Center for Culinary Enterprises

One of only a handful of large-scale kitchen incubators in the country, the Center for Culinary Enterprises (CCE) will bring resources for food entrepreneurs and employment opportunities to the Philadelphia area. The CCE is part of several projects spearheaded by The Enterprise Center - Community Development Corporation (TEC-CDC) to focus on the food economy and improve food access to residents in West Philadelphia and beyond.

The Center aims to incorporate local resources into every aspect of the project. Construction started in October 2011, and TEC-CDC awarded the job to a locally-based construction company that is a certified Minority Business Enterprise—Perryman Building and Construction Services, Inc.

Located on 48^th Street between Spruce and Pine Streets, CCE will have over 13,000 square feet total, with about 6,600 square feet of rental kitchen spaces for food entrepreneurs to cook and bake with certified, high-quality kitchen appliances. The Center will also include a youth-training restaurant and a multimedia classroom. In addition, two retail spaces will house local businesses.

TEC-CDC’s Walnut Hill Community Farm, started in March 2010, may provide local produce for the center during the growing season. TEC-CDC currently works with local youth to operate the farm and sell produce from a farm stand on-site, a second farm stand in Center City (via a partnership with SEPTA), and a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box program in the community.

TEC-CDC’s Philly Food Ventures is a program for food entrepreneurs at all stages of their business that gives advice and guidance to build a sustainable small food business.  Steve Horton, Business Support Services Manager at TEC says that the program “helps cultivate and grow micro-food ventures by providing technical assistance designed to help launch successful businesses.” When CCE opens next summer, these entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to use CCE’s certified kitchen space for food production.

University of Pennsylvania’s food service provider, Bon Appetit, has committed to purchasing a significant amount of baked goods from the CCE’s clients. Bon Appetit is a company with a strong commitment to local food and local employment, as well as socially responsible business practices. “A lot of the smaller businesses in the area would like a larger consistent customer base, and this contract will do that” says Paul Marcus, lending manager for LISC.

CCE is one of a few kitchen incubators in the country to contract food services, according to Greg Heller, Project Manager for CCE.  “The fact that we are opening up with contracts with the University of Pennsylvania will be huge for the community,” Heller said, due to the fact that it will create the potential for client bakers to quickly ramp up their business, creating jobs. The Center is projected to create about 45 jobs on-site (13 full-time and 32 part-time positions), while the business clients who utilize the shared-use kitchens are projected to crate between 36 and 63 jobs annually.

For more information, visit philafood.org or contact Greg Heller at The Enterprise Center CDC (215-895-4075 or gheller@theenterprisecentercdc.org).

SALT and PUFFA: Students Advocating for Nutritious School Lunch Food

Every month, students from West and South Philadelphia meet to discuss ways to get healthier food into their communities and public schools. These students are from PUFFA (Philadelphia Urban Food and Fitness Alliance) and SALT (Students Advocating for Lifestyle Transformations). In September, PUFFA and SALT had their first meeting for the school year at the People’s Emergency Center in West Philly.

 Over a healthy meal of turkey and veggie burgers, salad and juice (prepared by the students), about 20  students between the ages of 14 and 18 played team-building games and talked about upcoming events for the school year.

 Tiffany Spraggins, the youth engagement coordinator, energetically gets the group of students to chant “community.” She emphasizes the importance of making decisions together through “being positive and supporting each other like a family.” She comments that “these students are so talented and they have really been influential to their peers and the community in bringing local, healthy food to schools and the surrounding community.”

 Spraggins also stresses that this program reminds and teaches students that they can be outspoken advocates for issues in their community, not only healthy food access. By teaching the students public speaking and leadership skills, the students have the resources to become leaders in their communities. Displaying behavior such as choosing healthier food, the students become advocates for healthier food.

 Meals are planned by taking menu items off the public school lunch menu and making them healthier and more exciting by adding local ingredients, changing the recipe, or experimenting. In November, pilot taste testing will occur at 2 area high schools. Possible taste-tested items will incorporate more local, healthy food into the recipe.

 PUFFA and SALT are finding unique ways to reach out to their peers to make better food choices, including text-messaging, using Facebook, and the possibility of using Twitter.  Every month, the students send out several rounds of text messages with catchy sayings like “add flavor, not fat.”

