🎧 Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia
A great education can change everything — but for many Philadelphia families, financial barriers make that dream harder to reach. The Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia (CSFP) is closing that gap by providing thousands of scholarships so children can attend safe, quality K–8 tuition-based schools. Joining us is Keisha Jordan, President & CEO of CSFP, to share how families can apply for scholarships for the 2026–2027 school year. Priority Scholarship Deadline: November 15, 2025
 🌐 Website: www.csfphiladelphia.org
🐦 X (Twitter): @csfphiladelphia
📸 Instagram: @csfphiladelphia
📘 Facebook: Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia
💼 LinkedIn: Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia


🎧 The Trace: Safer Together Forum  
Gun violence has long been one of Philadelphia’s most urgent challenges — but the city is seeing real progress. Joining us from The Trace, the nation’s only newsroom dedicated exclusively to gun violence reporting, Mensah M. Dean, Philadelphia staff writer and Pulitzer Prize finalist, discussing  how journalism can illuminate both the human toll and the solutions behind America’s gun violence crisis — and preview the upcoming Safer Together Forum, where policymakers, researchers, and community leaders will gather to share ideas that make cities safer for everyone.  
📅 Event: Safer Together Forum
🗓️ *Tuesday, November 18, 2025 | 2:00 – 7:30 PM
📍 WHYY, Philadelphia
🌐 Learn more and register: thetrace.org/2025/09/the-trace-live-safer-together    

And in our CEO’s You Should Know feature, iHeartMedia Division President Paul Covino chats with Yin Woon Rani, CEO of MilkPEP — the organization behind the iconic “Got Milk?” campaign — about how they’re reimagining a classic message for a new generation. https://milkpep.org/

🎧 Save the Cecil B. Moore Library Coalition
The Save the Cecil B. Moore Library Coalition is a grassroots movement uniting neighbors, community leaders, and local organizations to protect and restore one of North Philadelphia’s most vital public spaces. Rooted in the legacy of civil rights leader Cecil B. Moore, the coalition is demanding transparency and the release of over $5.8 million in public funds already secured to renovate and reopen the library as a vibrant hub for education, culture, and community connection.
 📅 Upcoming Event: Library Update Meeting — November 22, 2025
🎙️ Guests: Cierra Freeman, Kate Goodman, Joel Northam, Kaitlyn Amick, Sydney Pollinock, Sierra Scott, and Jordan Holbert — representing BSNC, AFSCME, PSL, and Sunrise Movement Philadelphia.
 🌐 Website: librariesare.life/savecbmlibrary
📧 Email: savececilbmoorelibrary@gmail.com
📸 Socials: @bsncphilly | @sunrisemvmtphilly | @pslphilly | @cecilbmoorefriends
 
🎧 Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia
A great education can change everything — but for many Philadelphia families, financial barriers make that dream harder to reach. The Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia (CSFP) is closing that gap by providing thousands of scholarships so children can attend safe, quality K–8 tuition-based schools. Joining us is Keisha Jordan, President & CEO of CSFP, to share how families can apply for scholarships for the 2026–2027 school.  Priority Scholarship Deadline: November 15, 2025
 🌐 Website: www.csfphiladelphia.org
🐦 X (Twitter): @csfphiladelphia
📸 Instagram: @csfphiladelphia
📘 Facebook: Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia
💼 LinkedIn: Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia


🎧 The Trace: Safer Together Forum  
Gun violence has long been one of Philadelphia’s most urgent challenges — but the city is seeing real progress. Joining us from The Trace, the nation’s only newsroom dedicated exclusively to gun violence reporting, Mensah M. Dean, Philadelphia staff writer and Pulitzer Prize finalist, discussing  how journalism can illuminate both the human toll and the solutions behind America’s gun violence crisis — and preview the upcoming Safer Together Forum, where policymakers, researchers, and community leaders will gather to share ideas that make cities safer for everyone.  
📅 Event: Safer Together Forum
🗓️ *Tuesday, November 18, 2025 | 2:00 – 7:30 PM
📍 WHYY, Philadelphia
🌐 Learn more and register: thetrace.org/2025/09/the-trace-live-safer-together

