Demand Action to end Gun Violence

Philly -- Six months ago today, my sister was murdered with a gun while protecting the children in her classroom. I'm about to stand with members my community in remembering those we lost that day. Will you join me and help send a message to Congress? Watch the livestream of the Newtown remembrance event. And join me in telling Congress NO MORE NAMES -- it's time to pass common sense gun reform.  I’ll be there with survivors, community members, faith leaders, and my family. We’ll share a moment of silence for the innocent victims who were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary six months ago today. And throughout the day, supporters will read the names of more than 6,000 Americans who have been murdered with guns since our tragic loss. My older sister Victoria was a teacher at Sandy Hook, and my family still thinks about her and mourns her every day. Sadly, my family is not the only one who has suffered this kind of loss. 33 Americans are murdered with guns every single day. They are our sisters and brothers, our children, our parents, teachers, and friends. Each of their names, along with Victoria’s, is a reason to make common sense gun reform a reality. Please join us by watching the livestream starting at 9:30 a.m. ET today, and then make a call to your representative: http://www.nomorenames.org/call I was in the Senate gallery when a minority of Senators blocked background check legislation. It was difficult to look some of these Senators in the face as they argued against something so necessary and common sense. I can only hope that if they had to go home and be confronted with their own constituents and the consequences of their inaction, things will change. If we make our voices loud enough, we can make a lasting difference that will spare countless families from having to go through this kind of pain. Thank you for everything you’re doing. The fact that you’re in this fight with me is inspiring – and I’m grateful to know that you’ll lend a hand. Sincerely, Jillian Soto

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#Status report: The Gun Crisis Reporting Project at 15 months

• Status report: The Gun Crisis Reporting Project at 15 months
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• Gunfire kills one man and wounds a second early Thursday