 During the past year, students from SALT and PUFFA participated in conferences, went before the School Reform Commission, participated in summer internships focused on food access, and collected signature for petitions—all for healthier school food. Several students spent the summer at WHYY learning video and photo skills to help them spread the word about healthy food.

 Videos produced during the summer by SALT and PUFFA students were screened at the Food Day Film Screening at the Clef Club. Several of these short videos are displayed at schools on hallway TV monitors to remind students of healthy food choices.

 For more information about SALT and PUFFA, visit their facebook website here.

Carrot Mob at West Phillie Produce

Fun at the Carrot Mob (Courtesy of Andy Toy)

Philadelphia is a city of food deserts—but local non-profits, the city and others are trying to change that.

National Food Day was October 24^th, but festivities occurred throughout the last two weeks of October in Philadelphia.

There have been several recent events to push for local, healthy food in by creating incentives for corner stores, opening more farmers markets, and finding other innovative ways to make local and healthy food more accessible and affordable to all residents of Philadelphia.

The Carrot Mob in West Philadelphia was one of them.

Fresh produce display (Courtesy of Andy Toy)

The Carrot Mob, planned by The Enterprise Center and other area organizations, raised awareness about increasing healthy food access through a “buycott” at West Phillie Produce—a corner store at 16 South 62^nd Street.  While a boycott discourages people to buy from a store, a buycott encourages people to buy from stores in the area identified to have sustainable food practices and that offer healthy, local products.

Arnett Woodall opened West Phillie Produce almost 2 years ago and is struggling to make ends meet at the store. The Carrot Mob is a welcomed event in his opinion, and proceeds from the Carrot Mob event will help to expand West Phillie Produce’s healthy food offerings (such as vegetables and fruits) as well as assist in the purchase of a commercial juicer. About 100 residents attended the buycott.

The Enterprise Center Philadelphia coordinated the Carrot Mob, along with The Merchants Fund, The Food Trust, and several other partners.

For more on carrot mobs, click here.

POWER’s West/South Meeting Kicks Off Jobs Campaign

 

Continuing the momentum from the POWER Convention on September 25, the West/South regional cluster meeting in West Philadelphia was held on Tuesday, October 11th at Calvary United Methodist Church. About 80 residents came out for the meeting along with POWER’s executive director Bishop Dwayne Royster and the region’s coordinator, Wes Lathrop.

While the September meeting was a “wedding” celebration according to Royster, the regional meetings get down to business about how to move the POWER’s plan forward to link Philadelphians to jobs. Tuesday evening’s meeting was a mix of reflection, group activities, and planning for the future. Over the next several months, the four POWER regions will hold monthly meetings to inform residents about what the organization is doing and to share training techniques for residents to engage their neighbors.

At this meeting, residents were asked to reach out to 50 people over the next several months by sharing their employment stories. In doing so, they will attempt to open the dialogue about employment issues in Philadelphia, where the unemployment rate is reaching 11%.

POWER is a faith-based non-profit composed of  about 40 congregations across the Philadelphia area with five core issues—jobs, educational opportunities, health care, public safety, and housing. Currently, the main focus of POWER’s efforts is job creation—they would like to connect Philadelphians to 10,000 jobs within the next 5 years.

The next meeting of the POWER West/South region will be on November 14th from 6:30-8:30pm at Calvery St. Augustine Episcopal Church (814 North 41st Street).

Opening of Mantua Square

Affordable housing is continuing to grow in West Philadelphia—a few weeks ago Jannie’s Place by People’s Emergency Center had its grand opening and this week the Philadelphia Housing Authority opened Mantua Square on Tuesday, October 4^th.  Located at 35^th Street and Fairmount Avenue, Mantua Square boasts 101 affordable units (duplexes and apartments) and 92 parking spaces. The square has a gated courtyard with green areas and solar panels on the roof. Commercial space was also incorporated in the site, with 7,400 square feet of space to attract more businesses to the up and coming Mantua neighborhood.

As part of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials “Housing America” month, the opening celebrated the successes and importance of affordable housing in the area. Congressman Chaka Fattah and Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, both strong advocates for affordable housing in Philadelphia, were present along with residents and community stakeholders.

