CHOP Cleans up Philadelphia and Montco Streets

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Photo of team cleaning streets This fall, CHOP will officially become a two-hospital system with the opening of the new King of Prussia Hospital. As we continue to expand, so do our efforts to support, engage and address community health needs outside our walls and in the community. Through volunteerism, CHOP employees have the opportunity to support community-based programs, connect directly with community members, meet others from various backgrounds and more, all while supporting our mission to improving the health and lives of children in our community.

This summer, CHOP partnered with Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee (PMBC) and Keep Norristown Beautiful (KNB) to host simultaneous street clean-ups in Philadelphia and Montgomery County. A total of 16 volunteers, including employees, family and friends, equipped with trash bags, brooms, rakes and shovels volunteered to clean streets and parks in their respective areas.

Members from CHOP’s Multicultural Professionals Network (MPN) employee resource group cleaned West Mill Creek playground located in West Philadelphia. “Growing up in West Philadelphia, raised two blocks away from the West Mill Creek playground, it was especially rewarding to represent CHOP in my community. While we worked, we even got to witness a toddler and his father running around the playground enjoying the cleaner and safer park. Several community members thanked us as they walked by,” said Stephanie Curtis, MSN, CRNP, and Community Outreach Chair for MPN.

CHOP King of Prussia Hospital (KOPH) leadership, as well as employees from Norristown, KOP and Community Relations, cleaned the streets surrounding the Norristown Care Network, located just 15 minutes from the new KOP Hospital. “Volunteering shows commitment to the community we work in,” said Jeffrey Cades, Technical Specialist for Pathology & Lab Medicine. He enjoyed the opportunity to work with others to help the community. When asked what CHOP employees gain from volunteering, he said, “satisfaction in helping the community by showing we care.”

The beautification of streets and public spaces brought about a sense of community and responsibility. It also gave CHOP employees the opportunity to address a community health need prioritized by the community, improving neighborhood conditions and increasing access to safe outdoor and recreational spaces.

We would like to thank our community partners and all CHOP employees, friends and family members that volunteered!


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