Status report: The Gun Crisis Reporting Project at 15 months Posted: 14 Jun 2013 06:33 AM PDT Police cover the body of a teenage boy who was shot to death in Frankford on May 31st. Photograph for the Gun Crisis Reporting projectby Joseph Kaczmarek. Forty people were shot in the first ten days of June in Philadelphia — and the rates in May were even worse — but gun violence has plummeted across the city this week, with only three new victims reported since then, although one has died. At the Gun Crisis Reporting Project, we have taken advantage of this overdue break from constant reporting to catch up on internal business, including a moment to reflect on new honors for our reporting staff. Next, we have been working on our latest grant application as we continue to seek seed funding to build an economically sustainable organization — and we wanted to share our responses as an update for the community: Gun Crisis Reporting Project: Seeking Solutions to the Epidemic of Gun Violence in Philadelphia A bloody gun marks the scene afterpolice opened fire on a man who officials say was shooting at other men during an incident last month in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. Photograph for the Gun Crisis Reporting Project by Joseph Kaczmarek. The Need: Philadelphia has suffered the highest rate of homicide per capita among America’s largest 15 cities since 2006 and the number of murders has risen each year since 2009. In 2012, 85 percent of the people killed in our city were shot to death. In recent years, innovations in public health and criminology have led to double-digit reductions in gun violence in several other cities and corners of our own. But we are not doing enough. Leaders say that everybody has to come together to end this epidemic, but there is no place to meet. We are building that community at GunCrisis.org. A child looks on as police investigate a double shooting that left one man dead last month in North Philadelphia. Photograph for the Gun Crisis Reporting Project by Joseph Kaczmarek. The Program: The Gun Crisis Reporting Project — launched in March, 2012 — is an award-winning, independent, nonprofit journalism organization, designed to illuminate the epidemic of homicide by gunfire in Philadelphia — and to present solutions. First, we meet the needs of citizens by providing original reporting on uncovered or under-covered gun violence incidents across Philadelphia, including the impact of gun violence for all stakeholders, in context and in a chronology that begins with root causes. Next, we report on the groups and individuals pursuing possible solutions to end the epidemic of homicide by gunfire, and look for evidence of successful intervention in our city and beyond. We avoid polarizing political debates on gun access, striving instead to support solutions that everyone can support. While others quarrel over the supply of guns, we hope to reduce the demand. We engage community leaders, public officials, students and scholars in public forums, and engage online readers to participate in a conversation on solutions. We support other violence prevention groups and events with publicity, social media and communications, a directory of service providers, event promotion and a public calendar. We collaborate with local, national and international media to redirect gun violence reporting  narratives to focus on solutions and the path to peace. The catalyst behind our project was a conference on best practices for youth violence reporting, organized by the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma and convened at WHYY in Philadelphia in 2011. In addition, the core staff of the Gun Crisis Reporting Project is made up of four award-winning journalists with more than 50 combined years of reporting experience in Philadelphia. We are further informed by our daily reporting process, meeting residents at crime scenes, participating in community events, reading about criminology, walking the streets with public health practitioners, meeting political leaders, scouring the media — and more. Shell casings litter the scene as police investigate a fatal shooting last month in North Philadelphia. Photographs for the Gun Crisis Reporting Project by Joseph Kaczmarek. Innovation: We combine the best practices in peace journalism, trauma-informed journalism and social media journalism to create a solutions-driven approach to gun violence reporting. Rather than simply reporting on each incident without context, we focus on the roots of violence, the chronology of the conflict, the path to peace and possibilities for community engagement. Instead of simply telling stories, we strive to maintain open conversations across social media and help people in our community tell their own stories. Employing digital technologies, we are building a network for peace as well as a body of knowledge. Our first 1,000 blog posts covered 252 crime scenes, included 184 community reports and 101 reports on solutions. More than 92,000 site visitors have consumed almost 600,000 pages — and our social media community numbers in the thousands. We lead discussions on gun violence solutions at Philadelphia City Council, Temple University, the University of Pennsylvania and more. Our work has been featured by local, national and international media and earned numerous journalism awards. Most importantly, year-to-date homicides are down by 40 percent in Philadelphia. We hope we made a difference. Loved ones came together last month to remember a young couple shot to death last year in Olney. Photographs for the Gun Crisis Reporting Project by Joseph Kaczmarek. Next year: We won’t celebrate before we can point to sustained reductions in gun violence, but we continue to quantify our impact step-by-step. Attention is currency in digital media, and we are working to continue growing our online audience exponentially — to increase awareness of the epidemic of gun violence and to support and illuminate programs and organizations demonstrating success. We hope to organize and participate in more public events and bring our communities together with elected officials. We hope to see informed civic engagement eventually lead to changes in funding, policy and practice that will contain and eliminate this epidemic. Funding: The Gun Crisis Reporting Project is a member of the New Beginnings Nonprofit Incubator at Resources for Human Development, Inc. (RHD). While RHD has provided very generous administrative, development and other professional support, the Gun Crisis Reporting Project receives no direct funding for news gathering operations. To date, all professional services have been provided free of charge by our volunteer staff of award-winning journalists, most of whom have incurred enormous direct and indirect costs. Recently, we enabled crowd-funding tools on our site and we have been humbled by the generosity of a small number of supporters, but those contributions have not come close to meeting our costs. We also have high hopes for a couple of small grants in the coming months. Swarthmore and Haverford Colleges have provided us with interns at their expense, and a Swarthmore class helped with strategic planning. (Come back to hear more about our 2013 interns and summer staff in the near future.) Next, we have several grant applications in the works, as well as plans for more aggressive crowd-funding, and we are presently developing a strategic plan for economic sustainability. Bottom line: We need your help. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to support the Gun Crisis Reporting Project right now. Help us lead the way to ending gun violence.   Thank you for your attention and concern for this critical issue. It doesn’t have to be this way, it won’t go on forever — and the harder we work, the sooner we will see the the end of  this epidemic. Send to Kindle Related posts: New honors mark first anniversary for the Gun Crisis Reporting Project NBC10 checks in on the Gun Crisis Reporting Project One year later: On the street with the Gun Crisis Reporting Project