 North Philly: A Black Freedom Jawn
North Philadelphia has always been a powerhouse of culture, activism, and resilience — a cornerstone in America’s ongoing freedom story. North Philly: A Black Freedom Jawn is bringing that legacy to life through intergenerational storytelling, docent training, and community celebration. Joining us are Dr. Victoria Best, CEO of Victoria Urban Outreach Tutoring Service (VUOTS) and Acting President of The Society to Preserve Philadelphia African American Assets (SPPAAA), and Jacqueline Wiggins, Owner of Wiggins Tours N More, LLC and Vice President of SPPAAA. Together, they share how this project is empowering residents to preserve their own history and redefine how the world sees North Philadelphia — not just as a neighborhood, but as a living archive of Black freedom and ingenuity.
🌐 Connect & Learn More
Website: www.vuots.org
Instagram: @vuotsphilly | @NPBFJ
Facebook: Victoria Urban Outreach Tutoring Service
LinkedIn: Victoria Best
📧 Emails: ablackfreedomjawm@gmail.com | info@wigginstoursnmore.com | vuotssupport@vuots.org

🎙️ WHAT’S GOING ON with Loraine Ballard Morrill
Episode: Redefining Pain Management, Homeownership, and Remembering a Radio Legend In this episode of What’s Going On, we’re shining a light on health innovation, homeownership, and a heartfelt tribute to one of Philadelphia’s most beloved radio voices.

First, we speak with Dr. Asif M. Ilyas, President of the Rothman Opioid Foundation — an organization advancing research, education, and policy to improve pain management and reduce unnecessary opioid use. Dr. Ilyas is also an Orthopaedic Surgeon at Rothman Orthopaedics and the driving force behind the upcoming symposium Medical Cannabis: What Do We Know & What Do We Not, happening Saturday, November 8th at Sidney Kimmel Medical College.
🌐 Website: www.rothmanopioid.org
📱 Socials: @RothmanOpioid (X) | @rothmanopioidfoundation (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn)

Then, Abraham Reyes Pardo, Vice President of the Office of Housing and Diversion Services at the Urban League of Greater Philadelphia, shares how their Home Buyers Program helps individuals and families achieve sustainable homeownership through education and financial empowerment.
🌐 Website: www.urbanleaguephila.org/housing
💼 LinkedIn: Urban League of Greater Philadelphia
📘 Facebook: @urbanleaguegphl

And finally, we remember Pierre Robert, the legendary WMMR radio host who passed away this week. Pierre was not only a Philadelphia radio icon but also a kind and generous soul. We’ll share an excerpt from his moving remarks at the AIDS Walk Philly Commemoration — a reminder of his humor, passion, and love for this city and its people.

What’s Going On — stories that inspire, connect, and uplift our community.

🎙️ INSIGHT with Loraine Ballard Morrill
Episode: Elevating Voices, Inspiring Change In this episode of Insight, we’re celebrating leadership, empowerment, and second chances across our community.

First, we talk with Maria DiCostanzo, Executive Vice President of ALPFA Philadelphia, about Women of ALPFA Presents: Elevating Voices, Inspiring Change — a celebration of leadership, allyship, and collective growth.
📅 Friday, November 7, 2025
🕢 7:30 AM – 12:30 PM
📍 1439 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia
Join inspiring women leaders and allies for a morning filled with stories, workshops, and recognition of pioneers who promote equity and community impact — proudly sponsored by Lincoln Financial.
🌐 Register: www.alpfaphila.org/events

Then, Abraham Reyes Pardo, Vice President of the Office of Housing and Diversion Services at the Urban League of Greater Philadelphia, shares how their Home Buyers Program helps individuals and families achieve sustainable homeownership through education and financial empowerment.
🌐 Website: www.urbanleaguephila.org/housing
💼 LinkedIn: Urban League of Greater Philadelphia
📘 Facebook: @urbanleaguegphl

