Dear Neighbor, 

As a lifelong resident of Germantown, this community has always held a special place in my heart. Now as the Executive Director of our Community Development Corporation, I have the honor and privilege of working with my neighbors each day to make our hometown more stable, vibrant and prosperous for all.

This year has been turbulent in so many ways, from a global pandemic to economic turmoil, and the magnification of our country’s systemic racial disparities and injustices. I am so proud of the way Germantown has responded to and weathered the year by staying united through it all. There has been incredible generosity and sharing, and an explosion of creativity, civic activism and engagement. We at GU are more determined than ever to continue our work on behalf of our dynamic and historic neighborhood.

Thanks to your ongoing support, Germantown United CDC has truly made an impact this year. A few notable examples from 2020 include:

  • We served hundreds of Germantown residents facing hardships or crisis. So far this year, our Neighborhood Advisory Committee Program has supported:
Germantown residents served in 2020. Look for more stats in our next newsletter.
  • Secured $153,000 in funding to establish a new corridor cleaning program servicing Central Germantown. Cleaning and maintenance work was gradually phased in during fall 2020 and is now fully operational 5 days a week. Our cleaning providers/partners are Depaul USA and Friends of Germantown Northwest – two local organizations employing Germantown residents! The new program created five jobs paying a livable wage of $15 per hour or more.
  • Worked to boost Germantown’s Census response through a public education campaign on social media and by recruiting volunteers to phone bank our neighbors and distribute informational postcards in areas with low returns.
Graphic created for the #PhillyCounts census participation campaign

During this season of giving, I ask that you remember GUCDC. Your gift will enable us to provide valuable programs for the local business community and neighborhood residents.

We are proud to be partnering with Germantown Mutual Aid Fund and The Food Cupboard at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church of Germantown this year. We will donate 50% of our $8,000 campaign goal to these fellow Germantown nonprofits that have been providing crucial services for our neighbors in need. The Mutual Aid Fund is a community-generated gifting fund created to financially assist local residents facing financial hardships due to the COVID-19 crisis. Any Germantown resident may request a gift from the fund through greatgtown.org/mutual-aid. The Cupboard at St. Luke’s (5421 Germantown Ave), now operating outdoors, assists about 70 local families each week with pre-bagged groceries; it is open to all on Tuesdays and Fridays from 9 AM to 10:30 AM. Look out for longer profiles of each nonprofit in our next newsletter.

Please join me in supporting our community with a generous gift today. Your donation is tax-deductible and will be put to immediate use. Donations of any size are welcome and make a difference!

Thank you for your support. I wish you a joyous holiday season and a happy new year as we welcome 2021 with hope and optimism.

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay informed,

Emaleigh Doley
Executive Director
Germantown United CDC

P.S. You can also send a check payable to “Germantown United CDC” to:

Germantown United CDC
Attn: Emaleigh Doley
5320 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19144