(1/3) Former Student Serves Up Clothes with a Side of Pizza

I get all the feelz when the updates and activities of current and former students are positive! Who wouldn’t? Since their days with me in 6^th grade (or 5^th or 3^rd, depending on the year) lots of them have graduated from high school or college. Some have started their own side businesses. Others are gainfully employed. Some are serving in the armed forces. Most seem to be doing rather well.

A fair share of them have kept in contact with me one way or another over the years and for that I’m overjoyed! One student, Tyjae, has been keeping in contact with me since he left my 6^th grade class in June of 2010. This past weekend, he, his family, and some of his homies hit the streets of Kensington to distribute clothes and food to that section of the city’s homeless population. I’m honored that he extended an invitation to me to be a part of these efforts.

 

We set up camp at Kensington and Tioga around 1:00 on Saturday November 23^rd. There, we laid out a few hundred new or gently used items of clothing, including shoes, jackets, pants, sweaters, socks, hats, gloves, blankets, and more. In addition to the clothes, Tyjae and company provided free pizza, coffee, soda, water, chips, and other snacks to those in need or those who just wanted a little snack. The energy with which the organizers went about helping others was amazing! There was no hesitation in their motivation to stop passersby and to ensure that they were warm and had something in their stomach. Not satisfied with remaining on location, a few of these 20-somethings took items of clothing, a couple of boxes of pizza and hit the streets, walking down Kensington Avenue helping out fellow Philadelphians along the way.

Tyjae started a group and business called Philly Street Magazine @phillystreetmagazine. They identify themselves as Philly’s “new magazine for urban clothing designers MUA’s, hairstylists, entrepreneurs, lash techs, models, and underground rappers.” He and his group were the organizers of these meritorious efforts. When asked why he decided to do this and where the idea came from, Tyjae reflects and notes “it’s something I always wanted to do when I was younger…and now that I have a business I’d like people to know I’m about my community.” When asked why Kensington, “…because I knew I’d get to help a lot of homeless people.” That he did, as a few dozen people stopped by to check out the donated clothing items and grab something to eat.

It's no secret that Kensington is known nationally for its homeless and opioid and heroin addiction problems. From the Washington Post to NBC News and NPR, Philly has been in the spotlight and may be the epicenter of such a crisis, especially as the city seeks to be among the first to open a safe injection site. The problems in Kensington weren't the main foci on Tyjae's mind. Getting neighbors something to eat for the afternoon and clothes for the winter was his primary focus!

The efforts were to continue on Sunday, the 24^th. The weather had other plans. Part 2 will now take place on November 30^th from 1pm-6pm.

I salute Tyjae, his family, his brothas, including Ant (also a former student) and sistas, and everyone else all about doing some good in the hood!

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