Frankford meeting provides
updates for residents

By Diane Villano-Prokop
Times Staff Writer

About 30 Frankford residents turned out at the Faith Assembly of God Church on April 10 for updates on a variety of community topics.
The session, organized by the Rev. Richard Smith, pastor of the church, enlightened attendees on such matters as resources that can be found at the Redirection Center, at 1839 Harrison St.
For 20 years, the center has been helping those in the Frankford community involved in addictions recovery. The Redirection Center also has been involved in the Frankford Reentry Pilot Project, a program that helps inmates restore their lives upon their release from prison and strives to reduce the high rate of those who return to crime and life behind bars.
Of the 25 former inmates the project has worked with since October, only three have resumed a life of crime. A primary goal of the project is to reunite participants with their families and help them find jobs.
The Redirection Center offers a variety of other services, including mortgage counseling for prospective homebuyers and state-sponsored career assistance. For information, call 215-288-5799.
Other community resources discussed at the session included the South Neighborhood Association’s housing counseling services. The free services, funded by the Office of Housing and Community Development, include counseling for first-time homebuyers or tenants, information on mortgages and details about home-repair loans available to eligible clients who earn up to $40,000. For information, call 215-546-0699.
During the meeting, it was announced that the Parent Leadership Academy, an organization that offers free workshops to Philadelphia public school parents, will co-sponsor a Title 1 Summit at William Penn High School, 1333 N. Broad St., on April 20 and 21. Federal Title 1 funds were initiated as part of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 to improve the academic achievement of disadvantaged students.
Starting at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, April 20, the summit will feature a panel discussion with Title 1 experts. On April 21, starting at 8 a.m., workshops will be devoted to such topics as Title 1 laws, special education under No Child Left Behind, parental involvement, and parent information resource centers. For more information, call 215-400-5551.
Daniel Lodise, chief of staff for state Rep. Tony Payton (D-179th dist.), listened to quality-of-life concerns of those in attendance at the meeting.
Lodise also discussed Payton’s plan to introduce legislation this summer that would provide a free four-year college scholarship to high school students in the state who maintain a B average and have 80 percent attendance. ••
Reporter Diane Villano-Prokop can be reached at 215-354-3036 or dvillano@phillynews.com