For more information on Mantua Square, click here

Energy Efficient Roofs Come to West Philadelphia

A number of green roofing projects have been popping up in the West Philadelphia area in both residential and commercial buildings. Green roofs serve multiple functions, including cooling the building during the summer, reducing heat loss during the winter, and retaining stormwater. They also dramatically increase the life of the roof by decreasing exposure of the roof to the harmful UV rays of the sun.

Not only do green roofs have benefits for the home or business owner, they can help to lower urban air temperature which is particularly important for dense cities.

Typically, a green roof is constructed by placing a waterproof membrane over the surface of the roof. Then a layer of dirt is applied, in which various species of plants are planted. 

The Partnership CDC provides free roof improvements, including white and green roofs, to low-income residents in area. Nineteen green and 73 white roofs in the area have been completed. Students at Drexel are studying the area influence of these roofs on temperature, storm water runoff, and water quality.

This past summer through the Green Professional Training program at The Partnership CDC, six individuals passed the Green Roofing Professional Certification Exam.

An alternative to a green roof is a white roof, which is a roof painted with a specific type of white paint that reflects the warming rays of the sun. Less expense than a green roof, a white roof also decreases the amount of energy needed to cool a house when temperatures rise.

The Partnership is not the only organization including environmentally sustainable roofing in their projects. The People’s Emergency Center (PEC) has several sustainable housing projects in West Philadelphia.  Jannie’s Place, a new affordable housing building by PEC, has over 5,000 square feet of green roof space. This roof should lower annual energy consumption of the building by 5 to 7% and increased rainfall retention by 50%, exempting the building from storm water management fees.

For more information of The Partnership’s green and white roofing program, contact Alix Howard at 215.662.1612. For more information on PEC and Jannie’s Place, go to http://www.pec-cares.org/.

UCD Promotes Home and Business Energy Efficiency

Did you know that you could be saving hundreds—even thousands—of dollars in energy bills by having an energy audit? University City District is spreading the news in West Philadelphia through a partnership with the non-profit, Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA).

Created in 1984, ECA’s goal is to conserve energy and educate the community about energy conservation techniques and programs.

At the September 14 workshops, Jack Strong from the ECA provided energy saving techniques, tips, and programs for commercial property owners as well as residential property owners. 

For commercial property owners, energy audits can be a great tool to find ways to decrease energy costs, particularly with the recent rate increases from PECO. Several PECO programs can help to reduce energy costs, such as rebates and credits.

Through the EnergyWorks program, homeowners can receive a discounted energy audit. The audit informs the resident about potential areas to improve their home’s energy efficiency and takes about four hours for the average house. In less than a week, the homeowner receives a detailed report and where improvements could be made. Also, the report compares other houses in the area, and rates the house’s energy efficiency compared to the neighborhood. Strong says that this may be important when going to sell your home, as people are now paying more attention to the importance of energy efficiency.

EnergyWorks has licensed contractors that will work with residents to then install energy efficient products in their home, including insulation, energy efficient HVAC systems, and other items. Through the Keystone HELP program, residents have the option of financing with very low-interest loans. Residents are also eligible for other programs including rebates, tax credits and other low-interest loans available.

The goal of the program is to reduce energy bills by at least 20%. Tara, a recent energy audit recipient, cut her energy bills in half by working with an EnergyWorks contractor to air seal and insulate her home.

Queens Village was the first neighborhood in Philadelphia to participate in group-audits. About 15 houses participated in the program. These homeowners received a reduced rate on audits as well as energy-efficient improvements because so many participated in the program. Mount Airy, Chestnut Hill, and south Philadelphia are other area communities participating at group rates.

For residential properties, UCD is organizing as many households as possible to participate in a home energy audit. The more houses that participate, the lower the price of the audit.

For more information, go to http://ecasavesenergy.org/ or contact Seth Budick from UCD at seth@universitycity.org.

Grand Opening of Jannie’s Place Showcases Green Housing!

On September 20, a large group of community members, leaders, and others gathered at a new apartment building just east of 40^th Street and Lancaster Avenue for the grand opening of Jannies’s Place, dedicated to Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell. Jannie’s Place includes 29 affordable housing units for families moving out of transitional housing.

Spearheaded by Kira Strong at People’s Emergency Center (PEC), the concept of Jannie’s Place began in 2006. Because of the complexity of the site, funding sources, and other aspects of the project, Jannie’s Place has been five years in the making. But it has been well worth the wait.  Deborah McColloch from the Office of Housing and Community Development said that “this project is not only helping independent housing here, but the community as a whole.” 

