Philly Group Knits Community Together with Outdoor Wi-Fi

Philly Community Wireless is launching an outdoor wi-fi network around Norris Square Park and surrounding neighborhoods.

Partnering with PhillyWisper, this initiative is combatting digital inequity by providing free broadband access to underserved communities in Northern Philadelphia.

By installing outdoor wi-fi, the initiative also aims to boost a local sense of community and time spent outdoors.

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Food Waste Study: Nonlandfill Options Good for the Climate 

A new study from the University of Pennsylvania finds that diverting food waste from landfills to composting or converting it to animal feed can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve natural resources.

Converting food waste to animal feed, also known as re-feeding, reduces need for conventional livestock feed and spares cropland.

This article discusses findings on the benefits of nonlandfill options for food disposal. 

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Comcast Supports NEPA Nonprofit Outreach and the People it Serves

Scranton-based nonprofit Outreach has partnered with Comcast to donate 35 laptops and three months of free internet to provide resources for employment training, literacy classes, and life skills materials.

A $35,000 grant will support hands-on digital literacy guidance on resume writing, job applications, and telehealth access for over 150 participants.

Improving digital literacy can help reduce barriers to education, employment, and health.  



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Seven Economic Facts About Prime-Age Labor Force Participation

Caregiving and disability are major reasons why workers considered prime age are not participating in the workforce.

Participation in the labor force has also been affected by post-pandemic labor shifts, gender gaps, education, and health.

Brookings Research highlights seven facts on individuals aged 25-54 years in the labor force. 

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Denver City Hall Takes a Page from NASA to Tackle Housing Barriers

Denver is adopting NASA’s “tiger team” model to address the city’s housing affordability and zoning challenges.

The model, first used during the Apollo 13 crisis, is a cross-disciplinary problem-solving approach that uses specialized teams to find creative solutions.

Bloomberg discusses the effectiveness of the tiger team model, and how Denver is applying it to finding urban housing solutions. 

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Los Angeles Tries Harm Reduction to Combat Substance Abuse and Homelessness

Los Angeles has opened a Skid Row Care Campus to combat hostility towards individuals with substance abuse disorders and those facing homelessness by offering comprehensive services for unhoused city residents.

Services include access to food, healthcare, phone charging, and harm-reduction supplies such as clean syringes.

Advocates report that harm-reduction models that connect individuals to recovery resources improve public health and establish opportunity pathways over time. 



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