Pottstown's Rock the Block Clean-up Set for April 13

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery and Delaware counties.

The 4th Annual Rock the Block will be held on Saturday, April 13th.

Organized by Habitat MontDelco in conjunction with Pottstown CARES, Rock the Block will bring together 11 community organizations and more than 200 volunteers working on 20 projects in a massive one-day effort to beautify public and private properties in Pottstown.

New this year is the leadership of Pottstown Community Action, a group initiated three years ago by Habitat MontDelco’s Neighborhood Revitalization effort. PCA is organizing street-cleanup activities and spreading the word among neighbors to participate.

Volunteers are encouraged to sign up here. The event kicks off with registration at 8 a.m. at the corner of Chestnut and North Franklin Streets and lunch will be provided for all participants around 1 pm.

“Rock the Block exemplifies what can happen when residents are supported to drive change; they inspire others to care,” says said Marianne Lynch, CEO of Habitat MontDelco.

From 9 am to 1 p.m., volunteer teams, including 40 students from The Hill School, will complete gardening, carpentry, painting, and spruce-up projects at properties on the 400, 500 and 600 blocks of Beech, Chestnut and Walnut Streets. 

Rock the Block is in conjunction with Pottstown CARES community cleanup day, a partnership of The Hill School, the Borough, the Pottstown School District, Montgomery County Community College, Tri-County Chamber of Commerce, Lowes and Habitat MontDelco. 

CARES volunteers will be working in Edgewood Cemetery, at the Mosaic Community Land Trust garden at Barth Elementary School, and doing street and yard cleanups along Armand Hammer Boulevard. 

The Edgewood Cemetery board welcomes additional volunteers, who may contact Board President Andrew Monastra for additional information at amonastra@wolfbaldwin.com.

In addition to the Pottstown CARES organizations, Rock the Block enlists volunteers from Genesis Housing Corporation, Matt Green at Glocker and Company Realtors, Mosaic Community Land Trust, Phillies Fire Company, Pottstown Fire Department and Victory Christian Life Center. 

The mission of Habitat MontDelco is to bring people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Habitat constructs homes for affordable home ownership, preserves aging housing stock by completing critical home repairs, provides financial literacy and life skills classes, and revitalizes neighborhoods. 

For more information, call 610-278-7710, or visit www.habitatmontdelco.org.

Sixth Annual Pottstown CARES Clean-Up is Set for Sept. 22, More Caring to Come in Coming Weeks

Volunteers from a previous Pottstown CARES gather before the townwide clean-up.

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by PottstownCARES

This year’s Pottstown CARES fall clean-up will be held Saturday, Sept. 22, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.  

Also, several other CARES and Hobart’s Run-related projects are in the works, including an Historic Edgewood Cemetery community-wide clean-up and volunteer engagement event on Saturday, Oct. 20 (see more below).

The fall CARES clean-up event has again been registered as a Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and Intercoastal Cleanup event. Debris bags, gloves, and safety vests are provided for volunteers by Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and PennDOT.

Here is a glimpse at upcoming activities connected to CARES and Hobart’s Run co-endeavors:

 On Wednesday, Sept. 19, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Trinity Reformed Church of Christ, 60 N. Hanover St., there will be a “Common Threads” youth clothing boutique that will donate free, gently used clothing to middle and high school students in Pottstown. Trinity is partnering with CARES students for this event. Pizza and soda will be provided to “shoppers,” as well as music; this event will be a student “mixer” as well.

 Fall clean-up Saturday, Sept. 22, 8:30-10:30 a.m. A group including about 600 Hill students and faculty will pick up litter in the Hobart’s Run area, roughly bordered by Keim, Queen, Adams, and Jackson Streets; tend to a section of Historic Edgewood Cemetery; work in the downtown; assist with projects at Pottstown’s community gardens on Walnut Street and at the Olivet Boys’ and Girls’

Club/Rickett’s Center; pick up litter along Armand Hammer Blvd., Hill’s “Adopt a Highway” road; and work on rehabilitating a home at 702 Walnut St..

Pottstown High School athletics teams will focus on the area from Pottstown Middle School to the Redner’s market and the YMCA to Charlotte Street.

 The year the Pottstown CARES fall clean-up day will culminate with a CARES Activity Night that is being organized by Hill and Pottstown High School students for area youths and families.

