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Long-running nonprofit boutique leverages partnerships to alleviate clothing insecurity

In a women’s recovery home for addiction, a volunteer offered to wash Rhonda Richardson’s laundry for her. After seeing that Richardson owned only a few worn pieces of clothing, the woman gave her a voucher for free clothes from The Wardrobe. Little did Richardson know, she’d find both confidence-boosting outfits and a support group at

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4 mins read
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Philly’s plastic bag ban has not been perfect, but it has significantly changed business and consumer behavior

Samuel Velasquez operates La Marqueza Philly, a colorful Mexican food truck near the Community College of Philadelphia. Before the City’s plastic bag ban, his customers received their orders in disposable plastic bags. These days, unless those customers offer up their own reusable bags, their orders come in paper bags. As a step towards mitigating the

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6 mins read
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Yoga nonprofit provides a supportive environment for people of all races, ages and genders

The nine students sitting before their teacher, Andre Coles, differ in age, physical abilities, gender and race, but they come together to grow and build community through the Roots2Rise yoga program. With soft music playing in the background, program director Coles welcomes all. “Sometimes the world seems very unstable,” Coles says in a gentle tone

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4 mins read
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Wissahickon Environmental Center inspires children, adults and prospective environmental scientists

On a damp morning in July, children spill around the corner of the Tree House and flit through the woodland garden exploring the grounds surrounding the Wissahickon Environmental Center (WEC) in the northern end of Wissahickon Valley Park. “Will we find bears?” one young girl asks. Jeneen Helms, an assistant from the West Mill Creek

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4 mins read

Wood burning poses serious health risks, but mitigation is possible

From cooking food to staying warm, humanity’s ability to control fire has been a critical factor in our evolution. As large wildfires become increasingly common, however, more and more health experts are issuing warnings about the hazards related to their emissions. As it turns out, even fireplaces, woodstoves and campfires — long beloved by a

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2 mins read
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South Philly bridal shop offers designer diversity, sustainability and demi-couture luxury

Mayana Carter knew she wanted to create a different kind of bridal salon. Before opening Kinfolk Bride, Carter had worked in the bridal industry for 10 years in various capacities. “I found myself longing to see more designers of color, more women designers and more small makers,” she says, “and I wanted the people in

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2 mins read