Penn lends support to Rebuilding Together Philadelphia effort repairing 11 local homes in two days
Marking a milestone block build, 70 Penn volunteers combined forces with Rebuilding Together Philadelphia, a nonprofit with roots at the University, to revitalize owner-occupied houses in the West Philadelphia community. The momentous two-day event involved a block build and speaking program—with a local homeowner sharing a heartfelt message.
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Local homeowner Rudy Edge speaking at the Rebuilding Together Philadelphia block build.
More than 70 volunteers from the Penn community, including a team of students from the Wharton School and the Weitzman School of Design, joined dozens of local citizen-volunteers to renovate 11 vulnerable homes owned by low-income residents on Delancey Street in West Philadelphia from April 11-12, during Rebuilding Together Philadelphia (RTP)’s April Block Build.
The milestone event marked the 40th owner-occupied home repaired as part of a broader initiative between the University and RTP to revamp 75 homes across West Philadelphia—funded by a four-year grant from Penn totaling $1.7 million—to create generational wealth for these families. These efforts align with a key pillar of Penn’s strategic framework, In Principle and Practice, to be a collaborative, anchored, and caring Philadelphia neighbor.
“Volunteers replacing smoke detectors, installing flooring, putting up hand rails, building planter boxes, and cleaning up trash aren’t the huge, political initiatives we study in school, but these fixes save lives and make it easier for homeowners to continue living in their homes as they age or to pass the home along to a family member,” says Sarah Curry, a student in the Weitzman School’s Master of City Planning (MCP) program who participated in the April 2024 block build and helped organize Penn volunteers for this year’s event. “When we show up for these homeowners and smile and chat with them over the course of the weekend, we’re doing our part to be good neighbors, which you can’t do from the classroom.”
Penn volunteers and local leaders participated in the Rebuilding Together Philadelphia April Block Build, helping to renovate West Philadelphia homes in need of repair.
The rain-or-shine program included a speech from Rudy “Captain” Edge, a homeowner who helped organize the neighborhood event. The 64-year-old Army veteran and caretaker for people with disabilities spoke about the socioeconomic impact that RTP and Penn volunteers have by repairing local homes, including his own—which received several thousand dollars’ worth of repairs during the block build. This tangible work helps support and unite Edge’s neighbors amid stressful times.
“We’re grateful to have been able to support RTP’s mission of ensuring that all Philadelphians have the safe and healthy home that they deserve,” says Mark Dellostritto, another MCP student at the Weitzman School who helped organize Penn volunteers.
Several leaders were involved with the event, including Stefanie F. Seldin, president and CEO of RTP; Robert Bellinger, founder of RTP; Craig R. Carnaroli, senior executive vice president, University of Pennsylvania; Jamie Gaulthier, Philadelphia city councilmember; and Tiffany Ogilvie, director of The Enterprise Center Community Development Corporation, among others.
Read more about Penn’s partnership with Rebuilding Together Philadelphia in the current issue of The Pennsylvania Gazette.
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