PEC is at the forefront of providing sustainable housing for the homeless. Chairman of the PEC’s Board David Fryman stated that “PEC is consistently helping to drive change in an environmentally friendly way.” Jannie’s Place is equipped with a 5,000 square foot green roof, porous pavement parking lot, and ceiling fans in bedrooms and living rooms. Benefits of the green roof include lower annual energy consumption by 5 to 7% and increased rainfall retention by 50%, exempting the building from storm water management fees. Also, the life of the roof will be extended significantly due to the reduction of UV breakdown of exposed materials.

Speaking about Blackwell’s commitment to the community, Representative Chaka Fattah said “on the question of housing, there is no one who has cared more about getting a roof over people’s heads than Jannie Blackwell.”

For more information on Jannie’s Place and other housing projects by PEC, visit there website here (http://www.pec-cares.org/).

Need to Weatherize Your Home or Business? Borrow a few tools at the West Philly Tool Library

Started in 2007, the West Philadelphia Tool Library is a member-based library that loans tools for home and yard maintenance, projects, and skill development. With only a few members initially and limited hours, the library has expanded to about 1,000 members and is now open five days per week.

Friday, September 2 marked the grand opening of the new location at 1314 South 47^th Street. With more space at this new location, the tool library hopes to gradually increase its member base as well as invest in some new tools.

With over 2,500 tools in stock, the library boasts a wide selection of items, from paint brushes to larger items such as lawn mowers, saws, and sanders. Popular items to prepare homes for the winter include ladders, snow shovels, and vacuums. 

Staffed by two tool librarians, the library is a source for both beginner fixer-uppers and the seasoned weekend warrior.  Mimi, one of the tool librarians, says that on an average night, about 20 to 30 people come in “from beginners to people wanting to totally renovate their house.” The best thing about being a tool librarian—“meeting people that live and work around this community, as well as seeing what they are doing and building.”

About one-third of the funding for the tool library comes from annual membership dues. The balance comes from community organizations, including SCI-West. Membership is calculated on a sliding scale, depending on the income of the potential member or budget for the organization. The individual membership fees range from $20 to $50 per year and organization fee is between $50 to 200 per year. Public schools may also become members for $25 per year.

Despite the already wide selection, the library is always looking for new tools. They take donation tools and there is a committee that is in charge of seeking out tools that are placed on the tool wish list.

Located at 1314 South 47^th Street, the library is open Monday through Thursday from 6:30-8:30pm and Saturday s from 9-3. For more information about the library, click here (www.westphillytools.org) or call 215.833.3190.

 

 

 

Aquaponics as a Gateway: The Partnership’s Urban Food Lab

Over the past year, The Partnership CDC has worked diligently to create an aquaponics lab in West Philadelphia. Located in a small area in the back of The Partnership’s building on 4020 Market Street, the Urban Food Lab it is an intricate system that connects plants and fish through various tubes and pumps.

The lab is a self-sustaining food source: the system uses nutrient-rich water from fish (Tilapia) to feed the plants. The plants then filter the water for the fish.

A large-scale version of the project is in the works on 60^th Street, with an estimated completion date of 2013 or 2014. At this location, the indoor farm is estimated to produce the equivalent of a 2.5 acre farm per year. Also, the project will create numerous jobs, stimulating the economy in the area.

Not only does this create jobs and food for the community. Wanting to create more science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) opportunities for students in West Philadelphia, The Partnership and Cheyney University are working together to create after school and Saturday programs with area schools. Previously working with Drew, Lea, and Locke Elementary schools for the Healthy Homes Initiative, The Partnership hopes to extend this work by including aquaponics education. The curriculum will include observation, measurement, and robotics skills with a focus on aquaponics application.

A week long pilot program this summer gave some students from the area an opportunity to use the Cheyney Lab and Urban Food Lab for measuring and observation. Steven Williams, Executive Director of The Partnership, says that “aquaponics is like a gateway. It touches a lot of science, like math, chemistry, and robotics. It opens kids up to possibilities other than just numbers in a book.”

For more information about the Urban Food Lab at The Partnership, go to www.partnershipcdc.wordpress.com.