The Activity Night will be held Saturday, Sept. 22 from approximately 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at The Hill School’s Lehrman Pavilion at the Far Fields and will feature snacks, music, games, and other kids’ activities such as face-painting.

 At the Activity Night on Sept. 22, The Hill School and Pottstown School District’s student-led

Hobart’s Run Student Leadership Committee will kick off local participation in World of Change, an international nonprofit that facilitates the collection of pocket change that in turn donates 100 percent of the proceeds to Pottstown charities designated by the students involved in this endeavor. 

The charities fall under “bucket” areas of housing, food security, education, financial literacy, health and wellness, and children’s play/discovery. World of Change was founded by Matt Hoidal, a Maine-based Hill School alumnus from the Class of ’90 who is committed to engaging youths in understanding citizenship and the potential they have to make an impact in their towns and throughout the world. 

The literacy “bucket” change collected through the World of Change drive will be applied toward buying children’s Winnie the Pooh books that student Pottstown CARES and Hobart’s Run leaders will hand out to kids during the Pottstown Halloween Parade on Oct. 23. 

The students are planning to march with a literacy-promotion themed “float.”

 On Saturday, Oct. 20, Historic Edgewood Cemetery will hold a community-wide “Stop Complaining, Start Caring for Edgewood Cemetery Day” beginning at 9 a.m. Details are being finalized, but Pottstown citizens are encouraged to volunteer at the cemetery for a few hours or the whole day, by raking, weed-whacking, mowing, and participating in other planning and improvement projects while learning about the cemetery and its rich local history.

Refreshments will be available; the committee also encourages participants to bring food donations to share in fellowship with other concerned citizen volunteers. Hobart’s Run and CARES volunteers are assisting with ongoing planning for this “bring your own tools” effort to noticeably improve the grounds. 

Through The Hill School, Hobart’s Run recently made a $5,000 donation toward Edgewood grounds maintenance – but, to sustain this community resting place, there is a tremendous and ongoing need for volunteers and financial contributions from throughout Pottstown. Individuals who would like to volunteer for this community engagement endeavor and/or make a financial contribution should contact Andrew Monastra at amonastra@wolfbaldwin.com or 610-323-7436. All are welcome, from creative master gardeners to weekend warrior weed-whackers!

 The Hill School’s Hobart’s Run and Pottstown CARES students will participate in the Pottstown Area Rapid Transit (PART) food and goods drive between Thanksgiving and Christmas to benefit the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities. Hill, along with other organizations in town, will place food and other household item collection boxes on their premises. 

PART passengers will receive a $1 fare discount if they make a food or household goods donation when they board the bus during the Take PART, Give Back campaign. In addition, for every 100 pounds of goods donated via the campaign, PART will provide 10 bus passes to the Cluster for people in need of transportation.

CARES stands for Community, Awareness, Responsibility, Empowerment, and Sustainability.

The CARES organization is a collaboration between The Hill School, the Borough of Pottstown, the Pottstown School District, Montgomery County Community College, the Tri-County Chamber of Commerce, Lowes, and, most recently, Habitat for Humanity. 

A 501(c)(3), Hobart's Run works with its residents and property owners to revitalize the neighborhood through projects that create a clean, safe, and inclusive community; provide incentives for home ownership and home improvements; and generate positive, sustainable commercial and retail development. While initially addressing an area of approximately 600 parcels in Pottstown (Queen Street in the south, North Adams on the west, Beech, Grant, and Jackson on the north, and Keim Street on the east), Hobart’s Run strives to use successes in this focus area to spark and support revitalization throughout the Borough.

Habitat and Pottstown CARES Joining Forces

Pottstown High School and Hill School students clean up in the 600 block of Chestnut Street during a Pottstown CARES event in 2013.

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery and Delaware Counties.

Pottstown CARES will strengthen its numbers this spring with the support of its newest member, Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery and Delaware Counties.

Habitat MontDelco is joining the civic engagement group as a member after years as a collaborator. Pottstown CARES’s mission is to develop and sustain a service ethic in Pottstown that will result in a collective sense of community pride.

Habitat’s membership in the group will provide more opportunities for residents, including students, to get involved, speak up and give back.

Already, students from Pottstown High School’s construction technology program are assisting with renovations on a Habitat house, and recently, Habitat MontDelco hosted a Home Repair Workshop to teach residents how to patch and repair drywall.