Photojournalism honors continue for Kaczmarek, Gun Crisis team Posted: 13 Jun 2013 02:37 PM PDT Police come to the aid of a woman who was shot in North Philadlephia in April. This photograph byJoseph Kaczmarek of the Gun Crisis Reporting Project is among those honored in 2013 by the National Press Photographers Association. At the Gun Crisis Reporting Project, we strive to illuminate the epidemic of gun violence, examine the groups and individuals working to find solutions and facilitate a conversation to reduce violence. In the first step, we employ photojournalism as a tool to take you there, to see what we see everyday — and what too many of our fellow Philadelphians live with day after day, and year after year. For work done so far in 2013, the National Press Photographers Association has recognized the Gun Crisis Reporting Project every month, with more combined spot news photography honors than every other news organization in our region, which includes six states and Washington, DC. Joe Kaczmarek holds six of the 2013 awards, beginning with his coverage of a shooting just a few hours into the new year. We won’t celebrate before we can point to a sustained reduction in gun violence, but we strive to honor every victim through our work, believe that these accolades amplify our call to action, and plan to continue until we can bring about change. Slideshow: Gun Crisis photojournalism honored in 2013: 50847_SPN_313052_519504_684_c14f 50847_SPN_316197_524375_684_6bec 50847_SPN_310197_514860_684_6693 51155_SPN_313213_519758_684_8ba6 50847_SPN_307922_511439_684_1310 50847_SPN_310195_514858_684_1178 Veronica Jackson is overcome with grief at the scene after her brother Gregory Scott was shot and killed in front of his West Philadelphia home in February. Joseph Kaczmarekcovered the scene for the Gun Crisis Reporting Project. NPPA 2013 awards to date: April, 1st Place, Joseph Kaczmarek April, 2nd Place, Kaczmarek March, 1st Place, Kaczmarek March, 2nd Place, Tom Kelly IV February, 2nd Place, Kaczmarek February, 3rd Place, Kaczmarek January, 3rd Place, Kaczmarek Send to Kindle Related posts: New honors follow the Gun Crisis reporting team More reporting honors follow the #GunCrisis team New honors mark first anniversary for the Gun Crisis Reporting Project

Gunfire kills one man and wounds a second early Thursday Posted: 13 Jun 2013 01:18 PM PDT A 27-year-old man was found shot to death near Roosevelt Boulevard and North Broad Street in Philadelphia’s Hunting Park section at about 6:30 a.m. Thursday. According to the Philadelphia Daily News, the victim was shot in the head and has yet to be identified. Another man was reported in stable condition at Einstein Medical Center after he was shot overnight on Ogontz Avenue near Limekiln Pike, in the Ogontz section of the city. Early Thursday morning, a 28-year-old man was shot on South 55th Street in Southwest Philadelphia. He was reported in stable condition at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Gunshot victim reports have dropped significantly this week after 40 victims were reported across Philadelphia through the first ten days of June. Updated map: Philadelphia shooting victim reports for June, 2013 If you want to get involved in gun violence reduction in Philadelphia, please consider volunteering your time or making a donation to one of the organizations listed under our Network tab at the top of this site. If you would like us to add your group to our list, please email us at info@guncrisis.org. The Gun Crisis Reporting Project is an award-winning, independent, nonprofit journalism community striving to illuminate the epidemic of homicide by gunfire in Philadelphia — and to find solutions.

Current Job Opening-Posted 6/4/2013 on the Comcast-Spectacor Job Board

Sales & Marketing: Corporate Sponsorship Sales

 

DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS - Front Row Marketing Services (Allentown, PA)

Entity:  Front Row Marketing Services

Location: PPL CENTER (Allentown PA)

Status:  Full-Time; Salary + Commissions

Reports To:  VP Corporate Sponsorships and Premium Seating

Supervises: Sponsorship Fulfillment Manager

Closing Date: Open until Closed / Filled

Job Summary:  The Director of Corporate Sponsorships is responsible for soliciting, securing and fulfilling sponsorship partners and agreements on behalf of the PPL Center and The Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League, in Allentown, PA.  Basic functions include corporate sponsorship sales and over-seeing the servicing of sponsorships along with finding ways to grow revenue for the venues while maintaining high levels of client services.

