SHARON HILL — The Fanta Bility Foundation will hold its annual Backpack and School Supplies Giveaway at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23 at Sharon Hill Elementary School, 701 Coates St., Sharon Hill.
This year’s event will commemorate the fifth anniversary of Fanta’s passing, honoring her memory and carrying on her legacy of giving.
Each child accompanied by a parent or guardian will receive one backpack filled with essential school supplies such as crayons, markers, glue, rulers, folders, pencils, lined notebook paper, and pencil cases. Organizers will remain on site until supplies are gone.
The Fanta Bility Foundation is steadfast in presenting programs and events annually to honor the memory of Fanta Bility.
The young girl was only 8 when her life was fatally cut short on Aug. 27, 2021, in a tragic incident outside of Academy Park High School after a football game.
Two teenagers had gotten into a gunfight as spectators were leaving the game. Fanta was an innocent bystander who was killed by police gunfire during a response to the shootout.
Fanta’s memory lives on through this annual event, created to honor her vibrant, kind, and generous spirit, especially her love for helping other children.
Since its inception four years ago, the Back-to-School Giveaway has become a highly anticipated community tradition. Tenneh Kromah, mother of Fanta Bility and co-founder of the foundation, will be at the event, as well as Siddiq Kamara, Fanta’s cousin and co-founder/president of the Foundation, with siblings and extended family, local and county officials, community members, leaders and volunteers.
Fanta Bility was born on Jan. 15, 2013, the youngest of six children. She was known for her warmth, kindness and generosity. She often shared food and clothing with her friends and neighbors in Sharon Hill.
The foundation was launched on the anniversary of her passing in August 2022.
Four years later, the nonprofit continues its mission of keeping Fanta’s name alive by giving and supporting the community in the way that she so did during her short but impactful life. For more information, go to http://fantabilityfoundation.org.
Next week: Medicare 101 in Aston, community blood drive in Brookhaven
State Rep. Leanne Krueger will present two community health events next week in Aston and Brookhaven.
An in-person Medicare 101 workshop is planned for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24, at the Aston Community Center, 3270 Concord Road, Aston.
Residents are welcome to come and learn about Medicare coverage, enrollment timelines, supplemental plans, copays and more from a trained PA MEDI counselor.
The Medicare 101 workshop is free. Residents can email RepKrueger@pahouse.net or call 610-534-6880 to register.
To aid with blood-supply shortages, Krueger is hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive from noon to 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, at the Brookhaven Municipal Building, 2 Cambridge Road, Brookhaven. Her team will be available during the blood drive to share information on state programs and services.
To register for the blood drive, visit www.redcrossblood.org and search for sponsor code “Leanne Krueger.”
William Penn students invited to back-to-school distribution
State Rep. Joanna McClinton, the speaker of the House, will host a back-to-school distribution event on Wednesday, Aug. 26 from , 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Penn Wood Middle School Gym, 121 Summit St., Darby.
Students in grades K-12 and their families are invited to join the William Penn School District community to celebrate the new school year. There will be a vaccine clinic, backpack and used uniform giveaways and opportunities to meet principals and teachers.
For more information about the event, call McClinton’s office at 215-748-6712.
“Late Winter Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Bridge,” by Patrick Connors is one of 42 pieces by artist Patrick Connors that will be included in the exhibition “Along the Schuylkill: Patrick Connors and His Circle,” on view, beginning Sept. 12 in the Duke Gallery at the Community Arts Center, Wallingford. (COURTESY OF CAC)
Upcoming art exhibition to celebrate legacy of the late Patrick Connors
The Community Arts Center (CAC) will present “Along the Schuylkill: Patrick Connors and His Circle,” from Saturday, Sept. 12 to Friday, Oct. 16.
The exhibition, organized by Paul DuSold and Crystal Nardone, features work in a variety of media by the late Patrick Connors and 18 other artists from his creative circle in the Philadelphia Region.
The exhibition will be held in the spacious Duke Gallery at CAC, 414 Plush Mill Road, Wallingford,
“We are thrilled to host this celebration of a highly respected artist, who made a great impact on the Philadelphia art scene,” stated Paul Downie, CAC executive director. “It’s particularly special to present many of Patrick’s paintings along with work by other well-known artists from his circle of creative friends.”
“Flowers For Patrick,” by artist Bill Scott is one of the works by artists from Patrick’s circle of friends that will be included in the upcoming exhibition, “Along the Schuylkill: Patrick Connors and His Circle,” on view Sept. 12 through Oct. 16 at the Community Arts Center in Wallingford. (COURTESY OF CAC)
The public is welcome to the exhibition’s free opening reception on Sunday, Sept. 13 from 2 to 4 p.m., with wine and refreshments. Brief remarks will take place about 3 p.m.
Besides Connors’, there will be other works from Stanley Bielen, Dot Bunn, Deborah Deichler, Maureen Drdak, Paul DuSold, Niloofar Gholamrezaei, Gary Gross, Julia Levitina, Christine Lafuente, Nicole Michaud, Russell Recchion, Robeto Osti, Bill Scott, Stuart Shils, Melanie Stackhouse, Dan Thompson and John Thornton.
Paul Dusold will give a free artist talk on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 10:30 a.m. DuSold will discuss the relationship of the Classical and the Romantic in the paintings of Connors. The evidence of these themes in the work of the other artists on exhibit will also be discussed.
Connors was a vital member of the Philadelphia Art community for over 40 years, from the time of his graduating from Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1980 to his death in 2022.
As an artist and instructor, as well as a uniquely loving friend, his life was a gift to those who had the pleasure of knowing him. The purpose of this exhibition is to honor Connor’s place in the ongoing history of painting in Philadelphia.