As it works with residents through its Neighborhood Revitatlization initiative, Habitat is also promoting The Hill School’s tool sharing program and is getting ideas for trash remediation from residents.

Pottstown CARES Day 2017 in North Hanover Street

“Pottstown is a community poised for change and there are many residents and community leaders who are already working hard to make it happen,” Habitat MontDelco CEO Marianne Lynch, said in a prepared statement.

“Our work with Pottstown CARES will help continue this momentum by ensuring that individuals gain skills, that we build capacity in the community and bring even more people together to create lasting change from within,” Lynch said.

The two organizations have partnered on community cleanups since 2016 when Habitat hosted its first Pottstown Rock the Block in conjuction with the now-annual Pottstown CARES community cleanup day. This year’s joint event is on Saturday, April 21.

“Inviting Habitat to join the Pottstown CARES effort seemed like a natural fit,” said Jason Coady, a CARES representative from The Hill School. “We’re interested in the same things— serving the community and leading by example as we encourage others in the community to serve too.”

Pottstown CARES Day 2014

Pottstown CARES (Community, Awareness, Responsibility, Empowerment, and Sustainability) was conceived in 2013 amongst the Pottstown School District, The Hill School, and the Borough as a collaborative project to “spruce up” a designated area in the core of Pottstown.

Montgomery County Community College, the Tri-County Chamber of Commerce, and Lowes joined the effort, and in 2016 a CARES Student Leadership Council was created to imagine and execute new student-driven projects.

The collaborative group of students from Hill, Pottstown High School, and Montgomery County Community College created and support a “Shop Tri-County” campaign; serve lunch to underserved Pottstown residents; represent CARES in hometown parades; and host “Welcome Home” concerts benefitting area homeless, among other endeavors.

Habitat constructs homes for affordable home ownership, preserves aging housing stock by completing critical home repairs, provides financial literacy and life skills classes, and revitalizes neighborhoods. For more information, call 610-278- 7710, email ehefner@habitatmontdelco.org, or visit www.habitatmontdelco.org.

Student Organized Concert Benefits Homeless

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by The Hill School.

Student Pottstown CARES leaders from The Hill School, Pottstown School District, and Montgomery County Community College have organized a family-friendly hip hop and pop music concert that will provide financial assistance to Your Way Home of Montgomery County, an organization that establishes emergency shelter and long-term stability for the homeless.

The concert will occur on Saturday, Jan. 14 from 7:30 to 10 p.m. in The Hill School Center For The Arts (CFTA) at 780 Beech Street. Free parking will be available in the parking lot there.

This inspirational student-driven event will feature two regional professional bands, The Rather Be Band and the Pottstown Music Collaborative, as well as The Gentlemen, Pottstown High School’s jazz ensemble, and the Hilltones and Hilltrebles, the Hill School’s select a cappella vocal groups.

The Rather Be Band is billed as a “huge sound in a small format.” The Pottstown Music Collaborative “is a developing, dynamic band of musicians from the Pottstown community, all focused on bringing people together through the power of sound,” said Bill Robertson, a Collaborative founder.

Tickets are $12 at the door, or they may be purchased for a reduced amount at Eventbrite. 

All ticket proceeds will benefit Your Way Home Montgomery County. 

In addition, Beverly's Pastry Shop, Pottstown, will provide cookies and cupcakes, and the The Butcher and the BBQ, also of Pottstown, will provide delicious boneless chicken wings. Both Beverly’s and the Butcher and the BBQ will generously donate half of all proceeds to Your Way Home Montgomery County.

Sodexo, The Hill School’s food service provider, also will donate beverages for the event.

Here's a video explaining the show and who benefits:

Anya Gupta, a member of Hill’s Class of 2018 and the primary student leader for this event, said the CARES students selected Your Way Home Montgomery County (YWH) as the beneficiary of this community endeavor because they wanted to make a tangible impact on our shared hometown. 

Anya explained that this organization – which partners with the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities – works to help homeless people find permanent housing and attain skills and resources that will help them maintain and improve their self-sufficiency.

“The Pottstown CARES students are so passionate about making a tangible difference in our community,” Anya said. “We want to show our compassion for those people who are struggling yet want to make their home here in the Pottstown area.

“With great appreciation for the band members and student performers who are donating their time and talent, we are keeping the concert ticket price low so that as many Pottstown area families can attend as possible,” Anya continued. “By attending this community-wide event, guests will enjoy some fantastic music and great locally created food. Even more importantly, attendees will show their support and dedication to improving our community.”

