Since 2013, PowerCorpsPHL (PCPHL) has engaged more than 680 young people in providing over 660,500 service hours to the City of Philadelphia’s park system and green infrastructure. Unfortunately, the Corps has also lost 12 young people, including ten to gun violence. Five of these deaths occurred in 2020.
To honor the Corpsmembers whose lives were lost, PCPHL built a Memorial Grove adjacent to their project headquarters and training center in Philadelphia’s East Fairmount Park. The purpose of the Memorial Grove is to provide a publicly accessible area where people can seek healing in nature. Not only did this project have an emotional impact on all the PCPHL Urban Forestry Fellows, but the space has also been important to the families of the 12 Corpsmembers whose lives were tragically lost.
Join us for this Project of the Year Lessons-Learned Town Hall to hear PowerCorpsPHL discuss the keys to their success, how they plan to grow from this experience, and what other Corps can do to promote community connection and healing through nature.
Learn more about The Corps Network's Town Halls here.
