The Passyunk Square Civic Association has big news to share with you. We are very proud to announce the launch of a sidewalk sweeping initiative across the area!

In case you have not noticed, over the past few months a hired contractor (LRC Services) has been sweeping the main streets within the Passyunk Square boundaries. The main east/west streets and numbered north/south streets are being swept every-other week (usually on Thursdays). The sidewalks and curbs are being swept with brooms to make our neighborhood more attractive & enjoyable. As a reminder, Passyunk Square covers 6^th to Broad, Washington to Tasker.

This new program is the result of much hard work & the dedication of the Passyunk Square Civic Association, and is also solely funded by PSCA through fundraising efforts. In addition, this service is currently supported for one year and PSCA must continue to receive funding to keep it going. Again, this is not funded by the City of Philadelphia, but by neighbors and businesses like you, and we need your help.

Please support PSCA’s litter fighting efforts by following the “Top 10 Ways to Fight Litter in Passyunk Square”

1. Give financial support to the new program. You can donate  directly to PSCA by following this link http://www.tinyurl.com/psca-give Also, PSCA now has an on-line store to promote fundraising items. Check it out! http://sites.google.com/site/pscafundraisingsite/
2. Continue to sweep in front of your own house and block, the new program is not meant to remove this responsibility.
3. Display the “No Handbills” sticker on the front of your home. Much of the sidewalk litter can be attributed to menus/flyers left in railings. You can get a sticker at a PSCA meeting or download and submit a request to the city here: http://www.southofsouth.org/files/No_handbills%20%281%29.pdf
4. Report businesses that do not adhere to the “No Handbill” sticker or do not have a valid license. PSCA will be launching an on-line form for reporting these business and residences which contribute to the litter problem.
5. Secure your trash and recyclables on collection days. The wind always seems to make a mess of our streets so please ensure trash does not leave your bin.
6. Volunteer your time at one of PSCA’s monthly events. There are many programs available where your assistance is needed. Please check the PSCA website for more info: http://www.passyunksquare.org/
7. Curb your dog and clean up the mess they leave. Not only is it hygienic, it’s the law.
8. Support businesses which support PSCA and encourage those that don’t to start helping. If you notice litter always comes from the same businesses (menus, red & white cups, black & orange cups) please ask them to help make the neighborhood more beautiful and participate in the efforts.
9. Encourage your neighbors, friends, and local business to follow these guidelines and help spread the word. We all need everyone’s participation!
10. Donate http://www.tinyurl.com/psca-give and purchase from the store http://sites.google.com/site/pscafundraisingsite/

LOVE Your Park
SATURDAY, May 8th @ 9:30am

Gold Star Park is a small, precious park on Wharton, between 6th and 7th Streets.  Join your neighbors and more than 2,000 volunteers citywide for LOVE Your Park Day.   The Friends of Gold Star Park will be constructing a new shed, planting some shrubs, weeding, and cleaning up the park.

PLEASE donate ONE HOUR of your time, anytime between 9:30 and 11:30am.  It’s YOUR neighborhood, it’s YOUR park, we need YOUR help!

More info at www.goldstarpark.org

Join us on April 10 at 9:00 am at Gold Star Park (on Wharton between 6th and 7th streets) for the 3rd Annual Philly Spring Cleanup! Let’s give our neighborhood a fresh start by sprucing it up!

PSCA will be coordinating folks to sweep litter, with a focus on high-traffic areas like the 9th St business corridor, and plant a garden at Andrew Jackson School.

Please RSVP today by emailing kalabno@gmail.com. We will wrap up by 1:30. A neighborhood after party will be held at Adobe.

Trash is cited as the most important issue to the PSCA general membership. Litter on the streets clogs our storm drains, leading to further flooding problems. It negatively impacts property values. The presence of litter on the street also sends the sign that our neighborhood is not cared for, inviting drugs and other crime into our area. In a recent survey done among our membership, the majority of respondents cited trash as their biggest concern.

For the past several years, PSCA has been working to combat the litter problem. In addition to educating residents and businesses, the group has also been raising funds to hire a professional street cleaning service, as is done in other neighborhoods in the City. We know that litter begets litter- so if we are capable of removing it, we can break the cycle that perpetuates litter behavior.

With the generous support of State Representative Babette Josephs (D-182), and the contributions of many neighbors and local businesses, PSCA has now contracted with a professional street cleaning service to provide services for a limited time as a pilot program.

Ready, Willing & Able (RWA) which employs local men transitioning out of homelessness has been awarded the short-term contract to provide cleaning service for all major streets in the neighborhood for two days in each August and September of 2009.

PSCA hopes that this pilot program will be successful, and that it will attract contributions from more neighbors and local businesses to help make it permanent. The annual cost to keep the program going would be around $25,000, or just $10 per household.
Frequently Asked Questions:

What streets will be serviced?

Only main streets within the area (6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, and Ellsworth, Federal, Wharton, Reed, Dickinson and Tasker streets) will receive service. We hope to add smaller streets if additional funding becomes available.

What will happen to the collected bags?

* The bags will be taken to one of three collection sites in the neighborhood (Capitolo Playground and Gold Star Park) and the bags will be collected by City of Philadelphia sanitation workers within 24 hours. *(hopefully).

How much does this service cost?

PSCA will pay RWA just over $3000. This cost includes four days of cleaning service, or 28 hours of paid work, as well as all brooms, bags, trucks and other equipment usage.

What is Ready, Willing & Able?

RWA is part of the Doe Fund, whose mission is to develop and implement cost-effective, holistic programs that meet the needs of a diverse population working to break the cycles of homelessness, addiction, and criminal recidivism. All of The Doe Fund’s programs and innovative business ventures ultimately strive to help homeless and formerly incarcerated individuals achieve permanent self-sufficiency. Their Philadelphia location houses and trains 70 men in South Philadelphia and has been recognized as a national best practice.

How can I help support the program?

The only way for the program to continue is if PSCA is able to raise enough funds to sustain it. Therefore, your contributions are vital to keep it going. Please make a tax-deductible contribution to PSCA by sending a check made out to Passyunk Square Civic Association to P.O. Box 18053, Philadelphia PA 19147. You can also help spread the word to your friends and neighbors and encourage their financial support.

Join us on August 29th at 9:30 to clean up ninth street. We will be meeting at the corner of 9th and Federal. Bring gloves if you like, the rest will be provided.