Kristen Fisher, community relations manager for Your Way Home Montgomery County, said that “the passion and dedication Anya and Pottstown CARES has for this work and ending homelessness is astonishing.”

“It is this type of commitment by community members that is so impactful in creating change,” Fisher added. “Your Way Home Montgomery County is honored to be a part of such a wonderful community event.”

Individuals also may donate directly to this wonderful cause through Your Way Home Montgomery County's donation page.

The initial, joint CARES (Community, Awareness, Responsibility, Empowerment, and Sustainability) endeavor was conceived in the spring of 2013 during conversations between Borough Manager Mark Flanders, then-Pottstown School Superintendent Dr. Jeff Sparagana, and Hill School Headmaster Zachary Lehman. 

The three leaders envisioned a collaborative project that would “spruce up” a designated area in the core of Pottstown while boosting community pride. 

In 2014, Montgomery County Community College’s West Campus joined the CARES planning team, and Lowes and the Tri-County Chamber of Commerce joined the group in 2016. 

Since its creation, Pottstown CARES has conducted numerous fall and spring neighborhood improvement projects, including a spring 2016 joint endeavor with Habitat for Humanity.

Over the past year, a new student leadership team comprised of students from The Hill, Pottstown School District, and Montgomery County Community College has been imagining and implementing additional projects to improve Pottstown. 

In addition to the Welcome Home benefit concert, CARES students recently initiated a Shop TriCounty initiative to encourage patronage of local businesses.

Learn more about Pottstown CARES and the student leaders by watching this short video, winner of the Best Documentary category in the 2016 Pottstown In Focus Film Festival.

Garden Mural Undertaken with Great CARE

Photos by Cathy Skitko

Student volunteers from The Hill School and Pottstown High School help paint the mural at community garden in the 400 block of Chestnut Street.

It may take a village to raise a child but it takes a community to paint a mural.   

The mural in question is adjacent to the MOSAIC Community Garden at 423 Chestnut St. and the community involves Pottstown CARES, The Hill School, Pottstown School District, Pottstown-based artist Carrie Kingsbury, MOSAIC Community Land Trust and Greg and Colleen Ciliberto.

After two years of planning and approval by Pottstown Borough Council, the painting of a mural on the 427 Chestnut St. home of the Cilibertos got underway.

Ellen Nelson, arts department chairperson at The Hill School, has been working with CARES on the mural concept. During the inaugural CARES clean-up in the fall of 2013, she and several arts students surveyed area residents about what they’d like to see represented in a neighborhood mural. 

Finding Kingsbury was “synchronicity,” Nelson says. “I didn’t know of one, or where to look.  Several weeks after starting to help plan the project, Carrie spontaneously sent an email to me out of the blue – and she lives right here in Pottstown.  Angels work in wondrous ways,” Nelson said.

Kingsbury submitted sketches to MOSAIC in January 2015.  

While the concepts were being reviewed by MOSAIC and neighborhood residents, work also was taking place to obtain paint donations from the local Sherwin Williams store and provision of scaffolding and other supplies from The Hill School. 

Greg and Colleen Ciliberto

CARES also gratefully acknowledged the donation of labor from Reinhart Painting which has offered to do all of the wall preparation at the site.

Funds for the artist’s work, various permits, and supplies will come from a donation from MOSAIC as well as The Hill’s arts department and a generous contribution from The Hill School’s Pottstown community service-related 3758 Fund, established by Rodney D. Day III ’58 in honor of his father, Rodney D. Day, Jr. ’37.  

In addition, MOSAIC and The Hill School sold magnets bearing a message of support for the community gardens and the mural; funds from that fall sale also are supporting the mural project.

June 13 is the target for the project to be finished. 

Volunteer painters at the mural site.

Pottstown HS Shows They CARE by Giving Blood

Photos by John J. Armato

Richard Duvivier, Tyler Keefer, Bryant Quill and Timothy Mutter, rear, recharge after donating blood during Pottstown CARES Day. 

BLOGGER'S NOTE: The following was provided by information maven, John J. Armato.

Students and staff at Pottstown High School taking part in the second annual Pottstown CARES Day helped to save more than 140 lives by donating blood at the Miller-Keystone Blood Donation Station set up in the high school gymnasium.

Senior Alex Huma gives blood.