Finally, State Senator Nikil Saval, Democratic Chair of the Senate Urban Affairs & Housing Committee, joins us to talk about Homecoming: A Day for Justice-Impacted Philadelphians — happening
📅 Saturday, November 8, 2025
🕚 11 AM – 2 PM
📍 Philadelphia Corporation for the Aging, 624 N. Broad Street
This free event connects returning citizens with job recruiters, expungement and pardon services, and health screenings — helping individuals rebuild their lives and reclaim their future.
🌐 Website: pasenatorsaval.com
📱 Socials: @senatorsaval (X, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, TikTok)

 Empowerment, equity, and opportunity — that’s what Insight is all about.

 🎙️ Insight — Part 1
Guest host Vanesse Lloyd-Sgambati talks with Swati Chaturvedi, founder of the Community Bollywood Dance Project, about leading interactive Bollywood movement workshops at the Barnes Foundation PECO Free First Sunday—a day of free admission, family art activities, and access to Henri Rousseau: A Painter’s Secrets. Workshops celebrate rhythm, joy, and community for all ages and abilities.
📅 Sunday (First Sunday of the month)
📍 Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia
🖼️ Event info: barnesfoundation.org/whats-on/…
🌐 Barnes: @barnesfoundation (IG) • barnesfoundation.org. Barnes Foundation+2Instagram+2 💃 Community Bollywood Dance Project (CBDP)
🌐 Website: communitybollywooddanceproject.com • IG: @bollywooddanceproject. Community Bollywood Dance Project+1

🎙️ Host Feature: “What Is Philadelphia Reading?”
Vanesse chats with City Councilmember Jeffery Young, Jr.
🌐 Council page: phlcouncil.com/jefferyyoungjr • IG: @councilmemberjyoungjr. Philadelphia City Council+1

👤 Vanesse Lloyd-Sgambati
🌐 African American Children’s Book Project: theafricanamericanchildrensbookproject.org • IG: @aacbookproject. theafricanamericanchildrensbookproject.org+1

As we approach the 2025 elections, we turn our focus to Pennsylvania’s children and families. Kevin Burgess from the Children First Action Fund joins us, along with parents Samia Evans-Bolling, Regina Brown, and Jazmin Banks, to discuss how judicial elections impact school funding, child welfare, and public safety — and why it’s essential for voters to make informed choices this November.
🌐 Learn more: childrenfirstactionfund.org/judicial-voter-guide 

🎙️ WHAT’S GOING ON with Loraine Ballard Morrill

In this week’s episode of What’s Going On, we highlight organizations and individuals making a lasting difference in our communities. First, we’re joined by Leah Yaw, Senior Vice President at Devereux, one of the nation’s leading nonprofit behavioral healthcare organizations. For more than a century, Devereux has supported children, adolescents, and adults living with emotional, behavioral, and cognitive differences—helping them build fulfilling, independent lives. On Saturday, November 8, Devereux Pennsylvania will host its annual Evening of Hope Gala at Vie by Cescaphe in Philadelphia. This year’s “Night in Venice”–themed celebration will feature masquerade masks, live entertainment, music by Philly’s Milan 77, and a special tribute to longtime board member Phil Glick. Proceeds will directly benefit more than 4,000 individuals across Pennsylvania served by Devereux programs.
🌐 Website: www.devereux.org
📸 Social Media: @DevereuxCare on Facebook, Instagram, and X  

Then, as we approach the 2025 elections, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Pennsylvania’s children and families. Decisions made by our state’s courts shape everything from school funding and child welfare to public safety. Kevin Burgess from the Children First Action Fund joins us, along with parents Samia Evans-Bolling, Regina Brown, and Jazmin Banks, to discuss how the justice system impacts kids and families—and why understanding judicial elections is so critical this November.
🌐 Learn more: childrenfirstactionfund.org/judicial-voter-guide  