 Job Functions (included, but not limited to):

• Responsible for prospecting, selling, cultivating and maintaining the corporate sponsorships for the arena in both new and renewal business
• Responsible for establishing annual sales budgets for department, tracking those budgets, and ensuring that budgets are hit
• Responsible for the creation and overseeing the implementation of annual sales plans in an effort to achieve sales goals
• Responsible for soliciting new cash partnerships 
• Responsible for making cold calls & sales presentations for the venues
• Responsible for executing all aspects of corporate partnership fulfillment
• Responsible for working with outside agencies to get all corporate partnerships signage created and placed 
• Responsible for creating season recap of season for corporate partners, when applicable
• Responsible for servicing all corporate sponsorships through various means including direct contact, newsletters, corporate partner gatherings, etc. 
• Responsible for creating new client initiatives to better serve the corporate partners 
• Responsible for the design of sales proposals and presentations for potential corporate partners 
• Responsible for creating and implementing new ideas and opportunities that will drive revenue for the venues
• Work with the marketing department on opportunities to cross sell corporate partners
• Responsible for tracking prospecting, sales and inventory throughout the season 
• Responsible for working and attending events, promotions, arena events and Front Row Marketing events
• Other duties as assigned by General Manager of building and VP of Corporate Sponsorships and Premium Seating

Preferred Qualifications:

• Increasingly responsible advertising/sponsorship experience and knowledge of local corporate market
• Prior experience in a similar working environment
• Bachelor’s degree or better from an accredited college/university 
• Ability to demonstrate proficiency with data processing and MS Office applications
• Ability to work nights, all events, weekends, events and holidays as required

EOE, DFWP

#Camden NJ- Fathers Day Celebration

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The African-American Chamber of Commerce- Newsletter

The AACC Newsletter June 2013 Edition

AACC Board of Directors {Executive Committee} Shalimar Blakely Executive Director     Steven Scott Bradley  Chair     Harold T. Epps Senior Advisor    Bilal Qayyum Vice Chair  Ouida Simpson Secretary  Alonzo J. Primus  Treasurer  Alex King Search Committee Chair Lowell Thomas, Esq.  General Counsel    Megan R. Smith  Public Relations Chair Special Thanks                            TweetReach  Do You Have Questions About AACC Membership?  Chat with us on Twitter  @ official_AACC  TweetReach AACC (Coming Soon) Events & Workshops   Click HERE to join today!   Click HERE to register!   Click HERE to register!   Click HERE to register! Click HERE to register! Is your business registered? Register today with the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) and gain the competitive edge.