 A total of 47 units were collected during the event which was organized by the high school Student Government sponsored by teacher Mark Agnew.

“This is really a student-organized and driven event. ROTC Cadet Ben Habekost was our lead student and was assisted by senior and junior class officers Brigid Benfield and Emanuel Wilkerson,” said Agnew.

Students from Michaela Johnson’s Health Occupations class received some real-life educational opportunities by assisting in the collection of the donations. 

Johnson said, “Our students are learning some valuable lessons as they work side-by-side with the professional staff of Miller-Keystone.”

Health Occupations students taking part included: Tiffany Cuascut, Adriana Saenz, Mieshia Dyches, Breanna Byrne, Brigette Mundo, and Cydney Andrews.

Myesha Dychess, left, helps Danny Tucker 

“It was exciting, said Dyches. "At first I was nervous because there were a lot people and a lot going on, but then I got comfortable with the staff and enjoyed being able to help others." 

“This was a great learning experience, Mundo said. "One of the phlebotomists taught us a lot about how to safely collect donations and what to do in case of emergencies."

Carol Graves, Donor Resource Representative of the Miller-Keystone Blood Center, said, “Pottstown High School is consistently one of the strongest participating schools in our donor program. Of all of
the schools in the nine county area that we service, Pottstown, in spite of being one of the smallest school enrollments, is second in overall number of units collected. They have played a very important role in helping to save hundreds of lives in the Pottstown area.”

Tori Gery gives blood

PHS senior Alex Humma, a member of the football and wrestling teams, said after donating, “I am glad to be able to help serve our community and show pride for our school and our town. It made me feel very proud to know that we have helped make a difference.”

The donation event was part of the second annual Pottstown CARES Day which sees over 700 students and adults from The Hill School, the Pottstown School District, and the Borough of Pottstown taking part in a massive community service project that includes cleanup of streets, donation of food items, and lifesaving units of blood.

A Bloody Good Story

The Pottstown CARES blood drive collected enough blood to save 213 lives.

Blogger's Note: Just in case you were under the mistaken impression that the Pottstown CARES event was just about raking leaves, the force of nature that is John Armato sets the record straight.

The recent Pottstown CARES event not only helped cleanup many neighborhood streets, add a fresh coat of paint on some houses, and provide information to the public about many community service organization it also helped to save lives right here in Pottstown.

PHS Band Director Michael Vought truly gives "blood,"
along with sweat and tears to his community.

Partnering with the Miller-Keystone Blood Bank, donation drives were conducted at both the community days and community cleanup events. Twenty units of blood were collected at the Hill School during the community days’ event and 51 units at Pottstown High School. 

According to Carol Graves from the Miller-Keystone Blood Bank each unit of blood donated helps to save three lives. She said, “Every two seconds in America someone needs a blood transfusion. All of the blood donated through this event will be utilized right here in Pottstown to help save lives.”

Pottstown High School students played an active role in the program. Members of the high school Student Government were responsible for organizing and promoting the event while Health Occupations students assisted technicians in collecting the donated blood.

Michaela Johnson, Health Occupations teacher, said, “The drive was a great success. I’m so proud of the students who took part. Workers from Miller-Keystone pointed out that our students were great to work with. They volunteered their time and were able to help others while gaining knowledge of how the healthcare team works.”

Health Occupations student Ashli Sinclair said, “I had fun and enjoyed helping at the blood drive. It made me feel good to know I was helping others.”

Classmate Jasmine Maldonado said, “I really felt like I was able to make a difference knowing that I was doing something that will help save lives.”

PHS student Brad Mathues was enthusiastic about his donation

“As a donor aide, I was able to help donors through the process. I worked directly with the phlebotomist,” stated student Kourage Norris.

Mark Agnew, advisor to Student Government, said, “This is a tremendous experience for our students. Organizing, promoting, and facilitating this event gives our students real life experiences and a sense of accomplishment in playing a role in our community.”

“This is my second year helping out with the blood drive. I was able to go to the Miller-Keystone breakfast last spring where they have donor recipients share their gratitude and was motivated by what I heard," said student government member Kelly O’Donnell. "I’m looking forward to our February drive and hoping we can fit in another opportunity to help the community before the end of the year. It is awesome to really be able to help save a life.” 

Student Ben Habekost summed it up by saying, “It feels good to give back to the community and it shows that Pottstown High School students have pride in Pottstown.”

