communities during this health crisis. If you would like to learn more about any of these organizations, click on the blue name of the organization in this blog!

The Better Bike Share Partnership (BBSP) is a national initiative led by the City of Philadelphia and funded by The JPB Foundation. BBSP works to create a socially equitable and replicable bike share model for Philadelphia and beyond.