A Message from the Executive Director   I'm a fan of Esquire Magazine.    I know, I know, it's a magazine that caters to the male audience, but I purchased it a while ago during one of my read-outside-the-box moments, and I've been hooked ever since.    The May 2013 issue gave me yet another reason to love the magazine. It included a "2013 Guide to Fortune and Fulfillment," which, featured a section on how to be gracious, and why.   As Tom Chiarella, author of, well, How to be Gracious, and Why, stated, "In business, the little things - a favor acknowledged, a favor returned, proper introductions" are also important in business. "The return comes in kind."    In reading the article, I realized that this idea of being gracious was much like my purchase of Esquire Magazine - outside the box. It takes a lot more than understanding the balance sheet to succeed in business. It's being genuine, building relationships and making a difference.   As the African-American Chamber of Commerce of PA, NJ and DE (AACC) continues to serve as a resource for African American businesses, we too are thinking outside the box, especially when it comes to collaborations, and helping to improve the economic development of African American communities. In the coming months, you will see the AACC continue to provide information that will help businesses grow. In addition, you will see more partnerships with companies across industries, so we can have a greater impact on common goals.  So far, it's been wonderful connecting with businesses across the region and meeting so many bright, innovative and passionate business owners. I'm looking forward to meeting many more in the coming months!  Until then, Shalimar Blakely, Executive Director African-American Chamber of Commerce of PA, NJ and DE Membership Spotlight   Congratulations to the following AACC members who were accepted into the first cohort of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program! Steven Scott Bradley of Bradley & Bradley Associates, Inc. Alex King of Defined Clarity Ola O. Solanke of The Arts Garage   Learn more about the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business program and partnering organizations by attending the following sessions:  10KSB Education and Access to Capital Information Sessions 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM and 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM Tuesday, June 11 1500 Market Street, Suite 2600 West Philadelphia, PA 19102 Get details about the 11-week business education training curriculum (the mini-MBA), business support services, and access to capital loan fund. Sign up today to attend these workshops in the series, Small Business Positioning For Growth.  Hosted by the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation.   RSVP with Chamor Hollinger at 215-496-8157 orchollinger@pidc-pa.org   Workshop #2 - Underwriting Thursday, June 27, 2013, 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Learn what PIDC and most lenders are requiring, the documents they review, and the standards that are applied in consideration of your loan request.  This workshop will help small business owners plan their company projects and how to present their financing request to PIDC to get the "yes" on a loan approval.   These workshops are designed for companies that have been operating at least two years. To reserve your place, send an email to mhamilton@pidc-pa.org. No phone calls please. Advocacy Efforts to Watch Use & Occupancy Tax is Back on the Table The African-American Chamber of Commerce of PA, NJ and DE (AACC) has been advocating hard against Bill 130161, the proposed 20 percent Use & Occupancy tax increase to raise money for the School District. While the AACC is a committed to ensuring students obtain a quality education, the organization is adamant about working with the City Council to find other ways that will not impact business development in the city. The AACC is taking a strong position to keep businesses in this city, so students have access to employment opportunities once they graduate. Learn more by reading this Op Ed  published in the Inquirer.    Women on Boards Legislation Moves Out of Committee In an effort to increase the number of women serving on Corporate Boards, Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds-Brown introduced Bill No. 130177, which seeks to  require contractors seeking to do business with the City to disclose the number of women serving in executive positions and serving on their executive and full boards; all under certain terms and conditions. The Women on Boards Bill passed out of the Committee on Commerce & Economic Development and a full vote is expected by the end of the month. To ensure that we can present a high caliber of women who are qualified to serve to corporate boards, the AACC has developed the PECO Power Lunch Series. Women of all professional levels are encouraged to register. Articles and News You Could Use   Philadelphia Social Enterprise Partnerships Businesses and nonprofits are finding new ways to work together to solve social problems and Bloomberg Philanthropies is inspired by the opportunity to find and spread innovative local solutions to national problems. This year, Philadelphia was named one of the five winners in the Bloomberg Philanthropies' Mayors Challenge, a competition to inspire American cities to generate innovative ideas that solve major challenges and improve city life - and that ultimately can be shared with other cities to improve the well-being of the nation.  Read more... 4 Ways Staffing Firms Can Help Your Company   Each day, over three million people in the U.S. alone are working through a staffing company. A Gallop Poll survey showed that 90% of companies in Northern America use staffing services to hire temporary and permanent staff and there are many reasons to contract with professional staffing services. Read more... 2013 National Urban League Conference Redeem the Dream: Jobs Rebuild America      The 2013 National Urban League Conference, Redeem the Dream: Jobs Rebuild America, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington is coming to Philly! From July 24 to July 27, 2013, Philadelphia will welcome over 5,000 newsmakers, policy makers, business and community leaders, and Urban Leaguers for the 2013 National Urban League Conference presented by Comcast, Aramark, Independence Blue Cross, and AmeriHealth Mercy! Held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, the Conference will feature four (4) days of exciting workshops and sessions, and numerous opportunities for professional development and key connections to be made. You can REGISTER TODAY to experience the entire conference!  Along with cultural events, private receptions and entertainment, the Conference boasts a line up of FREE events for the community, including: A Career & Networking Fair A College Fair with colleges, universities, and scholarship organizations An Expo Hall with 100+ exhibitors, a Health Zone, a Volunteer Zone with on-site projects, and an Empowerment Stage with celebrity filled sessions and local entertainment The one-day Small Business Matters Entrepreneurship Summit A Youth Town Hall featuring special celebrity appearances And a keynote address from National Urban League President, Marc Morial With free events providing the tools necessary for individuals to live their best life - from entrepreneurship and business development, to scholarships, volunteerism, and health and wellness - these events will benefit individuals living and working in Philadelphia/Delaware Valley region, and beyond! To learn how you can be involved in this year's National Urban League Conference, visitwww.conf2013.iamempowered.com, follow the National Urban League on Twitter and 'like' us onFacebook! The AACC Welcomes  the Following New Members!   Parx Casino Phila. Regional Port Authority MACCS Health Services, LLC Citizens Bank Mercy Douglass Human Services The Arts Garage Capital Recovery Services Express Employment Professionals Mack Duncan Carolyn Moseley Alex Peay