Presbyterian churches, orphanages, and homes for the elderly have been present in the Kingsessing neighborhood in SW Philadelphia at least as far back as 1900. Today, it is one of the most under-resourced sections of the city in terms of wealth, health, and education. Moreover, Kingsessing ranks 6th in the number of mass shootings in Philadelphia. Matthew 25 and 2 Corinthians 6: 11-13 calls us to open our hearts to the deprivation in SW because that’s where Presbyterians have had a long-standing footprint. WPC’s missional outreach in SW spans 25+ years.
The Common Place (TCP)
5736 Chester Avenue
(58th Street and Chester Avenue)
Philadelphia, PA 19143
Phone Number: 267 275 8238
Rev. Chris Holland
Phone Number 215 416 6428
Email:
The Common Place, located at 58th and Chester Avenue in SW Philadelphia, offers a wide variety of programs to support the children and families in SW Philadelphia. Some of the programs are:
A quality after school program
A Saturday Enrichment Program providing academic support, Bible Study and community building for school age children
A Youth Orchestra
A Summer Arts and Technology camp
A food pantry
A produce garden that provides fresh vegetables to local residents.
A venue for community gatherings and meetings
The Common Place is currently developing a preschool program, a produce market to sell locally grown vegetables, and a youth and family counseling service.
Salt and Light Church, with approximately 1,000 members, worships at The Common Place and works in conjunction with it to serve the spiritual needs of the community.
Wayne Presbyterian Liaison: Buff Barnes and Doug McBrearty
Prayer vigil in SW Philadelphia by members of Salt & Light Church and Wayne Presbyterian Church for persons murdered during the year due to gun violence.
CityLights Urban Ministries
The CityLights office is located in The Common Place
5736 Chester Avenue
(58th Street and Chester Avenue)
Philadelphia, PA 19143
Rev. Cean James
Phone Number 267 705 6576
Wayne Presbyterian Liaison Susan Aggaarwal
Gemma Services (formerly the Village)
Outley House
Southwest Community Development Corporation (SWCDC)
Sherwood Soup Kitchen
S.Weir Mitchell School
Cornerstone Christian Academy
Historic Bartram's Garden
Gemma Services (formally theVillage)
For the healing of the spirits of children, families, and communities broken by trauma including violence, neglect, poverty, mental illness, racism and other serious societal problems, there is Gemma Services. Volunteers help via tutoring, career nights and administrative assistance.
At the Preheim Center (once a Presbyterian orphanage), they provide family and mental health services. Healthy Minds Philly is an initiative that offers a variety of tools and resources to support and improve the mental health and well-being of all Philadelphians.
Gemma’s Faith in Action Council welcomes you to participate in activities throughout the year.
Please visit the following link to see ways you can help: https://gemmaservices.org/support-us/wishlist/
Wayne Presbyterian Liaisons: Elisabeth Slate and Scott Laird for plannng and scheduling volunteer activities.
Baker Industries supplied 300 tins of stress putty to all of Gemma’s programs students.
Outley House
70th and Woodland
Philadelphia, PA 19142
Outley House, an outreach of Self Inc., is the largest men's housing shelter in Philadelphia, assisting more than 200 men on an ongoing basis. Outley is in constant need of men's clothing (particularly big and tall), white socks, new towels, washcloths, underwear and men's toiletries. Wayne Presbyterian Church collects and delivers these needed items on a regular basis. The Men's Fellowship collects baked goods donations from Main Line bakeries on a weekly basis, year-round and delivers them to the Outley kitchen.
Wayne Presbyterian Liaison Carmela Curatola
Clothing Drive for people in SW Philadelphia including the men of Outley House
On Saturdays following federal holidays, intergenerational volunteers from WPC prepare and serve lunch to the staff at Outley to give them a respite
Southwest Community Development Corporation (SWCDC)
6328 Paschal Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19142
The SWCDC provides a variety of support services to families including foreclosure prevention, a job search computer lab, emergency utility assistance, home heating oil assistance, family budgeting, after school and summer programs for children, rental tax rebates and referrals to other organizations. Additionally, they facilitate free income tax return preparation for residents, and arrange microloans for small businesses and community development activities. Thanks to support from WPC, SWCDC is working on a housing project in the neighborhood with the goal of keeping people in their homes by reducing gentrification in the area.
SWCDC publishes the Southwest Globe Times , a free community newspaper which reports the good news about people and organizations making positive contributions to the quality of life in inner-city Southwest Philadelphia. Look for a copy on the table outside the church office.
Contact person: Ted Behr
Sherwood Soup Kitchen
5543 Willows Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19143
215 747 2685
The Center offers daycare for infants through 5-yr-olds, summer day camp, and a soup kitchen. Wayne Presbyterian volunteers assist with the hunger ministry that serves hot lunches on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Wayne Presbyterian Liaison Susan Aggarwal
WPC volunteers at Sherwood Soup Kitchen and Daycare
WPC volunteers at Sherwood Soup Kitchen and Daycare
S. Weir Mitchell School
5500 Kingsessing Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19143
Wayne Presbyterian Mitchell School Liaisons: Jane Beatty ( ), Rita Fisk ( ), Marsha Irvin ( )
This public school, situated in the heart of the Kingsessing community in Southwest Philadelphia, serves local students in kindergarten through 8th grade. Through volunteer service and funds, WPC has enhanced the playground, school library, staff room, auditorium lighting, and educational programs. Tutors and Library volunteers are always welcome.
WPC raised $6500 for the Mitchell School Chess Team, which is currently in first place in the Philadelphia School District Elementary Division, to attend National competitions. Jason Bui, a teacher at Mitchell who is also Vice President of the Philadelphia Chess Society, sent a handful of Elementary, Junior and Senior High students to State and National competitions in PA and Washington, D.C. Several students won their competitions. Chess teaches these students the importance of planning and strategic thinking while enjoying the game.
Wayne Presbyterian Mitchell School Liaisons: Jane Beatty , Rita Fisk , Marsha Irvin
Mitchell School Chess Team
Mitchell School Chess Team
Mitchell School Chess Team
Cornerstone Christian Academy
1939 S. 58th Street
PO Box 5520
Philadelphia PA 19143
Wayne Presbyterian Liaison Sally Hudson
Cornerstone is an independent, private Christian school in Southwest Philadelphia serving Kindergarten through 8th grade students in a safe, disciplined, and spiritual educational environment. The school’s campus adjoins The Common Place. Nearly 100% of Cornerstone graduates complete high school on time, and most pursue a college degree. Our congregation has generously supported this partner with time, talent, and treasure for over 15 years.
Historic Bartram's Garden
5400 Lindbergh Boulevard
Philadelphia PA 19143
Contact person: Rev. Cean James
This is the oldest surviving botanic garden in North America, a National Historic Landmark, and a jewel in the Southwest community. In addition to tours and events, the garden is a welcoming oasis of fields, trees, plants and walking paths just blocks from the heart of Kingsessing and a wonderful place for recreation and refreshment. It is an educational destination for hundreds of school children each year and has an after-school program and summer camp.
