Claim OwnershipPhilly Rising: Difference Makers from KYW Newsradio
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From KYW Newsradio, these are the stories that highlight our region's grit and grace - ordinary people of Greater Philadelphia becoming difference makers.
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As Philadelphia’s gun violence crisis continues to affect young people, a group in West Philly has stepped up to the call to serve, with hopes of saving lives.
As founder and executive director of the Elevation Project, LaTrista Webb has helped thousands of formerly incarcerated people find new pathways in life after time served. KYW Newsradio's Antionette Lee tells us more about what sparked this career path for her. (Photo credit: Mansfield Media)
Cycling gave Ajoa Abrokwa a level of physical activity that also helped balance her emotions. Through her nonprofit, she’s encouraging young women and girls to get into the sport not just for wellness but for the paths it may take them down. KYW Newsradio's Antionette Lee has more on Philly Rising.
After more than a decade in state prison, Kashif Jones went back into the courtroom to ask for help from the judge who sentenced him. Jones now has his own nonprofit Relentless Community Development dedicated to helping at-risk youth.
Like many Americans, cancer patients struggle to juggle their health and financial hardships. That’s where Legacy of Hope comes in. The organization raises money to move needy Philadelphia families into liveable homes with comfortable arrangements. KYW's Antionette Lee has the story.
Amira Williams started her business Henna with a Twist as a hobby, helping women who had lost their hair due to alopecia or cancer. Now, she does henna all over the body and for any occasion. KYW Newsradio's Antionette Lee has more.
Rodney and Erika McLeod’s nonprofit, Change Our Future, is hosting the third annual Sneaker Ball, which raises money, school supplies and kicks for students in the community. They hope to double their fundraising goal this year.
(Photo credit: Change Our Future Foundation)
Prom “send offs” have become one of the most anticipated events of the year for Philadelphia high schoolers. It’s a time when families and friends turn dreams into reality for their kids. Dedicated moms like Angelia Ayres have put several hundreds of dollars and countless hours into planning the perfect night for their children.
Dorothy Johnson-Speight has been working toward gun violence prevention, education and intervention through her organization, Mothers in Charge, for nearly 20 years.
On a nice day, the Chamounix Equestrian Center, home to the Work to Ride program, is filled with kids taking horseback riding lessons, as well as dozens of cats, dogs and a billie goat named Yoda.
The one-of-a-kind program in the country gives kids of color a shot at mastering horses on the polo field. And recently, they’ve gained a lot of attention, as one of its students, Alyssa Perren, is Harvard-bound to play polo.
Diona Murray has spent the last four years advocating for equity in birthing experiences like access to reproductive health care and resources for Black women through her nonprofit, Barren Fruit.
On Sunday, Salim Weldon will host dozens, including those who went to Mecca with him in 2016, for an iftar meal at the Ubuntu fine art gallery in Germantown where they will break fast at sunset.
“...No matter your wealth status, we are all fasting,” he said. “So from the richest to the people that are less fortunate than us – we're all on the same level. We're all fasting and we're all trying to please Allah and then when we are breaking fast, it doesn't matter who it is if you know this person or not. All Muslims are trying to feed other Muslims, fasting Muslims.”
After more than 15 years of working in the health and wellness industry, Ayana Bennett quit her corporate gig to open Da Smoothie Jawn on Girard Avenue.
“I want to provide education in a space where people feel comfortable asking questions that they wouldn't feel comfortable anywhere else,” she explained.
After a long career in the fashion industry, Cheryl Wadlington switched her style to service. She founded the nonprofit Evoluer House in 2004 to empower young girls of color in Philadelphia.
Breaking Bread on Broad started as a summer meal program for students five years ago, but when the pandemic hit, needs began to change and so too did the organization.
“We realized that their parents also were impacted in terms of their ability to provide for their families,” said Ellen Poster, the program’s co-chair. “And so we turned our program into a food pantry, which is what we have now.”
When Monica Miraglio purchased her first home, it was also the groundbreaking of her career in design and construction. She said she did all the projects in the house on her own.
“I started laying tile. I started putting in cabinets,” she said. “I would go back and forth to Lowe's or Home Depot, and I would ask constant questions to the guys there.”
That was 20 years ago. Today, as the founder and CEO of Girlbuild, Miraglio is helping women gain the tools they need to build whatever they want — whether it be their homes, their lives, or their dreams.
Autumn Womack is an assistant professor of English and African American studies at Princeton University. The Philadelphia native is also a Central High school alumnus, and the scholar’s latest project is turning pages across the country.
“It’s called the Cado Experience,” said Deborah Charmelus, creator of the Cado Experience. “It’s a day-long Black creative market that brings together more than 50 Black vendors in one space for a chance to exchange goods, ideas and culture.”
Felicia Harris-Williams has blended her passion for tea, holistic healing and wellness into the perfect brew. The mother of three, and volunteer for the Philadelphia Commission for Women, started Gynger Tea House in 2015 after a major health scare that required open heart surgery.
She uses her brand to fight racial inequities in health care by educating and empowering other Black women and advocating for their wellness.
“I'm privileged to be able to have a platform to advocate for women, to raise these concerns, to share resources about things that can save our lives,” she says.
Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow is a teacher-turned-best-selling author. KYW Newsradio's Antionette Lee talked with Thompkins-Bigelow about her journey.
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