Honoring Teenshop, Inc. and Founder Elleanor Jean Hendley.

WHEREAS, The Council of the City of Philadelphia is pleased and proud to honor Ms. Elleanor Jean Hendley and the tremendous contributions of her Teenshop, Inc. program, to the empowerment and achievement of generations of teenage girls from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, building a legacy of more than 20 years of success; and

WHEREAS, In 1985, Elleanor Jean Hendley founded Teenshop, Inc., now one of the nation’s longest running volunteer-driven youth development non-profit agencies dedicated exclusively to nurturing the growth and achievement of teenage girls with goals. The organization currently has branches in North, South, West, and Northwest Philadelphia, as well as a chapter in Los Angeles, California, where successful teens like

America’s Next Top Model

winner, Eva Pigford, have participated in the program. Teenshop encourages academic excellence, promotes abstinence, and enhances girls’ self-esteem using workshops, field trips, community service opportunities, and college tours; and

WHEREAS, More than 100 girls from Philadelphia to Los Angeles enroll in Teenshop’s groups each year, and the program has earned increasing accolades, receiving write ups in publications like

The Philadelphia Tribune

and

Ebony

Magazine

. Elleanor Jean Hendley was also recognized for her work this year by the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Pennsylvania, receiving the organization’s

Take the Lead Award

. In all, more than two thousand young women have benefited from Teenshop, Inc. moving on to become doctors, lawyers, teachers, and business owners; and

WHEREAS, Elleanor Jean Hendley’s success with Teenshop comes as no surprise considering her background as an educator in New Jersey, where she created an award-winning after school dance program for young girls. Ms. Hendley also served for many years as the education reporter for CBS 3 Eyewitness News here in Philadelphia, and is the founder and CEO of the EJ Hendley Consultants, LLC education and development company. Ms. Hendley is also a founding member of the Pennsylvania Coalition of 100 Black Women; a member of the Forum of Executive Women; and a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby recognize and congratulate

Ms. Elleanor Jean Hendley and the tremendous contributions of her Teenshop, Inc. program, to the empowerment and achievement of teenage girls from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, spanning a record of more than 20 years of success.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to

Ms. Elleanor Jean Hendley

, as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.

End