By Jeff Hornstein, QVNA President
The by-laws of the Queen Village Neighbors Association state that the “purpose of the Association is to help restore and preserve the historic value of the neighborhood, and to bring together people who are willing to work to improve their properties and to make the community an attractive place in which to live and bring up their families.”
QVNA has done an incredible amount of work to help active neighbors preserve and enhance the quality of life in Queen Village. QVNA does all of its good work on a limited budget. Current income it is not sufficient to meet the needs of our vibrant and growing community, particularly in these challenging fiscal times for our City.
So, we are asking YOU to become a supporter of YOUR neighborhood association by contributing to our Annual Appeal.
But First … What has QVNA Done for Me Lately?
QVNA has been at the forefront of civic life in the city for quite some time. It pioneered the idea of the “neighborhood conservation district,” helping to maintain the character of our neighborhood while still permitting economic vitality; led the successful fight against the Foxwoods casino project; participated heavily in the reform of our City’s antiquated zoning code and the draft of the master plan for the Delaware waterfront; helped form the Central Delaware Advocacy Group to oversee waterfront development; and led the formation of the Philadelphia Crosstown Coalition (PCC), a citywide “chamber of civics” that had a significant impact on the implementation of Mayor Nutter’s Actual Value Initiative.
QVNA helps neighbors preserve and beautify our community. It helped save the roof of the historic Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church on 4th Street; funded significant improvements to our community gardens on Bodine Street and Christian Street; instituted a street-cleaning program on the north-south streets, which has expanded to include snow removal on “orphan blocks” like the east side of the 900 block of Front Street; helped fund the beautiful new mural on Fulton Street; worked with the Friends of Bainbridge Green to help plan that ambitious project; and worked with the Friends of Weccacoe Playground to put together a top-flight plan for the renovation of Weccacoe Playground and Recreation Center – which, despite recent news reports, is still proceeding.
QVNA helps neighbors make our neighborhood one of the City’s greenest. It helped dozens of homeowners audit their energy usage and make their homes more energy-efficient; implemented an abandoned bike removal program; worked with South Street Headhouse District on several stormwater remediation projects; planted over 200 trees; and is actively participating in the rollout of the City’s new bikeshare program.
QVNA does much work in the all-important area of public education. We launched “It Takes Queen Village,” a grassroots effort to garner support for our neighborhood public schools that mobilized volunteers to go door-to-door, collecting signatures, donations, and pledges of volunteer time; partnered with Mother Bethel Church and Temple University to run summer enrichment programs for neighborhood children in 2012 and 2013; supported anti-bullying efforts in our schools; helped the principal at the Nebinger School set up a Parent Resource Center; and awarded grants to both Meredith and Nebinger to buy important materials to make sure our community’s children have what they need to succeed.
In the equally important area of public safety, QVNA continues to work closely with and invest in the South Street Police Mini-Station; initiated a photoelectric lighting program for residents; and plans are brewing to implement a neighborhood public safety study.
QVNA works with dog-owners to improve the dog-friendliness of our community. It awarded sizable matching grants towards the renovation of the dog run in Mario Lanza Park; started a Dog Committee; supported QVK9, a relatively new social group of pet owners promoting responsible pet ownership, outreach, and dog run maintenance; and funded the installation of dedicated dog waste containers throughout the neighborhood.
And QVNA also works to being neighbors together socially. It threw a heck of a party in celebration of the 250th anniversary of our neighborhood; brought nearly 100 neighbors to Citizens Bank Park for “Queen Village Night at the Phillies;” held two annual Sustainability Festivals; and recruited local restaurants to donate snacks for our monthly General Meetings. We will be working closely with South Street Headhouse District on the upcoming Spring Festival in early May.
On top of these innovative projects, QVNA performs its traditional functions as a Registered Community Organization of vetting applications for zoning variances and sidewalk café licenses, monitoring and cracking down on nuisance bars, and helping neighbors deal with City government.
QVNA does all of this with dozens of volunteers organized in numerous committees and Friends groups, supported by a single, part-time staff person – a truly lean operation.
In sum, in a time of scarcity and cutbacks, QVNA is supporting worthy projects: self-help at the point of greatest impact, the neighborhood.
But we would like to be able to do much more. Our neighborhood schools continue to face crippling budget shortfalls, jeopardizing years of progress; QVNA would like to be able to establish a “homework haven” at a renovated Weccacoe Recreation Center. The South Street Police Mini-Station needs funds so that Queen Village remains a relatively safe place to live; QVNA would also like to implement a neighborhood-wide security camera program. While our parks, playgrounds, and community gardens are lovely gathering spots, they need our support to thrive; QVNA would also like to work with neighbors and the Interstate Land Management Corporation to beautify the green spaces along Front Street. Our sidewalk cleaning program has done wonders to improve cleanliness, but should be expanded to include more of the neighborhood. And, when a group of neighbors come up with a great idea, we want to be able to help support it.
In short, the need is great
Queen Village is a great neighborhood. But it did not get this way by accident. It takes a lot of hard work on the part of numerous volunteers. It also takes financial resources. So, please support the work QVNA has been doing and the work it plans to do. Become a supporter for as little as $40 per household this year.
Go to qvna.org/membership and use our secure payment form and follow the instructions.
As always, if you want to discuss issues of concern, don’t hesitate to email me at president@qvna.org.