City Fund

ENGAGES INDIVIDUALS IN SERVICE TO ELIMINATE POVERTY AND POVERTY-RELATED PROBLEMS IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES

THIS AWARD APPROVES FUNDING FOR THE 2023-2024 VISTA SUPPORT GRANT DESCRIBED IN THE APPROVED PROGRAM NARRATIVE AND BUDGET.

1. PROVIDE A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT, INCLUDING THE PROJECT GOAL(S) AS WELL AS AN OVERVIEW OF THE ACTIVITIES THE REQUESTED VISTAS AND LEADERS WILL PERFORM. THE WEST PHILADELPHIA PROMISE ZONE INITIATIVE IS A FEDERALLY-DESIGNATED, PLACE-BASED EFFORT TO ASSIST A TWO SQUARE MILE AREA OF PHILADELPHIA WHERE RESIDENTS EXPERIENCE HIGH LEVELS OF POVERTY. THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT AND OPPORTUNITY (CEO) LEADS A COLLECTIVE IMPACT MODEL TO COORDINATE THE EFFORTS OF ROUGHLY 100 PARTNERS, WHICH INCLUDE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS, CITY AGENCIES, NON-PROFIT SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS. THESE PARTNERS COLLABORATE IN COMMITTEES THAT ADVANCE STRATEGIES IN ONE OF SIX AREAS: WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, HEALTH AND WELLNESS, EDUCATION, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND HOUSING. THE AMERICORPS VISTAS ASSIGNED TO THE WEST PHILADELPHIA PROMISE ZONE STAFF THESE COMMITTEES, BUILDING AND IMPROVING SYSTEMS FOR CROSS-ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION, COLLABORATION, DATA SHARING, AND RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT. FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, VISTAS HAVE BUILT, MONITORED, AND IMPROVED THE ORGANIZATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS NEEDED TO APPROACH A PAN-DISCIPLINARY PROBLEM LIKE POVERTY, AND IDENTIFY SPECIFIC PRIORITIES WHICH CAN BE IMPLEMENTED. WHILE SOME OF THIS WORK WILL CONTINUE IN FUTURE YEARS, VISTAS WILL BEGIN PLAYING A STRONGER ROLE IN ENSURING THE ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEMS THAT ARE USED ARE SUSTAINABLE. THIS WILL ENTAIL ?RIGHT-SIZING? SOME OF THE SYSTEMS THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT IN A MANNER THAT ENABLES THEIR TRANSFER TO OTHER PARTNERS INVOLVED IN THE PROMISE ZONE INITIATIVE. WHILE CEO WILL CONTINUE TO PLAY ITS ROLE AS LEAD AGENCY, THE LONGEVITY OF THIS WORK WILL REQUIRE INCREASING OWNERSHIP BY IMPLEMENTATION PARTNERS. VISTAS WILL, STARTING IN 2017, HELP TO FACILITATE THIS SHARED OWNERSHIP. 2. HOW MANY VISTAS AND LEADERS ARE YOU REQUESTING? WE ARE REQUESTING 5 VISTAS. 3. WHAT IS THE ESTIMATE LENGTH OF TIME REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THIS PROJECT? THE DESIGNATION IS INTENDED TO LAST THROUGH 2024. THE WORK THAT VISTAS WILL PROVIDE IN HELPING TO ENSURE THE LONGEVITY OF THE COLLABORATIVE WORK OF THE PROMISE ZONE WILL TAKE TWO TO THREE YEARS. 4. BRIEFLY DESCRIBE YOUR ORGANIZATION'S MISSION, HISTORY, AND THE BENEFICIARIES OF YOUR ORGANIZATION'S PROGRAMS. OUR CITY'S POVERTY RATE NOW STANDS AT 26.4%, AND THOSE IN POVERTY INCLUDE 39% OF OUR CHILDREN, AND 17% OF OUR SENIORS. THE POVERTY RATE FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS, HISPANICS, DISABLED PHILADELPHIANS AND FEMALE-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS HOVERS AROUND 40% OR GREATER. MAYOR MICHAEL NUTTER RECOGNIZED THAT THE SCALE OF POVERTY IN PHILADELPHIA REQUIRES COLLECTIVE ACTION OF AN EQUAL SCALE. THERE IS NO SINGLE CAUSE OF POVERTY, SO MYRIAD CITY AGENCIES AND NONPROFITS WORKING IN SILOS COULD HOPE ONLY TO HAVE ISOLATED IMPACT ON A PARTICULAR ISSUE OR SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION AFFECTED BY POVERTY. TRULY EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS REQUIRE COORDINATED, LARGE-SCALE SOCIAL CHANGE. THAT IS WHY, IN JANUARY 2013, HE LAUNCHED THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT AND OPPORTUNITY (CEO). MAYOR JIM KENNEY CONTINUES TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF CEO, HAVING TAKEN OFFICE IN 2016. MAYOR KENNEY AND MANAGING DIRECTOR MICHAEL DIBERNADINIS ESTABLISHED THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES CABINET, WHICH INCLUDES CEO AND THE CITY?S DEPARTMENTS OF PUBLIC HEALTH, COMMUNITY AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, HOMELESS SERVICES, AND HUMAN SERVICES. CEO'S MISSION: ALIGN THE CITY'S EFFORTS TO LIFT INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES OUT OF POVERTY AND INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES. AS PHILADELPHIA'S COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY, CEO IS WELL-POSITIONED TO BE A CATALYST AND SERVE AS THE SUPPORTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE TO THE CITY'S CROSS-SECTOR EFFORTS TO FIGHT POVERTY.