PHS Health Assistance students helped out with style. From left are Ashli Sinclair, Jasmine Maldonado,
Kenisha Holloway, Kourage Norri and, Kasia Butts

Pottstown is a Town that CARES

Photo by Evan Brandt

Pottstown stalwart Bill Krause, and his infamous blue hat, manned the World War II Swing Dance table at Saturday's Community Day Event.

The people who came out for Saturday's Pottstown CARES community day had their choice of registering to vote, donating blood, getting a flu shot, recycling electronics or getting information about roughly 40 organizations that are all working to make Pottstown a better place to live.

Gathered under the shelter of the old ice rink at The Hill School, information on just about anything you would ever want to know about Pottstown was available.



From the Pottstown Area Rapid Transit public bus system, to the Steel River Playhouse to Sunnybook Ballroom, to ArtFusion 19464, to the Carousel at Pottstown fo the Mosaic Community Land Trust to the Secret Valley/Colebrookdale Railroad line, there was no shortage of information about what makes Pottstown a great place.

Photo by Evan Brandt

Pottstown School Board member Ron Williams brought
a truckload of electronics for recycling.

"Part of the message is that wonderful things happen when organizations get together in Pottstown," said Hill School spokesperson Cathy Skitko.

In case you were wondering, CARES, stands for Community, Awareness, Responsibility, Empowerment, and Sustainability.

The joint endeavor was conceived last spring during conversations between Borough Manager Mark Flanders, Pottstown School Superintendent Jeff Sparagana, and Hill School Headmaster Zachary Lehman.

"We are collaborating, we have a lot to offer, as you can see from all the organizations here today," said Assistant Borough Manager Erica Weekley.

She said she spent much of the first hour of the event answering questions about the Schuylkill River Trailhead planned for South Street and College Drive, and the new mini-golf course now under construction adjacent to the carousel building.

"People are really positive about what's going on in Pottstown," she said.

The event grew out of an effort by Pottstown's three biggest players -- the borough, the school district and The Hill School -- to work together more cooperatively and encourage other organizations to do the same.



"What we've tried to do over the last few years is create a relationship between, not just the community, obviously the Hill School is a big part of that community, but to get the message out that we can rebuild this community," said Pottstown School Board member Ron Williams. "We can rebuild it to something that is successful and and meaningful."

Photo by Evan Brandt

Angelle Levan, 8, of Pottstown gets her face painted by a Hill student.

The surprising diversity of the Pottstown community was evident simply in the example of the food offered Saturday.

In addition to the always popular Dallas Fries was Ash Khalil, proprietor of the unique iCreate Cafe, located at 130 King St., which in addition to being a vegetarian restaurant is also a computer training center.

"We offer classes in graphic design, web design, mechanical design, architectural design; we do Microsoft Office and many other things," Khalil said.

In addition to learning how to have a say in the computer age, people also had the opportunity to help themselves have a say in their local government.

"People absolutely need to vote, especially now, they need to make their voice heard," said Karen Weil, a former Pottstown Borough Council president and member of the planning commission who also works at the Hill School.

She and Marlene Armato were manning a booth registering people to vote.



The work portion of this joint undertaking will be more evident this Friday, Oct. 25 when more than 700 people, including students from The Hill and Pottstown School District, as well as staff from both and the borough take to the streets.

The project they will undertake will be a clean-up day on Friday, Oct. 25 (raindate, Monday, Oct. 28)  in a targeted area of Pottstown, from High Street north to Beech Street, and Hanover Street east to Edgewood Street.

Photo by Evan Brandt

Also on hand were displays for the Carousel at Pottstown

All 505 Hill School students as well as Hill faculty and staff; 50 Pottstown High School students and numerous faculty members; and many Borough workers and officials will be dispersed to weed, pick up trash, and complete other “spruce up” tasks in public spaces in the core downtown area during this day of service that precedes National Make a Difference Day (Oct. 26).

A team of volunteers also will work to beautify Edgewood Cemetery.

The massive volunteer crew will assemble under Hill’s former hockey rink roof at 8:30 a.m. to receive instructions. Pre-organized teams then will disperse to their designated project areas until about 12:30 p.m., when they will return to Hill for a picnic lunch prepared by Sodexo, Hill’s food service provider. Sodexo is generously donating the meals for all school district and borough volunteers as well as Hill students and personnel.

