This winter, the Better Bike Share Partnership and Indego with the City of Philadelphia provided seven organizations with mini-grants of $1,000 to support their general operations and programming. The recipients were based in different parts of Indego’s service area and worked with people of all ages to provide free resources, host workshops and seasonal celebrations, and more. Keep reading to learn more about these organizations, their amazing work in the community, and how they utilized the BBSP grant funding.
A Book a Day
A Book a Day (ABaD) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in West Philadelphia with the mission to engage the arts to promote literacy and build the next generation of readers. On January 15th, A Book a Day participated in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event at Lucien E. Blackwell Recreation Center in West Philadelphia with other community partners such as A New Dawn, Literacy and More, and Mill Creek Community Partnership. With the support of the mini-grant, ABaD provided the children at the event with 143 new and recently published (mostly hardcover) books. After they had selected books, children filled out questionnaires to provide information regarding their book genre preferences, where they read, who they read with, and more. One of our favorite responses was that of Jace, age 6, whose reply to the question “What do you like to read?” was, “All the books in the whole wide world!”
The Beloved Care Project
Founded by the late Khalif Mujahid Ali in 2021, the Beloved Care Project (BCP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that mentors and supports children from West and Southwest Philadelphia. Funds from the mini-grant went towards the facilitation of a healing circle for youth directly impacted by gun violence in their surrounding communities. The healing circle included a mental health workshop facilitated by the Anti-Violence Project (AVP), where the students learned how to adopt healthy coping mechanisms that fit their lifestyles, and how to effectively handle stress and interpersonal conflict.
The Everywhere Project
The Everywhere Project (TEP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit harm reduction organization founded in March 2021 in response to increasing overdose rates and the limited availability of harm reduction services in Philadelphia, PA. TEP operates two outreach sites every week located in Center City and Kensington, and provides a holistic array of support and services to marginalized communities with the goal of preventing disability, illness, and the loss of life; and providing all services with compassion and empathy.
Funds from the mini-grant were allocated towards providing cold-weather gear and supplies to the unhoused clients TEP serves, with the goal of preventing harsh weather-related issues and helping them stay safe and healthy through the end of the winter season.
Fishadelphia
Fishadelphia is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that connects communities by bringing fresh seafood directly from the New Jersey shore into culturally and economically diverse communities in Philadelphia. Fishadelphia also runs a weekly youth program for middle and high school students at the Mastery Charter Thomas Campus.
With the support of the mini-grant, Fishadelphia was able to co-develop a porgy fish workshop and host a holiday party for their youth participants. The workshop series includes a mini-curriculum, readings, discussion prompts, and an interactive art activity. The students were encouraged to interrogate the idea of a “trash fish,” which people sometimes use to refer to porgy and other underloved fish species.
Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation
The Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation (PCDC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit grassroots community organization established in 1966 to address the needs of urban renewal and affordable housing development in Chinatown.
On February 11th, PCDC hosted its first-ever Chinese New Year Arts and Crafts Market at the Crane Community Center with the support of the BBSP mini-grant. The event was a celebration of culture, creativity, and community, with over 500 attendees. Indego Bike Share tabled at the event with an Indego electric bike and spoke to community members about the new Indego station at 11th & Wood, while also providing promotional discount codes.
Philly Community Wireless
Philly Community Wireless (PCW) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community organization that builds free community WiFi in Philadelphia. They aim to establish a baseline of sustainable connectivity for all, including those otherwise overlooked by existing digital equity efforts.
On February 13th, with the support of Indego and the Better Bike Share Partnership, PCW hosted a tour of their internet broadband infrastructure in Norris Square for over 60 attendees of the 2024 Net Inclusion Conference. Participants of the tour inquired about the funding model able to support PCW’s work, and questions on how the organization builds trust and incorporates feedback from the communities where they install their infrastructure.
Royal Little Sisters
Royal Little Sisters (RLS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization formed in 2019 to provide mentoring and empowerment services to young females aged 5-18 years old. On December 16, 2023, RLS held its annual pre-holiday celebration event at the Mantua Civic Association with the support of the BBSP mini-grant. With over 60 participants in attendance, RLS hosted a series of programs focused on the meaning and principles of Kwanzaa. The event featured guest speakers and vendors who highlighted Kwanzaa’s significance in African American culture. Activities included ‘Kwanzaa Bingo’ and opportunities to learn about and play African drums and other musical instruments.
The City of Philadelphia, Indego, and the Better Bike Share Partnership would like to thank these organizations for their work to serve and engage the people of Philadelphia. Our next round of mini-grants will be offered in May for the spring/summer season. Follow Indego on social media to be notified when the application goes live!
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