WHEREAS, Ms. Brown resided in North Philadelphia’s St. Elizabeth neighborhood for 55 years, and was deeply involved in her community; and
WHEREAS, In 1995, when Sister Mary Scullion came to the area, which had experienced as severe downturn over the years, with an ambitious plan for neighborhood revitalization, Ms. Brown began working with Project HOME; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Brown, through working with local politicians, police, block captains, civic associations, schools, businesses and residents to achieve goals, witnessed great change come to her neighborhood including Honickman Leaning Center and the Stephen Klein Wellness Center where the subsequent opening of an onsite pharmacy fulfilled an acute need in the community; and
WHEREAS, 25 years ago Ms. Brown founded the North Philly Footstompers, a nationally ranked youth drill team, comprised of youth who live in the neighborhood sponsored by Project HOME; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Brown received many awards, including being named an honorary deputy commissioner by then-Philadelphia Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson and being the recipient of the KYW Game Changer’s Award; and
WHEREAS;
The Helen Brown Community Center (HBCC), named for Ms. Brown to acknowledge her work as a Project HOME Community Organizer for over 20 years, still serves a locus for the provision of social services in the area that Ms. Brown loved so much; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Brown
was instrumental in connecting neighborhood residents to food, jobs, education and homeownership, and will be long remembered for her tireless efforts to better the lives of her neighbors and the greater community; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the 1800 block of North 23rd Street from West Berks Street to West Montgomery Avenue, also be named “Helen Brown Way” to honor and commemorate the life of Helen Brown, a community organizer and activist for her work with Project HOME and her lasting impact on her North Philadelphia community.
End