Connor’s most signature works are his paintings of the Schuylkill River and its bridges. These bridges march backward and forward in both space and time, transporting the viewer to an awareness of the ebb and flow of life and civilization. They offer promise of an ideal order both present to us now and waiting beyond this life.
According to a press release about the exhibit, “What matters most in this imaginative realm of Connors’ paintings is humankind’s dedication to the discovery and experience of beauty; a relationship to life that is beyond the intellect and found only in the imagination, and, more specifically, in the imaginative realm of love.”
CAC’s regular gallery hours during the exhibition are: Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The gallery will be closed Sept. 18-19 for a private event.
For more information or directions to CAC: 610-566-1713 or www.communityartscenter.org.
Neighbor to Neighbor seeks vendors for Community Day
Neighbor To Neighbor Community Development Corp. will host a Community Day on Saturday, Sept. 26 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at First AME Church, 1201 Hook Road, Sharon Hill.
Community organizations and vendors are needed to make the day a success.
The event will welcome community members of all ages for a day of games, food, giveaways, resources and family fun. The rain date is Saturday, Oct. 3.
To register as a vendor, or for more information, contact cgale-thompson@n2ndc.org or call 610-461-8140.
The Delaware County Community College Educational Foundation was recently awarded a $300,390 grant from the Chappell Culpeper Family Foundation to launch the Manufacturing Pathways Initiative, a comprehensive education-to-employment model designed to strengthen the local manufacturing workforce. Here, instructor Salvatore Russomanno teaches welding skills to students at DCCC. (COURTESY OF DCCC)
DCCC awarded $300,000 to provide tuition-free manufacturing skills training
The Delaware County Community College Educational Foundation has been awarded a $300,390 grant from the Chappell Culpeper Family Foundation to launch the Manufacturing Pathways Initiative, an education-to-employment model designed to strengthen the Greater Philadelphia manufacturing workforce while expanding access to family-sustaining careers through free training. The grant is intended to support low-income individuals who face barriers to education and employment.
The initiative directly addresses two critical regional challenges.
The first is the “GED barrier,” which prevents otherwise highly capable adults who have not yet earned their GED — the high school equivalency credential accepted by most colleges and employers — from accessing financial aid and technical training.
The second is the acute labor shortage caused by an aging manufacturing workforce.
The grant will enable DCCC to offer a tuition-free pathway that moves students from GED preparation through industry-aligned technical certificates and the option — immediately or in the future — to continue into an associate degree in Applied Science.
Students will be able to integrate GED instruction and preparation with either a 34-credit Computer Numerical Control (CNC) manufacturing certificate or a 15-credit Computer-Aided Drafting (CADD) certificate.
A CNC manufacturing certificate qualifies students for a variety of entry-level roles in manufacturing, machining and industrial production in industries including aerospace, automotive, medical device manufacturing, defense contracting, energy, metal fabrication, plastics manufacturing, robotics and industrial equipment manufacturing.
A CADD certificate opens the door to entry-level opportunities in design, drafting, engineering support, manufacturing and construction in industries such as civil engineering, manufacturing, aerospace and defense, utilities and more.
“This grant allows us to remove barriers to education and create new opportunities for local residents to enter high-demand manufacturing careers,” said Dr. Karen Kozachyn, DCCC’s vice president of Workforce and Economic Development. “By combining GED preparation with industry-recognized technical training, we’re building a stronger workforce pipeline that benefits both our students and the region’s employers.”
DCCC has a long history of providing skilled trades training programs which closely match the needs of regional business and industry. Classes are available at the College’s Marple Campus and at the Southeast Center in Drexel Hill.
For more information on the Manufacturing Pathways Initiative, call 610-355-7156 or emailworkforceeconomicdev@dccc.edu.
The Chappell Culpeper Family Foundation is dedicated to investing in sustainable economic mobility for individuals, families, and communities in the Philadelphia region and Puerto Rico.
Founded in 2000 by John Chappell and Carmen Culpeper Chappell, the foundation has evolved from its early years of community-focused giving into a strategic philanthropic organization focused on long-term impact. The foundation believes that all people deserve the opportunity to build financially secure and fulfilling lives.
Tinicum Library announces September’s special events
Tinicum Memorial Public Library, 620 Seneca St., Essington, has the following events scheduled:
• A meet-the-author event with Dave Bradley, author of the book, “Beyond the Grade: Teaching with Presence, Growth, and Grace,” at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16.
The book explores how educators can shift from being judges of performance to mentors of growth.
Bradley has spent more than 50 years in education, teaching across all levels. He has been a mentor to many students and teachers, reminding them that classrooms are where real growth takes root.
The book discussion will be followed by a question-and-answer session. Books will be available to purchase.
• A SEPTA Transit Fair on Friday, Sept. 18 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The event will offer free information, such as SEPTA schedules and maps and the Senior Ride Free Card. Walk-ins are welcome and no registration or appointments are necessary.
To attain a card, proof of age is required. People must be at least 65 years old. Cards can be renewed up to 90 days prior to expiration. To renew a card, people must bring proof of age and expired Key card with them.
For questions, contact MaryAnn Sandone at 484-445-2076 or msandone@dctma.org.
• Watercolor Workshop at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21. The workshop is for beginners as well as experienced painters. Attendees must register in advance to ensure adequate supplies.
To register for either the author or painting event, go to: http://tinicumlibrary.org. For questions, call the library at 610-521-9344.
Readers can send community news and photos to Peg DeGrassa at pdegrassa@21st-centurymedia.com.