Finally, we hear from Sydney and Dawn Geller, co-founders of Do It Like Dylan, a nonprofit created in memory of Dylan Geller—a young man remembered for his incredible energy, kindness, and compassion. Through their organization, the Geller family is raising funds for scholarships for aspiring special education teachers, supporting epilepsy safety awareness, and advancing vital research and legislation. On Saturday, November 15, 2025, they’ll host the First Annual Do It Like Dylan 5K Run & Walk at Cooper River Park in Pennsauken, New Jersey. The event will feature a kids’ dash, basket sweepstakes, music, food, and speakers honoring Dylan’s life—bringing the community together for a day of remembrance, unity, and impact.
🌐 Website: DoItLikeDylan.org
📱 Social Media: Instagram @doitlikedylan | Facebook & LinkedIn: Do It Like Dylan

🎙️ INSIGHT with Loraine Ballard Morrill In this episode of Insight, we celebrate the power of art, advocacy, and community. First, we’re joined by the legendary Melba Moore — Tony Award-winning singer, actress, and trailblazer — along with Dyana Williams, acclaimed radio personality and music activist, and David Weisberg, Chief Development Officer at the Mazzoni Center. Together, they’ll share details about Mazzoni Center Honors Melba Moore, happening Monday, November 3, 2025, at 7:30 PM at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. This star-studded celebration will pay tribute to Melba Moore’s extraordinary career spanning Broadway, R&B, rock, and gospel, featuring an all-star lineup of performers across genres. The evening supports the Mazzoni Center’s mission to advance LGBTQ health equity and uplift Philadelphia’s creative community.
🎟️ Tickets & Info: mazzonicenter.org/honors
📍 Location: Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia
🗓️ Date & Time: Monday, November 3, 2025 – 7:30 PM  

Then, as we approach the 2025 elections, we turn our focus to Pennsylvania’s children and families. Kevin Burgess from the Children First Action Fund joins us, along with parents Samia Evans-Bolling, Regina Brown, and Jazmin Banks, to discuss how judicial elections impact school funding, child welfare, and public safety — and why it’s essential for voters to make informed choices this November.
🌐 Learn more: childrenfirstactionfund.org/judicial-voter-guide 

Finally, we’ll share an excerpt from the AIDS Walk Philly Retrospective, honoring four decades of compassion, activism, and progress in the fight against HIV — a moving reminder of resilience, remembrance, and hope.

We’re  joined by Leah Yaw, Senior Vice President at Devereux, one of the nation’s leading nonprofit behavioral healthcare organizations. For more than a century, Devereux has been supporting children, adolescents, and adults living with emotional, behavioral, and cognitive differences, helping them build fulfilling, independent lives. On Saturday, November 8, Devereux Pennsylvania will host its annual Evening of Hope gala at Vie by Cescaphe in Philadelphia. This year’s “Night in Venice”–themed celebration will feature masquerade masks, live entertainment, music by Philly’s Milan 77, and a special tribute to longtime board member Phil Glick. Proceeds will directly benefit more than 4,000 individuals across Pennsylvania served by Devereux programs. 🌐 Website: www.devereux.org
📸 Social Media: @DevereuxCare on Facebook, Instagram, and X

💼 APM Job Fair
Looking to make an impact and grow your career? Join Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha (APM) for their Job Fair on October 22nd from 10 AM to 3 PM at 730 W. Berks Street, Philadelphia. APM is hiring across multiple fields—child welfare, foster care, early childhood education, community, and economic development—and offers top-tier benefits including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, retirement plans, and generous paid time off.
🎙️ Guest: Valerie Betancourt, Talent Acquisition Partner at APM
🌐 Website: www.apmphila.org
📸 Social Media: Instagram @apmforeveryone

