June Events

Summer Camp

Past & Present

Speak Out!

Young Artist

Special Points of Interest:

· Celebrate June Black Music Month in the city at various free concerts

· June is National Safety Month

· June 21 is Father’s Day

Editor’s Note:

This month Mantua Times features several articles written by Mantua youth, who meet at the Mantua Haverford Community Center.

We hope you enjoy the students’ personal expressions and continue to encourage all our young people to find creative, productive outlets.

HAVE A STORY IDEA?

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Phone: 215 921-2037
E-mail: info@mantuacares.com
Web Address: www.mantuacares.com

            I do not like the fact that my community has a lot of violence and drugs. It seems as though someone dies everyday over drugs. I wish people in our community were more aware of the damage they are doing to the future of the community. Young kids are growing up wanting to be what they see on the corners.  We need change, if not then there isn’t hope for the community. I think people need to be more open minded and understandable. It seems that everyone is the same and they do what’s considered cool by their friends. I’m not sure what will help the community as this point.  No one can make people change, they have to want to change on their own to better themselves and the community.

Safiyah Brown

            Mantua, it’s a nice community filled with wonderful people and beautiful scenery. Another thing about my community I like is the drive everyone has to succeed. Also, the adults here are very inspiring through helpful talks or friendly advice.  There are a couple of things I don’t like though. For example, I do not like things such as trash, empty lots, abandoned houses and the homeless. Also, the gun violence is tremendous. There are some solutions to helping this neighborhood such as building shelters, hiring more cops, and having more community based activities.

Derrick Smith

            One thing I like about my community is that we stick together when we have to.  Another thing I like about my community is that we have a gym to play ball in.   The final thing I like about my community is that it’s near downtown, the art museum, and other Philadelphia landmarks.  One thing I don’t like about my community is the gun violence and the limited activities we have such as bowling alleys, skating rinks, or after-school programs.

Joel Smalls

            I like that I can do things to help out my community. Also, I like that I can do thing to keep my community safe and free of liter and to keep people free of stress about different things.  One thing that I do not like about my community is that I can’t be safe all the time from crime and violence. Another thing that I do not like that I cannot go somewhere and think that I am not safe.  Lastly, I do not like about my community is that I can not always keep my community liter free.

Miles  Young

            The three things I don’t like about my community are that some of the parks are dirty, people keep on cursing, and there is a lot of violence.  The three solutions to fix the problems are to tell people to clean up the lots, to tell people to stop cursing and to make up a law to stop the violence.

Da’jour Moss

In my community, I like basketball because it helps take the pressure off of things. I also like the corner store because when I go to the store it's not a long distance to walk. I enjoy going to the park when there nothing else to do and when friends are over.  I think the community should try to find a way to stop gun and street violence. I think we can solve this by persuading kids to stay off streets and tell them to stay in school to have a future not leading to become a gangster. I think that if the kids would try not to act like they are criminals and not look up to them as role models there would be less violence in the future. I think if this were to happen the community would be a much better place for us to live in.  I also think if criminals would think about the lives of the children in the community and realize kids are trying to be like them they would probably start thinking of ways to help the community. Another issue the community should try to address is the shootings.

Kyri Spearman

I don’t like violence because it causes death and just too much chaos.  This violence can be stopped, but nobody ever steps up to the plate. By telling someone who is doing violence that this is wrong; prevents less violence.  What I can do to stop this violence is if I see violence going on just tell someone that this is not the right thing to do in a respectful matter. What I can do to stay away from violence is to do something else on my free time than being in the hood or around useless friends.  For example, coming to the library or even volunteering in my Mantua community. The things I like in Mantua are the basketball/sports connection and the Mantua community vibe.

Anthony Spearman

            The things I like about this community are the young people, schools and houses.  I don’t like the gun violence  and robbery that happens in my community.  The solutions to these problems are to put more jobs in the community, have more activities for the adults and talk to young people about their futures such as job training and college prep.

Lasiya Howard

Archived Newsletters

June 2009

April 2009

January 2009

December 2008

November 2008

October 2008

September 2008

August 2008

June / July 2008

May 2008

Newsletter Staff

Executive Director :
Darnell Ryans

Editorial Director:
Trenae McDuffie

Executive Assistant:
Dontee Turner

Photographer: Dontee Turner

Contributors:
Trenae McDuffie,
Ashley Arrington,
Darnell Ryans,
Da’ jour Moss,
Deonte West,
Myles Young