After lunch, a celebratory group photo of all participants will be taken on Hill’s campus.

In addition, as part of the Oct. 25 clean-up day, the Pottstown School District is running a blood drive from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the high school.

Individuals interested in making a donation at the Pottstown High School on Oct. 25 may send an email to Pottstown faculty member Mark Agnew at magnew@pottstownsd.org or call him at 610-970-6707.

“Hill was happy to provide the space for the community education event and to serve as the rallying point for the clean-up project,” Headmaster Zach Lehman said. “I see these CARES initiatives as the first of many cooperative projects."

“Pottstown CARES provides community stakeholders with the opportunity to send the clear and inspirational message that, when working together, we are more effective in our actions,” said Pottstown Schools Superintendent Jeff Sparagana.

“Together, we are Pottstown,” Sparagana said.

You're Invited

Blogger's Note: The folks organizing the Oct. 25 clean-up in the borough's CORE district had decided to host a "Community Education Day" in advance of that event and they're inviting any and all local non-profit organizations to participate.

Here is the invitation provided by Cathy Skitko of The Hill School:

Would your nonprofit organization or community group like the opportunity to share information about your mission and activities with Pottstown residents? 

 If so, you are invited to participate in the Pottstown CARES community education day on Saturday, Oct. 19 at the former outdoor hockey rink off Beech Street at The Hill School from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. 

 This CARES (Community, Awareness, Responsibility, Empowerment, and Sustainability) event is being organized based on input received at a forum held at the Ricketts Center in late June. The CARES project is being organized by volunteers from the Borough, The Pottstown School District, and The Hill School.

The community day on Oct. 19 will allow nonprofits and other Pottstown-focused organizations -- ranging from arts and historical organizations to the Bloodmobile, e-waste recyclers, and other service providers -- to share literature and talk with Pottstown residents. While quite a few organizations, as well as food vendors, already have expressed an interest in participating, planners would like to invite other representatives to contact them if they would like to be represented.

The old Hill School hockey rink where
Community Education Day is planned.

Interested persons should send an email to kscanlan@thehill.org as soon as possible so organizers can reserve space and a table. 

Please note that this is not an event where vendors (other than those providing refreshments) will be selling merchandise. It is very much a free, information-sharing opportunity.

The second part of the CARES project will be a clean-up day on Friday, Oct. 25 in a targeted area of Pottstown, from High Street north to Beech Street, and Hanover Street east to Edgewood Street.  

All Hill students and faculty as well as a large number of Pottstown High School students and Borough workers will be dispersed to weed, pick up trash, and complete other “spruce up” tasks in Pottstown’s core redevelopment area.

Very soon the planners will provide The Mercury with a more complete list of organizations that will be present for the Saturday, Oct. 19 community day. 

 In the meantime, if you want to spread the word about the good work your organization is doing in Pottstown, please contact planners via kscanlan@thehill.org -- and residents who want to learn more about community engagement opportunities as well as services in Pottstown should plan to attend this fun event with their families and friends.

Core Community Clean-up Planning Meeting Set for Tuesday

Blogger's Note: The following was provided Friday afternoon by Cathy Skitko from The Hill School:

Residents and business owners of the Borough of Pottstown have the opportunity to share suggestions and requests for targeted neighborhood property repairs and general "clean-up" needs during a community conversation to be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 25 in the Ricketts Center, 640 Beech St., Pottstown.

During this gathering, representatives from the Borough, the Pottstown School District, and The Hill School will begin planning a collaborative volunteer project that will involve teams of personnel and students from these three entities on Friday, Oct. 25.

The Project is focusing on the core redevelopment area bounded by High Street, north to Beech Street, then from Hanover Street east to Edgewood Street.

Dubbed the Pottstown CARES Project -- with CARES representing Community, Awareness, Responsibility, Empowerment, and Sustainability -- this endeavor will utilize the efforts of The Hill School's students, faculty, and staff; a dedicated group of Pottstown School District students and teachers; and a crew of Borough maintenance professionals.

Pottstown residents are encouraged to attend the meeting Tuesday evening to help organizers plan how to make a tangible impact on the borough on Oct. 25, both in terms of improved aesthetics and, ideally, heightened and sustainable Pottstown community spirit and commitment.

Light refreshments will be served.

For additional information, please contact Assistant Borough Manager Erika Weekley at 610-970-6515 or eweekley@pottstown.org.