🏫 Philly’s eds and meds’ shaky future

🏀 Philly Referee Representing At March Madness

Philly may not have any Big 5 teams participating in March Madness this year, but that isn’t to say Philly’s not making an impact. On today’s episode, Trenae catches up with NCAA Division 1 referee Natasha Camy, who’s breaking barriers in the male-dominated field and training future referees through her Referee Ready Development Academy. [🎧 City Cast Philly]

🏥 Philly’s ‘Eds and Meds’ Economy at Risk Under DOGE

Philly bounced back from a weak industrial economy in the 1970s to a city injected with economic life by anchor educational and medical institutions. Today, there are 17,000 people employed by just three of our hospitals. But Inquirer columnist Inga Saffron says federal funding cuts and immigration restrictions under the Trump administration are leading to cuts in eds and meds jobs nationwide, and Philly will be hurt more than other cities. [🔒The Inquirer]

🏘️ Mayor Parker’s $2 Billion Plan To Increase Housing

Mayor Cherelle Parker wants to repair the city’s aging housing and build on the thousands of vacant lots in the city in order to fulfill her promise of 30,000 new and preserved units. The Housing Opportunities Made Easy (H.O.M.E.) initiative will involve $400 million in bonds for projects next year. [NBC10]

⚖️ Old Accusations Stir Up Debate Between Krasner and Dugan

The campaign for district attorney is heating up as District Attorney Larry Krasner and challenger Patrick Dugan participated in debates last Thursday and Sunday. Thursday was more tense with mentions of Nazi tattoos and supposed racist affiliations, while Sunday was more civil with some ideological alignment. Topics of disagreement included Krasner’s hiring practices, exonerations, and cooperation with the cops. [Billy Penn, 🔒 The Inquirer]

Now that it’s officially spring, it’s time to clean out that stuff in your closet that you’ve been eyeing (but not wearing) for some time. Spring cleaning can be overwhelming – not only because of the amount of stuff we’re sorting through, but because of questions about where it should all go. Here are destinations to consider if you have items in good shape.

Clothing

Marie’s Closet is a ministry through the St. Francis Inn in Kensington. The clothing closet collects donations such as shirts, pants, shoes, and hoodies. The free clothing shop is open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, but donations can also be dropped off right at the St. Francis Inn, which is open every day of the week.

The Wardrobe is currently accepting clothing suitable for the spring and summertime. You can donate new or gently used professional and casual clothing, as well as accessories. If you have any textiles not suitable for someone to wear, the store partners with the service Helpsy to recycle clothing. Are you reading this from the suburbs? The Wardrobe has locations in Exton, Kennett Square, and Upper Darby.

Project HOMEspun Boutique provides job training and opportunities for folks who have experienced homelessness. Sales from the shop support Project HOME residents who work at the boutique. The secondhand store accepts a variety of donations including shirts, pants, dresses, coats, and shoes. If you have any items currently out of season, you can drop them off to be stored until the next appropriate season. The store is now open every day of the week from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Books

As funding for prison libraries and education decreases, Books Through Bars has been working for the last 30 years to connect incarcerated people to books. The West Philly-based organization mails books in genres like self-help, art instruction, and business. You can check the donation guidelines to see if your books match the genres needed, but be mindful that books should be paperback and unmarked.

The Book Corner is nestled behind the Parkway Central Library and is run by the Friends of the Free Library of Philadelphia. Currently, the store has a cap on religion, business, politics, and biographies (unless the biographies are newer releases). Walk-ins are accepted but if you have more than two sizable bags or boxes to donate, call to schedule an appointment.