Summer updates

We’ve been busy! Check out some of our recent activities.

• We grew and released butterflies! We also made themed art projects, all focused on the beautiful transformation from caterpillar to butterfly.

• We celebrated our volunteers.

• We created a mural together.

• We planted flowers.

• We played bingo.

• We knitted and crocheted.

…and we have even more planned for the rest of the summer! Save the date for some of our upcoming events:

7/18 – Hawaiian luau and craft.

7/20 – Philosophy circle.

7/31 – July birthday celebration.

8/1/2024 – Walking trip to concerts at the Community Music School. Meet on RCI’s porch at 3 PM.

8/2/2024 – Party in the Park at Franklin Park. The event starts at 3 PM. (Rain date 8/9).

Thank you, Penn Community Bank!

We’re grateful to our friends at Penn Community Bank, who spent the day with us volunteering. The group visited the future home of RCI Village West to tidy the garden beds and spruce up the outdoor space. They also deep cleaned our Community Building Center, refreshing the Center for when our community members return.

Volunteers also presented us with a gift of $10,000. We deeply appreciate their impact and care for our community, as well as their generosity. Thank you, Penn Community Bank!

Allentown Health Bureau Visits RCI

RCI community members participate in Allentown’s Community Health Needs Assessment.

In November, RCI hosted visitors from the Allentown Health Bureau as part of the City’s Community Health Needs Assessment, which is a tool to evaluate gaps in health care and related services in Allentown. Twenty-five people from RCI participated, discussing resources that would improve health and quality of life. “If we could get a shower when we need it. If we could have a place to stay, that would build up our self-esteem. And when our self-esteem is up, everything else goes up, too,” shared one of our community members.

Our unsheltered neighbors have an especially difficult time in the winter, when the temperatures drop and daylight dwindles. While many of us begin preparing for holiday gatherings with family and friends, people experiencing homelessness or housing instability face social isolation, which directly impacts their health and well-being. One community member said, “When you feel so empty. When you feel neglected by society, that’s when you turn to drugs. That’s when you turn to alcohol.”

Visitors from the Allentown Health Bureau visit RCI in our Service Hub.

Thank you to the Allentown Health Bureau for visiting RCI and providing our community members with the opportunity to have their voices heard!

In case you missed it...

We have big news to share!

The congregation of Emmanuel United Church of Christ has generously donated their beautiful property at 1547 W. Chew Street to Ripple Community Inc. On August 24th, more than 100 people gathered to thank Emmanuel UCC for their extraordinarily generous gift and to learn about RCI’s plans for the property.

““When we decided to close the church last fall, our biggest hope was that we would be able to find someone who could continue to use this building and care for it as we had. When we were introduced to Ripple Community Inc., we knew we had found something special.” ”

— Kathy Heckman, Emmanuel UCC Consistory President

RCI’s plans for this building include 12 units of deeply affordable, permanent housing, and a community center where we — along with our partners — will provide connection and care.

With the creation of 12 new apartments, we will provide permanent housing for 22 to 30 residents, including families with children who previously struggled with homelessness or housing instability. Deeply affordable rent at this new property means families will pay as little as $540 per month for safe, healthy housing, compared to the current market rate of $1,966 for a two-bedroom apartment.

This building is an investment in our neighbors, our communities, and our city that will reduce childhood poverty, increase economic mobility, and improve health and education outcomes for children and families.

““We know that ‘home’ is more than 4 walls and a roof over our heads. Home is our anchor of safety, comfort, and community, and those are things we want for all of our neighbors. And that’s the heart of RCI.””

— Sherri Brokopp Binder, PhD, Executive Director

Interested in learning more? View news coverage of the event here or contact Alicia Moyer.