Walking through the grounds of the Ludlow Youth Community Center over the green baseball field or cemented park grounds, its hard not to notice a contrast between this small corner of the neighborhood at 6th and Master and the other desolate, empty streets a few blocks over. This mural-decorated location is popular for dog walkers, baby strollers, and high schoolers alike.
While watching his grandson on a day off from work, lifelong resident Orlando Martinez talked about the summers his family spends at the Ludlow Youth Community Center and the fears they had when they thought the program might end. Proudly displaying his Cruz Camp T-shirt (Cruz Recreational Facility is another name for the Ludlow Youth Community Center), Martinez looked down at his grandson several times while speaking about the neighborhood and it’s future, ending the interview with a hope. He believes and hopes that in spite of the budget dilemma the state faced this year that next year the state may not face the same crisis and that more recreational facilities in North Philadelphia will be built in future years.
The states rainy day fund was drained with the new budget and it’s hard not to wonder what might happen next year if the economy doesn’t improve and the state is forced to cut back even more. You don’t have to look hard to see how vital these organizations are for the community or how much more fragile a neighborhood becomes when they lose these local resources.
Jessica Fowler and Evan Casey, Group 15, Ludlow
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