Celebrating our Community Stars

Last week, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs honored RCI Volunteers Sue Karpovich and Jody Smith as 2024 United Federal Credit Union Community Stars!

We are forever grateful to Sue and Jody for their dedication as volunteers to RCI. These two extraordinary human beings have been volunteering at our Community Building Center every week for over six years. They have served countless meals. They have hung wallpaper and assembled furniture. They made sure our community members never had to go without, even at the height of the COVID pandemic. They loaned us their grill for a community event and didn’t get mad when we somehow caught the whole thing on fire. But most importantly, they have loved and cared for our community, and they have done it with joy and gusto. Our staff and community members are lucky to call them our friends, and humbled to know that the feeling is mutual. Thank you, Sue and Jody, from all of us at Ripple Community Inc.!

RCI Hosts Party in the Park

We held our annual Party in the Park and welcomed our community members, neighbors, and volunteers to gather to enjoy food, games, and learn about resources in the Franklin Park neighborhood.

We’re grateful to our event sponsors and supporters, including:

Allentown Fire Department

Capital Blue Cross

City Center

Cohesion Network

Community Bike Works

Community Services for Children

Fulton Bank

Highmark Wholecare

Be sure to save the date for next year’s event, which will be held on September 6, 2025.

Thank you to our new partner!

We are excited to share that we have a new partnership with translationservices.com. They will be providing in-kind services to us as part of their mission of supporting resource providers for people experiencing homelessness. This partnership will help us to be welcoming and inclusive to better serve our evolving and diverse community. Thank you, translationservices.com!

Welcoming New Staff Member, Erick!

Please join us in welcoming our new Community Resource Coordinator, Erick Marfil! Erick has extensive experience working with community-based organizations, including through his previous role as a Shop Coordinator and Program Manager at Community Bike Works. He is also a part-time case manager at Pinebrook Family Answers. Erick enjoys social work and being able to have an impact on the lives of others, and he sees his empathy as his gift to the world.

Erick is also the President and founder of The Valley League, the premiere pro-am basketball league in Pennsylvania. He is a proud father of three boys, loves to play basketball, and enjoys graphic design and spending time with his children.

In his role at RCI, Erick engages with our community members, facilitates activities, and assists with coordinating resources. Welcome to the team, Erick!