Community Learning Hubs
Starting in the summer of 2020 , Partners worked with LoftySpot , a Greater Philadelphiabased company , to identify and assist sacred places that were able to serve as centers for remote learning . At the time , it was becoming clear that COVID-19 would make in-person school a challenge during the school year , posing difficulties for parents who were not able to safely provide virtual schooling at home due to the requirements of their jobs , lack of home high-speed internet access , or inability to support children during remote learning .
Partners and LoftySpot surveyed 29 sacred places in Philadelphia , Montgomery , and Delaware counties that were willing to open their doors to children in need of a safe , supervised location to access remote learning during fully or partially virtual school . One of these sites , Trinity Lutheran Church in South
Philadelphia , became home to Sunrise of Philadelphia , which provided no-cost supervision for up to 88 Philadelphia public school children during the entire school year as part of the city ’ s access program . Additionally , Partners secured funding to begin or expand no-cost remote learning centers at two sites in Delaware County : Life in Christ Ministries in Chester , PA , and Faith Immanuel Lutheran Church in East Lansdowne , PA . These sites served 10 and 35 children , respectively .
Sacred places surveyed through this program were also connected with local government and organizations to serve as sites for COVID-19 testing and vaccine distribution . These cases highlight some of the ways that sacred places around the country found creative ways to serve their neighbors during the COVID-19 pandemic .
Children from Philadelphia public schools were able to attend virtual school during the 2020 – 2021 school year in a safe , supervised , social environment at the Sunrise Access Center in Trinity Lutheran Church , Philadelphia . Photo : Sunrise of Philadelphia
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A woman who worked as a bus driver for the William Penn School District prior to the COVID-19 pandemic enrolled her four children with us ... This program provided her the opportunity to do odd jobs while waiting to resume [ work ]. She was very thankful and grateful for the opportunity of participating in the program .
— Fr . Moses Suah-Dennis , Faith- Immanuel Lutheran Church , East Lansdowne , PA
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