Former Rectory Provides Valuable Services

In the middle of a snowy day in February a few neighborhood residents still visited the St. Elizabeth Community Center.
Located at 1845 N. 23rd St., the Community Center is in the rectory of the former St. Elizabeth Catholic School.

“We have a food bank, ceramic classes for seniors, the North Philly Foot Stompers are based here and we have a health center,” said Community Organizer Helen Brown.

The center provides the surrounding community with a variety of services throughout the building. The first floor has a nurse practitioner five days a week and a doctor on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The second floor holds different events, including a meeting/counseling session for kids who have gone through traumatic experiences on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights. The third floor is the location for an economic development team that works with Project H.O.M.E.

According to Brown, a resident of the neighborhood for over 50 years who has been the community organizer at the rectory for 15 years, the center provides a closer sense of community for the surrounding neighborhood. One of the largest events organized through the community center is Family and Friends Day held on the fourth Saturday in August. The large block party at the end of summer has over 20 participating blocks.

By Michelle Provencher and Milan Vracarich, Group 14, North Central