🚫 Breaking the Bully Cycle
Bullying continues to affect millions of children and teens—both in person and online. As part of National Bullying Prevention Month, Child Guidance Resource Centers (CGRC) will host Breaking the Bully Cycle on Wednesday, October 29, from 6:00–8:00 PM at The Kelly Center – Havertown Music, Arts & Community, 4 E. Eagle Road, Havertown, PA.
The event features Dr. Claudio Cerullo, educator, author of Inside the Mind of a Bully: From Victim to Advocate, and member of the President’s Council, along with Lawana Scales, Director of Advocacy at CGRC. Attendees will gain practical tools for prevention, hear from a panel of experts, and the first 25 guests will receive a free copy of Dr. Cerullo’s book.
🌐 Register: bit.ly/BreakingtheBullyCycle
🌐 Websites: www.drclaudiocerullo.com | www.cgrc.org
📸 Social Media: @childguidanceresourcecenters | @drclaudiocerullo

🏳️‍🌈 SpeakOUT: Conversion Therapy and the Courts
On this edition of SpeakOUT—our monthly segment spotlighting voices shaping the LGBTQ+ experience locally and nationally—we’re joined by Angela Giampolo, founder of Giampolo Law Group and widely known as the Philly Gay Lawyer. A leading LGBTQ+ legal expert and advocate, Angela is also the creator of the Caravan of Hope, a national initiative providing free legal services to underserved LGBTQ+ communities.
Angela brings powerful insight into the intersection of law, policy, and lived experience as we discuss an upcoming Supreme Court decision that could significantly impact the future of conversion therapy.
📌 Connect with Angela Giampolo
🌐 Websites: giampololaw.com | caravanofhope.lgbt
📸 Instagram: @yourgaylawyer
🐦 Twitter/X: @phillygaylawyer

🎨 Salvador Jiménez-Flores: Raíces & Resistencias (Roots & Resistances)
Now on view at Grounds For Sculpture from September 28, 2025, to August 1, 2027, this powerful exhibition brings together sculpture, installation, mural, and ceramic work exploring migration, cultural hybridity, memory, and resilience. Through layered visual storytelling, Jiménez-Flores traces his own multi-generational migration story while engaging broader narratives of colonization, labor, and borderlands. Works like Memoria, Tierra, Trabajo: A Glimpse of the Semiquincentennial stretch across an 80-foot wall, while outdoor sculptures such as La resistencia de los nopales híbridos: El Susurro del Desierto and Caminantes animate the landscape with hybrid forms that speak to adaptation, survival, and hope. The exhibition invites visitors to reflect on the interwoven histories of place, identity, and movement—and to imagine new ways of belonging.
🌐 Learn more: www.groundsforsculpture.org
Salvador Jiménez-Flores: Raíces & Resistencias
www.SalvadorJimenezFlores.com 

  💼 APM Job Fair
Looking to make an impact and grow your career? Join Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha (APM) for their Job Fair on October 22nd from 10 AM to 3 PM at 730 W. Berks Street, Philadelphia. APM is hiring across multiple fields—child welfare, foster care, early childhood education, community, and economic development—and offers top-tier benefits including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, retirement plans, and generous paid time off.
🎙️ Guest: Valerie Betancourt, Talent Acquisition Partner at APM
🌐 Website: www.apmphila.org
📸 Social Media: @APMPhila (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn)  

🚫 Breaking the Bully Cycle
Bullying continues to affect millions of children and teens—both in person and online. As part of National Bullying Prevention Month, Child Guidance Resource Centers (CGRC) is hosting Breaking the Bully Cycle on Wednesday, October 29, from 6:00–8:00 PM at The Kelly Center – Havertown Music, Arts & Community, 4 E. Eagle Road, Havertown, PA.
I speak to keynote speaker Dr. Claudio Cerullo, educator, author of Inside the Mind of a Bully: From Victim to Advocate, and member of the President’s Council, along with Lawana Scales, Director of Advocacy at CGRC. Attendees will gain practical tools for prevention, hear from a panel of experts, and the first 25 guests will receive a free copy of Dr. Cerullo’s book.
🌐 Register: Show more...