Read about additional community partners and projects

RTP plays a significant role in neighborhood revitalization. Making essential repairs not only helps the homeowner raise his or her quality of life, but also by preserving affordable homeownership, it sets off a positive ripple effect. Homeowners of all ages stabilize neighborhoods.

Community organizations are essential to connecting RTP to homeowners in need, providing RTP with neighborhood facilities to assist in the smooth execution of repair projects, and augmenting services to RTP homeowners. RTP's volunteers also make significant physical improvements for a small number of community organizations each year.

HOMEOWNER REFERALS

Download a homeowner application if you know of a homeowner in need of essential repairs who lives within 19139 – specifically the Walnut Hill community of West Philadelphia; or within 19144 – specifically Germantown; or within 19401 in Norristown. RTP volunteers will concentrate on these neighborhoods for the spring 2010 Rebuilding Days. Applications for spring 2010 are due October 15, 2009.

Community leaders can help bring RTP to your neighborhood for a Block Build by completing this "Target Community Application."

COMMUNITY PROJECTS

Supporting a community agency by making significant physical improvements to its facilities is an important way that RTP can play a role in neighborhood revitalization. RTP has helped more than 35 nonprofits since its founding and restored 18 parks/lots. See the list of Community Projects that have been undertaken in recent years.

Non-profits can find more information and an application here.

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

RTP partners with community-based organizations in order to have a longer-term and more meaningful impact on neighborhoods that otherwise would not be possible.

Wister Neighborhood Council
Founded in 1949, Wister Neighborhood Council serves as a NAC (Neighborhood Advisory Committee) for the lower Germantown community. WNC utilizes a block-by-block organizing strategy to engage residents in a variety of activities, ranging from town watch to neighborhood clean-ups. Funded by the Office of Housing and Community Development, its aim is to bring resources to the community, eliminate blight in the neighborhood, provide job counseling, and promote positive change through leadership – in short, to “improve and sustain the social and economic fabric of their community.” Wister NAC's work focuses a good deal on older adults who are particularly challenged in maintaining their home on a fixed income, especially in this neighborhood where the homes tend to be very old. Since Wister NAC does not have its own repair program, the Council was eager to partner with RTP on one of our spring 2010 Block Builds by referring homeowners to RTP, serving as the headquarters for work scope days, and advocating for RTP in the community.

The Enterprise Center CDC
Founded in 2001, The Enterprise Center CDC (TEC-CDC) focuses on minority entrepreneurship and wealth creation through strategic investments, programs, and initiatives in the Walnut Hill neighborhood of West Philadelphia. This includes a broad-based neighborhood planning effort; initiatives to engage community resources in local schools; a Street Team as a catalyst for a dynamic communication network; and large-scale physical development projects to rebuild blighted infrastructure, create jobs, and revive the community.

TEC-CDC's Neighborhood Plan paints a vivid picture of the community by 2015 – “Walnut Hill will be a thriving community of parks for youth, gathering places for adults, and opportunities for employment. Walnut Hill will be a community of tree-lined streets with lights on every lawn, and even, smooth sidewalks. Walnut Hill will be a safe, friendly and well-informed community; a place that its residents can all call 'home sweet home.' Walnut Hill will be a community where there is a sense of pride and celebration and a community that works together for the common good of all its residents. Residents will listen, consider, and hear each other's concerns. Walnut Hill will be a model for other residential communities throughout the city.”

This dream calls for comprehensive solutions to difficult challenges. Accordingly, it's not surprising that the Walnut Hill neighbors have displayed tremendous commitment to partnering with RTP during two Block Builds. At least a third of the volunteers at the fall 2009 Cricket Communications event were residents of the blocks where Cricket employees and Wharton students were working to provide critical home repairs. This past March/April, the neighborhood was back on the streets alongside Wharton/Penn students and other volunteer teams to help 21 homeowners.

Face to Face
RTP had an intense partnership with Face to Face in 2008 and 2009. Face to Face's mission seeks to enable the people of Germantown to confront personal challenges, empower their lives, and fulfill their unique potential. Its range of services truly feed the mind, body, and soul by providing weekend meals; health, legal, and social services; an after-school and summer camp for children; and an arts and writing program. This abundance of activities requires a good deal of physical space, which is where RTP stepped in. Throughout 2008 and 2009 RTP volunteers helped Face to Face improve its facilities so they would be well suited for its programs. Through the financial and volunteer sponsorship of HSBC, RTP began the spruce up of Face to Face in June 2008. Subsequently, Face to Face served as the headquarters of RTP's spring 2009 Block Build and was instrumental in recruiting homeowners from the area and coordinating other collaborations. The summer of 2009 brought forth two major projects. Through the sponsorship of the Opus Foundation, RTP volunteers constructed a Washeteria – a space complete with showers and laundry equipment for people to use while receiving Face to Face's other services. Finally, through Dan Schryer's sponsorship, RTP helped support the transformation of a former Thrift Shop into space that facilitated the expansion of Face to Face's programs.