On August 25, 2022, the International WeLoveU Foundation held the grand opening of WeLoveU Park in Philadelphia, PA, with State Representative Jared Solomon. The park is the culmination of WeLoveU’s Clean & Green Project. Everyone who made the revitalization project possible attended the ribbon cutting, including the WeLoveU volunteers from Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania who worked on the construction, Philadelphia Deputy Commissioner Richard Montanez, the Philadelphia police and fire departments, and Pepsi.
The ribbon cutting symbolizes a new beginning for Northeast Philadelphia, as the space was vacant for nearly a century. The lot fell victim to overgrown weeds and illegal dumping. After WeLoveU received the Greenways Grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to help fund the project, volunteers began construction that would change the community forever.
“Parks and green spaces have an enormously positive impact on our community,” said State Representative Jared Solomon. “It is amazing how far this project has come due to us working together. I thank WeLoveU for their help with this and look forward to continuing to work with them to make our neighborhoods a cleaner, better place for everyone.”
The Process
The planning began more than two years ago. The volunteers and Jared Solomon worked closely to organize the park’s revitalization. With Solomon’s recommendation to apply for a state grant, WeLoveU began the application process in earnest.
In April 2021, WeLoveU received $50,000 from the Greenways, Trails, and Recreation Program. A year later, fences and cones surrounded the lot, and it was time to begin working. A comprehensive timeline of the construction work and beautification is available here. Volunteers put in almost 2,400 hours to revitalize the lot. Now WeLoveU Park has a butterfly sensory path, vegetable garden beds, newly planted flowers, bushes, benches, and solar-powered lights. The park is safe to walk after sundown.
“I am so happy to see that the neighborhood is getting a reface,” said a local resident at the ceremony. “I hope everyone in the neighborhood gets involved and keeps it nice. I appreciate the WeLoveU Foundation, and I think it is a great thing that you are doing.”
WeLoveU’s History in Philadelphia
Since 2017, WeLoveU volunteers have conducted numerous cleanups with State Representative Jared Solomon. They are proud to provide a more long-term benefit to the City of Philadelphia through this larger, sustainable, and more anchored project. The effort speaks to WeLoveU’s growing passion for serving the City of Philadelphia and its residents through environmentalism.
“This space was transformed from a vacant lot to a green space by the International WeLoveU Foundation. The project was financed in part by a grant from the Commonwealth Financing Authority. We’re proud to support this community with natural spaces, which are vital for mental, physical, and societal health.”
Future Possibilities
There are approximately 40,000 vacant lots in Philadelphia; most have become home to litter and crime. A new study by Columbia University’s School of Public Health revealed that revitalizing vacant lots into safe green spaces can drastically reduce neighborhood crime by nearly a third. Studies also prove that “cleaning and greening” urban lots in Philadelphia improve the overall mental health of residents.
The WeLoveU Foundation hopes the Clean & Green Project will inspire others looking to create green spaces in and outside Philadelphia. This lot revitalization can be a catalyst for more transformational projects.
